Oven Not Cooking Meals Properly? Here’s Why

Is your oven not cooking food as perfectly as it has in the past? This can be extremely frustrating and even embarrassing if you have invited guests for lunch or dinner. There are a number of possible reasons or causes for this and, fortunately, many of them are quite easy to repair. Here are some potential causes of your cooking troubles.

The calibration is off

If you find that your food is burning on the outside but not cooking on the inside, it might not mean that your oven isn’t cooking properly. It could be a matter of calibration. Over time and with regular use, the calibration on your oven becomes less than precise. This means that, after a while, the temperature inside your oven will no longer match the temperature to which you have set your oven. So, simply put, your oven could be running hotter or cooler than you thought. The reason why this often goes unnoticed for so long is that it is usually a gradual process. The easy solution is to have your oven recalibrated.

Uneven cooking

If your oven is calibrated, then it’s time to test for any hot spots. In other words, you need to test for uneven cooking to determine how you will proceed from here. There are a number of methods you can use to test your oven. For example, you can bake a cake, toast bread or roast a chicken. When baking a cake, make sure that you follow the recipe as precisely as possible. Once you are done, you will be able to confirm whether or not there is a problem.

About how the oven is cooking.

You may be able to see that one side of the oven is cooking more than another, but it will be more difficult to pinpoint hot spots. The toast test is also great for checking how evenly your oven is cooking food. Spread out a loaf of white bread across a baking tray and place it on the middle rack. Cook and take note of any slices that are significantly more cooked than others. Finally, the chicken roasting test will require a culinary thermometer so make sure that you have one handy. Preheat your oven and cook the chicken for an hour and 15 minutes. Now, check the temperature on both sides of the chicken to see if they are the same. While cooking your chicken, you will notice if one side is cooking faster than the other.

Determining the cause and solution

Now that you know that your oven is not cooking food evenly, it’s time to find out why and what to do about it. Common faulty parts include the bake or broil elements, temperature sensors and even the level at which you are cooking or the type of cookware you are are using.

When it comes to bake or broil elements, if one of them has burned out, it can result in uneven cooking. Usually, you can check visually to see if these elements are glowing red or not. If you turn your oven on and you notice defects in the elements, this can also be a reason to have them replaced.

The next thing that you can check is the temperature sensor. Locate it inside your oven and make sure that it is not touching the side of the oven or it will not provide accurate temperature measurements. You can use an ohmmeter to test whether or not the temperature sensor is working properly. If this part is to blame, it will need to be replaced. Fortunately, these parts are usually readily available and affordable.

Finally, if there are no faulty parts or problems with your oven, you might just need to adjust your cooking methods or style. Use the toast test to figure out how you should rotate your dishes when cooking. You can also try cooking on a higher or lower rack to see which works best. Changing your cookware can also help with heat retention and distribution.

Remember, when you need reliable oven repairs by reputable professionals, Max Appliance Repair Ottawa is just a phone call away at (613) 518-2177. Our speedy Ottawa service will have your oven running perfectly in no time.