An oven in good repair is a wonderful tool. You can bake bread, make cookies, or fix a hearty roast for your family. If your oven has temperature stability issues or just isn’t getting up to a healthy heat as fast as it used to, it’s a good idea to have it checked out.

Mechanical Issues

Perhaps your oven is just not getting up to the right temperature, or is preheating very slowly. Invest in a thermometer that you can set on the oven rack and review to note if the oven stops at a certain temperature, or if the temperature tends to bounce around.

Once you know what’s going on with the heating pattern, bring in a professional repairman. It could be as simple as a new coil or require a new thermostat. If you notice that your oven is suddenly growing very hot without any change to the temperature control, stop using it until you can get a repair technician out to your property.

Operator Errors

One of the nicest things about making cookies is that you get to open the oven door every 8 to 12 minutes. It’s a lovely way to warm up the house and make it smell great. However, these frequent openings will lead to temperature drops.

If you are prone to opening the oven door to check on the progress of whatever you’re baking, your oven may be trying hard to hold temperature but losing it when you open the door. It’s also possible that the seal around your oven door is simply not working anymore.

Should you find that a casserole or cake that used to take 30 minutes now takes 40 minutes and you’re not opening the oven door, the culprit is probably the seal.

Multiple Prep Options

Once your oven is holding a steady temperature, even at low temps, you can use your oven as a food dehydrator. The key to dehydrating in the oven is to focus on is slicing everything evenly. If you have a food processor that you can use to slice up foods, use it for best results.

If you have a convection oven, you can use it as an air fryer. Keep your oven clean to avoid smoke, grease or residue buildup and help it last for years ahead.

If you live in Fork River, NJ, contact our professionals at Brian’s Appliance Repair to determine if your oven is in good mechanical shape before you try to use it in new ways.