Setting Your Oven Temperature Perfectly for Holiday Cooking
Whether your oven is a few months old or reaching 10 years old, you need a reliable temperature to cook and bake properly. Nothing is worse than burning those scrumptious cupcakes or scorching that chicken casserole. You might have had a Milwaukee oven repair person in recently to check your other appliances, but you can adjust the oven’s temperature on your own with a few tips from the experts:
Test the Oven First
The simplest way to see if you even need to calibrate your oven is testing it. Place a basic oven thermometer in the center of the appliance. Preheat the oven to an average 350-degree Fahrenheit temperature. When the oven indicates that it’s reached the required temperature, use the appliance’s light to see the thermometer’s reading. If you open the oven to look at the temperature, you’ll release too much heat. As a result, the thermometer won’t have the proper reading. Ideally, the thermometer should reflect a perfect 350-degree F. value.
Understanding Oven Temperature Ranges
Don’t be surprised if the oven thermometer isn’t exactly at 350 degrees. In fact, most ovens vary in temperature by about 15 degrees. If you notice the oven has a larger value difference, such as 20 or 25 degrees, then the appliance requires calibration. Ovens lose their calibration over time as components settle and age. A poor calibration value doesn’t mean that the appliance is faulty or bad quality. You simply need to put the oven through a calibration cycle and return it to its normal operations.
Mechanical Calibration
Every oven has a different calibration process so you should check the appliance’s user manual for any specific procedures. For older ovens, these appliances usually have a mechanical calibration. In many cases, the calibration dial is behind one of the knobs on the oven. Remove this knob and evaluate the adjustment area. A screw or set of screws might need to be adjusted for proper oven temperature calibration. Be aware that calibration only requires small adjustments to the screws so there’s no need to roughly handle the procedure.
Electronic Adjustments
Your oven could have an electronic control panel so your adjustments don’t involve screws and screwdrivers. Read through your owner’s manual to find the calibration adjustment cycle. This procedure usually requires you to turn on the oven while performing a preset button configuration. Each button must be pressed in a certain order to activate the service side of the hardware. You’ll enter a calibration mode where you adjust the temperature as necessary. Alternatively, you might have to calibrate the oven using LED prompts on the control panel itself. If you cannot find your manual to verify the procedure, you can always call the manufacturer for specific instructions.
If you don’t feel comfortable with oven calibration, you’re always welcome to contact the Milwaukee oven repair experts. With one service call, you can have an oven that’s perfectly calibrated for every holiday meal to come. From turkeys to pumpkin pies, your food will be the center of attention this holiday season.