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10 Things to Never Do When You Use the Oven

Actionable advice.

By Carren SandersPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
10 Things to Never Do When You Use the Oven
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The oven is one of the indispensable objects in a kitchen. After all, with the help of the oven, we get the fluffiest cakes, but also the tastiest homemade pizza. However, the more indispensable the oven is in a house, the more difficult it is to maintain.

Although you might think that simply cleaning it up can help you to enjoy it more, some mistakes can shorten your life and endanger your family's health. Are you curious about the things you should never do when using the oven?

Put frozen food

You probably have the impression that you will save precious hours if you put the chicken breast in the oven before it thaws completely. Well, it seems that this habit can endanger the health of the family.

If you put frozen food in the oven, the cooking time must be much longer. Otherwise, the food will not be cooked enough. Try to defrost food completely before cooking.

Suppose the temperature is correct

The oven only measures the temperature in a certain place in the oven. Therefore, it may be hotter in some places than in others, and the food may not be cooked to the desired temperature.

However, there is an easy way to solve this problem. A simple thermometer can help make sure the food is cooked to the temperature you want.

Cook with waxed food paper

Wax paper and baking paper may look the same, but they are different. While the wax will retain moisture, it will not be strong enough to withstand the heat. In a hot oven, it can melt or, worse, catch fire.

Don't clean it for a few days (or months)

Daily cleaning in the kitchen can focus more on dishes, not the oven. The dirt that remains in the oven is becoming increasingly difficult to clean and can also cause smoke. Therefore, it is best to clean the oven after each use.

Let the leftovers of food reach the bottom of the oven

To make cleaning the oven easier, it is advisable to clean each stain immediately. If this is not possible, then you can try to put a protective foil on the bottom of the oven or a baking paper. This way, you can change it after each use of the oven.

You set the oven wrong

In addition to the standard settings of the oven for heating only at a certain point, some models also have the option of circular heating with the help of a fan. Although it doesn't look any different, the circulating air can help you cook food faster.

For this reason, you should strictly follow every indication of how you cook your food. If you cook a certain dish with this setting at the same time, you may burn it.

You do not remove the grill when cleaning the oven

Although some ovens have the option of cleaning themselves, it is recommended that the grill be cleaned separately. Unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer, high temperatures may damage the material and discolor it. Manually clean the grill each time.

You forget about cleaning corners and cracks

You don't want to know what's hidden in the corners where you forget to clean the oven! If you want the dirt that remains in these places not to attract beetles, it is good to take a butter knife with a cloth on top and rub every corner. When the cloth gets dirty, replace it with another soaked in vinegar.

You leave the buttons dirty

Since you put your hand on the food and then on the oven, it's no wonder that a lot of germs remain on the buttons. To make sure every nook and cranny is cleaned, you can soak the buttons in warm water mixed with disinfectant or other cleaning solutions.

Put things directly on the heating system

The oven may be hot, but not as hot as the heating elements.

Although there is a small chance that something in the oven will catch fire, it is better to avoid cooking directly on those items. Some ovens can cause the baking paper to ignite quickly when it comes in contact with the heating system.

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About the Creator

Carren Sanders

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