Few important tips, that will help us get the best out of an electric oven. These
simple steps, help in churn out delicious and perfectly baked dishes.
Do’s ...
- Space: Give ample space for the food and make sure there is minimum 2 inches gap between the pans for good air circulation. Pans shouldn’t touch the sides of the oven, too.
- Pan placement: Perfect pan placementis important every time for perfect baking. Place them on the center of the rack so that it bakes evenly.
- Use multiple racks: If you need to bake more than one tray, put them on different racks / separate ovens if you have an option. If you’re using one oven, position them in such a way that they don’t block the heat from the source (heating element).
- Clean oven: Do not leave drips and crumbs on the bottom of the oven. These food bits can catch fire or smoke, which can overheat the oven and make the items taste of soot.
Don’ts ...
- Don’t open the oven door frequently: It’s always tempting to open the oven door to check the dishes, but it can make the oven temperature drop drastically (sometimes up to even 25 degrees). A steady temperature is important to ensure the dishes bake uniformly and in time.
- Temperature fluctuations also dry out chicken and turkeys. So, skip the basting process and keep the poultry moist by coating it in oil or butter and leaving the door closed as much as possible.
- Don’t overfill the oven: Even if the oven has ample room, one must leave space around pans so that air can circulate around each item to cook it properly.
- Using Aluminium foil: It is safe to use the foil for lining baking trays and wrapping food, but it’s not recommended to line the bottom of the oven to catch spills and drips. The foil can melt in high heat and damage the oven.