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Wtf is the deal with gas ovens — Brooklynian

Wtf is the deal with gas ovens

carmen
carmen
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I've lived in three apartments in the last 3 years and I can't seem to cook right in a gas oven. My current one is nearly brand new (less than a year old) but everything takes 2X as long to cook and nothing ever ever browns. Ever. My broiler looks pretty pathetic so I get that, but it seems that the entire oven just can't manage to function- am I doing something wrong here or are gas ovens just unreliable with their thermostats? Is this something fixable? I've made tons of recipes in electric ovens that work every time and they're always undercooked in every gas oven I use, or they won't brown, or they rise and then fall (forget baking bread...)


halp.

Comments

  • carnivore
    carnivore
    Get an actual oven thermometer to check the oven temperature. Don't rely on what it's set for as the actual temperature.
  • carmen
    carmen
    will it maintain the temp or do I need to check it every 5 minutes? This is highly irritating when cooking slow-roasting things like chickens or pork loins. I stab it at the end and its WAY undercooked. LAME
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    Second what Carni says. I love gas and hate electric. Get a thermometer to gauge how your oven runs. Once you figure out that it's really giving out 300 instead of 350, you can adjust. Unfortunately, the ovens that our landlords provide are typically bottom of the line pieces of crap.
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    I agree with Carnivore on the thermometer. None of my ovens in the last few years has had an accurate temp. Mine seem to usually always be off by a certain amount. My current one cooks about 25 degrees lower than the temp it thinks it is.

    I leave the thermometer in there and just check it before putting food in and then whenever I'm opening it to look at the food item.
  • artandwords
    artandwords
    VoodooNYC wrote: Unfortunately, the ovens that our landlords provide are typically bottom of the line pieces of crap.
    Yes. This. I have my own stove and I make them store the shitty stove.
  • anastasia beaverhausen
    anastasia beaverhausen
    I grew up in Florida where we only had electric ovens. When I moved into my first apartment here, I called my mother in tears because the oven made soft "popping" noises when I turned it on and I thought it was going to blow up. I also had to google how to relight the pilot.

    For as old as mine is, it does a decent job. I would have no idea how to gauge the temperature using a thermometer.
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    Anastasia Beaverhausen wrote: I would have no idea how to gauge the temperature using a thermometer.
    It's EASY! 1. Buy an oven thermometer for like 5 bucks. 2. Place in oven in a conspicuous location. 3. Whatever temp the thermometer reads is the real temp, not how you set your stove.

    Now I need to go and remove my pork roast from my GAS piece of crap oven (with thermometer) :D
  • anastasia beaverhausen
    anastasia beaverhausen
    How the hell are you supposed to fix the temp if its wrong?
  • veneziahm
    veneziahm
    Anastasia Beaverhausen wrote: How the hell are you supposed to fix the temp if its wrong?
    If you set your oven to 300 and your own little thermometer says its only 250 then you put the oven up to 350. You just deal with your own little thermometer. It is not wrong.
  • vidro3
    vidro3
    this is just about the best thing ever.
    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11720307
  • vidro3
    vidro3
    this too
    http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=762&f=11486
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    vidro3 wrote: this too
    http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=762&f=11486
    This is really nice (and actually the one I have) but you can get one cheaper. Y'know, if you're not professional chefs like me and vidro. :wink:
  • anastasia beaverhausen
    anastasia beaverhausen
    Whatever. I made paneer makhani today. So there. I make it all the damn time. I have it down to a science.
  • voodoonyc
    voodoonyc
    Anastasia Beaverhausen wrote: How the hell are you supposed to fix the temp if its wrong?
    Don't worry, Mama can always take you out for Thai if you're hungry.

    :D
  • hannah smith
    hannah smith
    We have a brand new electric oven and it's horrid - gas is a billion times better (the electric one always seems to take way too long to cook things). Like people say, just get to know your oven and accommodate.
  • toadette
    toadette
    I just got an oven thermometer and discovered that my (extremely crappy although not ancient) gas oven runs about 30 degrees under. No wonder it was impossible for me to bake even the simplest things properly.

    Now that I have the thermometer, I also noticed another annoying feature of my oven - the temperature setting dial seems to be too tight, meaning that I can't really make fine temperature adjustments to it. I fear 350 degrees will never exist in my oven; the closest I seemed to be able to get today was 320 or 370. :(
  • brooklynpotter
    brooklynpotter
    honestly, gas range, electric oven... that would be the ultimate choice. electric ovens are really, really dependable.

    that said, buy an oven thermometor unelss you can get your landlord to come calibrate your oven
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    ^^^ that's what we have in our current apartment. Gas stove top, electric convection oven. The oven temp is still off by quite a bit, so I use a thermometer, especially for baked goods like cookies and cakes.

    The convection oven is perfect for reheating things quickly, that might get soggy/gross in the microwave. We just toss slices of pizza on the rack to heat and keep the crust crisp, and dub pies cook in about 5 minutes compared to 15 minutes without the convection fan.
  • MOD
    MOD
    VoodooNYC wrote: [quote=Anastasia Beaverhausen]How the hell are you supposed to fix the temp if its wrong?
    Don't worry, Mama can always take you out for Thai if you're hungry.

    :D

    who, what, when?? Me?? screw that, someone take me out to Applewood already!
  • anastasia beaverhausen
    anastasia beaverhausen
    Mamacita wrote: [quote=VoodooNYC][quote=Anastasia Beaverhausen]How the hell are you supposed to fix the temp if its wrong?
    Don't worry, Mama can always take you out for Thai if you're hungry.

    :D

    who, what, when?? Me?? screw that, someone take me out to Applewood already!

    No.
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