Things You Should Never Do With Your Oven

Yes, there are just certain things you shouldn’t do with an oven, this pretty much goes without saying doesn’t it? You’re not likely to keep your oven door open or place highly flammable materials inside it, are you?

But the issue we’re looking at today are things that are a little more unusual, they might sound like perfectly normal and sensible things to do. But if you do them it could damage your oven and in some cases, you might even be unable to get it repaired.

So, if you don’t want to risk damaging your oven read on to find out what things you should never do! I’ am willing to bet the average person will not know about the majority of these and will likely even do a few of them, so you’ll be sure to learn something.

Never Use The Self-Cleaning Feature Before Preparing Big Meat Dishes

Whether it’s for a Sunday roast or a special occasion like a Christmas or New Year’s dinner we will all use our oven to cook big meat dishes from time to time, won’t we? Chicken, turkey, pork and much more can all be cooked to perfection in an oven.

And it will taste even better when the oven is clean and free of grease, fat and drippings won’t it? The self-cleaning feature on your oven is perfect for ridding yourself of this leftover fat and food particles but you should never risk using the feature before a big meal.

The self-clean feature works by melting the leftover particles and grease, so it reaches a very high temperature. We’re talking 800 degrees plus so there is a risk that the heating element will burn out or your electrical system could shut down. If that happens you aren’t going to be getting that big meal cooked anytime soon, are you?

Be Careful When Using Foil In Your Oven

Many people line oven trays with foil and that’s usually fine but you have to be careful when it comes to putting foil in your oven. Foil works by reflecting heat and if it’s lined around the oven it can easily cause efficiency issues. So, make sure you don’t line the oven with foil use it sparingly and make sure it’s carefully placed in the oven tray.

Be Careful About Covering The Vents

The last point I talked about was about the importance of being careful when using foil in your oven. Many people use oven mats in place of foil to be extra careful, but oven mats can also cover vents if not placed correctly.

Mats aren’t the only risk when it comes covering vents foil can do it again and so can badly placed trays or a build-up of food debris. So, it’s essential you make sure they are not covered as the vents are what allow heat to circulate evenly around the oven.

Be Careful When Cleaning The Oven Knobs

We’ve looked at the importance of using the self-cleaning feature but that isn’t the only thing you need to be wary of when it comes to cleaning your oven. Oven knobs can build-up dirt easily and quickly so regular cleaning will need to be carried out.

Many people will usually turn to using a spray cleaner to do this, but you should be very careful when it comes to using them. The liquid from the spray can easily soak into the control knobs and damage the electrical components so to be safe I advise using a slightly damp soft cloth.

Don’t Use The Oven To Heat Your Home

Ovens give out a lot of heat, don’t they? They have to by design, but the problem is many people mistreat their ovens and use them as a heating source to warm up their home or kitchen! Yes, that might sound crazy, but people do it and you should make sure you never do. No, matter how cold you get don’t use your oven as a heater as it can be very dangerous especially with gas ovens.

Pay Attention To Your Oven Every Time It’s In Use

You don’t have to watch it at all times, you’d never take your eyes off it if you did would you? But you should be sure to check on it every so often and make sure you keep an eye out for moisture on the door. A build-up of moisture is a sign of a damaged seal and it will likely mean a gasket needs replacing. Thankfully this is usually a simple repair job, so don’t panic too much if you see a build-up of moisture on your oven’s door.