Built-in ovens: FAQs
How do I get the best out of my oven?
When using your oven, make sure you read the cooking instructions, take note of how long to bake for, the correct heat setting, and the recommended shelf levels. If you find that the results aren't perfect first time, change the cooking time or temperature slightly.
It’s hard to find a grill that will spread the heat perfectly evenly all the way across the grill pan so always make sure that the food you're grilling is in the right place to receive the right amount of heat.
What’s the best way to clean my oven?
Catalytic oven walls absorb grease and dirt, then burn it off at up to about 275°C while cooking. Pyrolytic liners burn off dirt and grease at about 500°C, which incinerates food scraps into ash that is swept out once the oven cools. The door is generally automatically locked for safety.
Some ovens have an additional steam-cleaning system, such as Neff’s Aquacleanse. Add water and washing-up liquid to the oven floor, select the programme, the bottom heat function steams off grease, and when it’s cooled you wipe it clean.
Even if you’ve got an oven with self-cleaning walls, the shelves and door will need to be cleaned in the conventional way. When we last tested oven cleaners in July 2007, there were two Best Buys. With the Oven Pride Oven Cleaning System (£3.99) you place the oven shelves into special bags with the cleaning solution. Kitchen stalwart Mr Muscle (£1.88) foam oven cleaner also cut through baked-on fatty grease. Neither of these products should be used on pyrolitic or catalytic surfaces, but you shouldn’t need to.
On stainless steel surfaces remove fingerprints as soon as possible or they will become harder to clean off. Wipe over with a clean damp cloth, then polish off all water with a soft dry cloth. The E-cloth developed for stainless steel is a great buffer - you can buy it from some supermarkets, electrical retailers and environmentally-friendly product websites.
Remove stubborn marks using a stainless steel cleaner, or rub in a few drops of baby oil to restore stainless steel finishes. Don't use cooking oils, as they contain salts, which can damage the metal. Avoid wiping down with wire wool or other scrubbing pads, which can scratch the surface.