Cleaning an oven is an unenviable task that commonly finds itself high on the list of hated household chores.

Dirty, boring and laborious, it’s a duty that tends to be avoided at all costs, unless absolutely necessary.

That being said, when needs must, productivity often hits a roadblock when it comes to cleaning the oven door.

Keep your oven from becoming a culinary crimes scene with this handy guide to cleaning oven glass.

Cleaning Oven Door Glass

The ability to clean the glass of your oven door can make or break your oven cleaning endeavour.

Unsightly drips and noticeable streaks are far from an uncommon occurrence on oven glass and can leave your oven appearing grubby, even if the inside itself is actually spotless.

However, oven glass accessibility isn’t always simple and can take a lot more effort than simply spray, scrub and wipe.

If your oven door glass playing hard to get, you may need to be a little creative in your approach. Luckily, there’s a tried and tested formula for just that.

Hang in There

Oven doors are notoriously tricky to clean, particularly when it comes to maintaining the transparent glass front.

Worse still, oven doors often comprise of multiple layers, a myriad of parts and a multitude of intricate fastenings holding it all together.

Avoid the headaches of dismantling and horror of reassembling your oven door by using this handy coat hanger hack.

Hang Fire

Before you do anything else, you’ll need to make your coat hanger contraption.

Straighten out a metal coat hanger and wrap a glass cleaning wipe around it, securing it in place with an elastic band.

Hey, presto – one wiry cleaning wand!

Infiltrate

Most ovens will have a drawer or casing below the oven door itself.

Remove this front panel to reveal the oven door’s exposed inner workings. This will give your additional access to the oven door, including the usually inaccessible oven glass.

Behind Enemy Lines

By laying under the now exposed door base, you’ll now be able to see open slots, giving you access between the oven and the window glass.

Slide the wire cleaning wand into the gap and simply wipe away the dirt from the grubby area.

For dirty glass, this may take a couple of goes with several new wipes – but be persistent. The result will be worth the effort!

Fall Back

Once clean, simply remove the wand and bask in the glory of a job well done!

When you pull out the hanger and see how much dirt has been removed by the glass wipes, you’ll be amazed at how effective this simple technique can be.

And all without removing a single screw!

For more information on oven cleaning, why not check out our other oven cleaning blogs for more hints, tips and hacks. Alternatively, if your oven is beyond cleaning and you’re in need a replacement part, call now on 02920 452 510 or get in touch online using the button below.

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Over the last several decades, kitchen appliances have seen a variety of technological breakthroughs, from the George Foreman Grill to instant-boiling taps.

Despite the range of inventions, innovations and advances, the humble oven has stood firm as a tried and true mainstay of the kitchen.

However, the ovenary option of gas and electric has long been a hot debate, with both sides of the argument staunchly loyal to their preferred supply.

So, which one is better? Let’s find out as we turn up the heat on gas ovens vs electric ovens, in the ultimate battle for kitchen supremacy.

Pros and Cons of a Gas Oven

If you think a gas oven will provide more of a spark to your culinary capabilities, check out these pros and cons and give yourself a balanced view.

Benefits of a Gas Oven

Gas ovens tend to heat up very quickly, speeding up the overall cooking process as it reduces the time needed to pre-heat the oven to the desired temperature.

They also provide a levelled heat distribution which can be useful for achieving different results while cooking things at the same time; e.g. cooking meat on the bottom shelf and roast potatoes on the top.

Disadvantages of a Gas Oven

Gas installation is a specialist skill and can be extremely dangerous if conducted by an untrained amateur. As such, you’ll need to enlist the aid of a qualified gas professional to install your gas oven safely. Naturally, this will usually come with a price tag.

Gas ovens usually won’t feature a fan either, which can make it harder for heat to circulate. While this can be great for achieving varying cooking results (as noted above), it can result in an uneven bake and require some serious shelf juggling if you’re looking to achieve the same results for multiple trays.

Pros and Cons of an Electric Oven

If you’re switched on to the idea of an electric oven, be sure to take the following into account for a well-rounded decision.

Benefits of an Electric Oven

While gas may have the edge in terms of heating speed, electric does tend to offer a quicker cooking experience.

Electric ovens tend to distribute heat more evenly, particularly fan-assisted ovens. This allows the hot air to be circulated around the oven, surrounding the item and cooking the food from multiple angles.

Disadvantages of an Electric Oven

As noted earlier, electric ovens can take a long time to heat up, extending the cooking time by potentially up to 30 minutes. It also retains its heat for a long period of time, making adjusting temperature tricky at times.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of electrical ovens is that they can be a notable casualty when a power cut occurs. If the power is down in your area and your midway through an oven bake, it’s an immediate roadblock that doesn’t have a detour.

Is Gas Cheaper Than Electric?

In short, yes. Cooking with gas typically works out notably cheaper than cooking with an electric oven.

One study by consumer watchdog Which? found that cooking with a gas oven worked out over 50% cheaper than cooking with an electric oven over the course of a year.

In addition to that, gas cookers are also typically cheaper to purchase up front as well, providing savings on a number of levels.

Gas Cooking vs Electric Cooking

While your decision will likely come down to costs, efficiency and practicality, it’s also important to note that gas cooking also provides a different cooking style to electric.

Gas ovens provide heat with more moisture than electric, culminating in a dish that itself is ultimately more moist. This prevents certain dishes from drying out and can make all the difference when cooking items like meat.

Meanwhile, electric ovens provide a drier heat that’s perfect for achieving crispier textures. This is particularly helpful when baking cookies of crisping up chips.

Which is Better - Gas or Electric?

Ultimately, who prevails in the battle between electric and gas depends largely on your own preferences and desired methods of cooking.

While gas can be cheaper in the long run, it does require specialist installation, whereas an electric model simply needs an outlet. That being said, if you live in an area where power cuts are common, an electric oven can be an unreliable solution.

The differences in cooking quality and end result can also be a decisive factor, while many will simply opt for what they are familiar with in a “better the devil you know” mindset. That being said, if you really are torn, there are hybrid options that provide the best of both.

Whichever option you ultimately go for, you can be sure that Cooker Spare Parts will have you covered if you need a replacement component, new rack or a spare tray to go with it.

If you need any help making up your decision, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 02920 452 510 or get in touch online using the link below.

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When someone is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, there are few things that compare to the sweet, sweet aroma of a finely cooked dish.

Whether it’s a freshly made sauce on the stove, a roasting chicken in the oven or even the scent of toast gently browning in the toaster, the slightest whiff can get the taste buds tingling and the mouth salivating.

That being said, the cacophony of odours can create quite the aromatic cocktail over time and leave you with a less than harmonious oven smell (particularly when it comes to fish and meat).

Avoid a smelly oven with these tips to keep your oven smells under control.

How to Remove Odours from your Oven

When your oven smells become too much to handle, you can deodorise an oven in a number of different ways; however, you don’t even need to reach for the industrial power of chemical oven cleaners to do so.

In fact, perhaps the quickest and easiest way to neutralise your oven smells is to enlist a helping hand from Mother Nature. Here are three sure-fire techniques to rid your oven of its nasty odours naturally.

Lemon

A great natural way of getting rid of oven smells is to enlist the awesome citric power of lemons. In addition to smelling great, they also make for a great way to loosen grease for a one-two punch of citric power.

First, fill a large oven-proof dish with about an inch or so of water. Next, slice two or three lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the dish, placing the squeezed lemon halves into the dish as well.

From there, simply pre-heat the oven to 120 C, place the dish on the rack and leave it to boil over for up to an hour, depending on the extent of the smell. Voila – one citrus fresh oven!

Vanilla

Another fantastic natural ingredient for masking odours, vanilla is a great alternative for a sweet-smelling kitchen.

Simply mix a teaspoon of vanilla extract with a small bowl of water and mix. Dip a cloth into the mixture and ring out the excess water until you’re left with a damp cloth.

From there, use the damp cloth to wipe down the inside of the oven, making sure to cover all walls, roof, base and racks. Repeat this process two or three times to ensure the whole oven is appropriately coated.

Much like the lemon method, you can also use the evaporation technique to deodorise your oven. Simply follow the same steps using an oven-proof dish and an inch of water, replacing the lemon juice for a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Oranges

Much like lemons, the citrusy goodness of oranges makes them the perfect weapon for a fresh smelling oven.

However, unlike the lemon method, you only need the peel for this approach (so feel free to snack on the juicy segments while you prep).

All you have to do is peel an orange and place the skin on a baking tray in the oven. Leave them to bake for up to an hour and – hey presto – you should be left with an odourly wonderful tropical scent.

So, there you have it: three unbelievably easy ways to rescue your smelly oven from the stench of defeat. If your oven trays, racks and pans are simply beyond saving, you can always get a replacement here at Cooker Spare Parts. Click below to get in touch today.

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Those that spend a lot of time in the kitchen will know all too well that cooking appliances are far from perfect.

When it comes to ovens, they are by no means an exception to the rule and this fact also extends to the oven knobs attached to the cooker.

Many oven knobs have the temperature markers printed onto the dial itself. As such, the likelihood you may rub out some of the markings over time is pretty high.

That being said, just because your cooker knob is missing its markers doesn’t mean you have to lose your marbles. There are a couple of handy hacks that can help you get dialled up again.

Replacing the Numbers

Most ovens and cookers will have either a chrome, black or white front, with knobs of the same colour at the top of said oven.

A quick and easy albeit temporary workaround to this issue is to simply Google the make and model of your oven for an image of the cooker front. Assuming you can get a visible look at the dials, you can then proceed to mark on the key temperatures.

If you can’t locate a legible image, you may be able to find a usable depiction of the dial in the oven’s manual. While the images can vary from the real thing at times, it should give a decent idea of what temperature is marked where.

Replacing Numbers on Black Oven

For a white or chrome coloured oven front/knob, a black Sharpie is ideal; however, this can be a little more difficult if you have a black cooker. Try using a Tippex pen or a silver Sharpie.

If heat is a concern and you suspect that may be the reason behind your missing markings to begin with, it may be worth using heat-resistant paint – such as paint for ceramic tiles – or even nail polish.

If all else fails and you know you plan on replacing it, you may want to simply score in line markers over key temperatures with a sharp instrument as a means of keeping track.

While none of these solutions are ideal, they do provide a decent quick-fix that will see you covered for the interim until a replacement arrives.

Gauging Temperature

If you don’t have any imagery available and you really are stuck when it comes to what temperature marking goes where, all hope is not lost just yet – it’s time to go old school!

If your oven comes equipped with an oven thermometer, trial and error can get you where you need to be. Simply, turn the dial to where you roughly believe your most commonly used temperature is (e.g. 180), wait for the oven to heat up and check the thermometer.

After a handful of tweaks and retests, you should have a good idea what’s where and can mark accordingly using one of the methods above.

Replacing an Oven Knob Missing Markers

While the above techniques can be handy as a short-term stop-gap to keep your kitchen running, your oven cooking and your food the right side of cremation, your best bet is to order a replacement oven dial if your cooker knob is missing its numbers.

Luckily, you can replace a cooker knob with ease at Cooker Spare Parts. Simply head over to our Cooker Knob section, type in the make, locate the model you need and click the product you want to order – job done!

For more information on cooker knobs and replacement oven parts, drop us a line today on 02920 452 510 or click the button below to get in touch online.

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Anyone that has ever crossed paths with an oven will be well aware of the adjustable rack positions within them.

However, did you know that the positions actually play a pivotal role in the cooking process?

When it comes to choosing top, middle or bottom in your oven, you don’t have to strike it lucky with guesswork. There’s actually a defined method to the ovenary madness.

Don’t let your culinary dreams go up in smoke or fall foul to a half-baked approach. Get the hot take on oven rack positions and keep your mealtimes piping hot and cooked to perfection.

Is Oven Rack Position Important?

In a nutshell – yes!

The placement of the right food on the right rack can be the difference between good eating and good riddance.

As a general guide on how to best utilise a multi-rack oven, the following dishes are placed on these racks for optimal cooking.

Bottom Oven Rack

Theoretically providing the closest proximity to the heat source, the bottom rack is perfect for foods that require intense heat for a short period of time. As such, this rack position is ideal for dishes like pizza and flatbreads.

Middle Oven Rack

The go-to position for most items of food, this is the safest bet for oven cooking items for an even finish – ideal for pies, pastries and lasagnes. This position allows the hot air to circulate around the food freely and fairly for a balanced bake.

Top Oven Rack

If you wish to use your oven for the purpose of grilling food, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the top shelf. This will give you direct access to the grill element on the roof of the oven. In the US, this is commonly referred to as “broiling”, so don’t be alarmed or confused if you stumble across the term “broiler” – it basically means “grill” to anyone outside the United States.

Is Oven Rack Position Important?

Naturally, oven models can and usually will vary from one brand to the next and you may find your oven features multiple levels outside of the simple top/middle/bottom trifecta. These are commonly found in between each of the aforementioned positions.

These mid-level settings allow for additional flexibility when cooking bulkier items, such as casserole dishes and large meats, while they can also provide a great middle-ground should you want to adjust your bake during cooking (e.g. lower the level if your food starts to burn).

The Golden-Brown Rule

A great rule of thumb when it comes to identifying which rack to use for your dish is to simply identify how you want your item to be cooked.

If you want the bottom of the food to brown, place low in the over; for the top to brown, place high; and, for the best of both worlds, place in the middle.

Cooking with Multiple Oven Racks

Having additional racks in the oven can provide a great way to cook several things at once. This can be particularly useful if you are cooking in bulk; e.g. baking several trays of cookies or multiple pizzas simultaneously.

However, when you do utilise the additional oven racks for cooking a variety of things at the same time, it’s worth keeping the following points in mind.

Food Placement

Theoretically As previously mentioned, cooking your food on varying levels of the oven can achieve a varying result, with the higher level resulting in a different finish than the lower. For an even bake, it may be worth moving your trays around midway through to ensure all items are cooked equally.

Cooking Time

Additionally, it’s worth remembering that food takes longer to cook the more items you have in your oven. It’s widely believed that two dishes will take 15% longer to cook than one: so, if you’re pizza was to take 10 mins by itself, cook for an additional minute and a half.

Multiple Oven Racks

Cooking with additional racks in the oven can not only make life easier for cooking in general, it can be a great solution for entertaining guests and catering for additional mouths to feed.

Don’t give your oven an easy ride. Get the most out of your oven by making sure you have the right equipment for the job.

If your grills, pans and oven trays are looking a little worse for wear or you simply want a couple of extra layers to add to your oven, head over to our replacements page now and bring your oven cooking experience to a whole new level today!

For more information on oven accessories and replacement parts, why not get in touch to find out more? Call now on 02920 452 510 or click the button below to drop us a message online.

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