Most modern ovens now come with a variety of cooking functions. Without fully understanding the options on your particular oven, you are most likely not taking advantage of all that it has to offer. As these are usually a significant investment, it makes sense to use all of its capabilities. This will make your cooking, as well as your life, a lot easier. Many ovens make it possible for you to eliminate the need for multiple appliances. Some also have options that reduce cooking time tremendously. Many also employ features that ensure even cooking so you no longer have to worry about rotating pans halfway through baking or roasting.
The most common type of oven is the conventional model. This is the most basic and traditional way of cooking. In this kind of unit, the heat can come from coils at both the top and the bottom. The heating elements at the top are typically used for broiling at high temperatures, but also give off warmth for regular cooking as well. Keeping in mind that heat rises, the top portion of the unit will be the hottest. Because of this, it is useful to place items requiring a higher cooking temperature or longer cooking time on one of the top shelves. Following the same principle, more delicate foods should be cooked at a lower position.
Another type of function is a fan assisted option. With this, the heat is often only given off at the top, but the hot air is then distributed through the oven through the use of a fan. However, some models have a fan towards the back and force heat from both the top and the bottom elements. This ensures even cooking and reduces baking time.
Grilling, sometimes referred to as broiling, is also a good function of which to take advantage. This can be done in both gas and electric types and uses only heat coming from the top portion. However, in a gas model, there is typically a separate compartment used for grilling. There is also usually an option that uses both a fan and grill at the same time. This achieves a crispy, sometimes, charred top, while making sure to circulate the air so that the rest of the food cooks evenly. By learning about these various functions, your cooking and baking ventures will most likely be much more successful. Also, by playing around with the features on your oven, you can have a great deal of fun experimenting in the kitchen. |