How to Run a Commercial Conventional Oven

Pay attention to safety rules when running a commercial oven.

A commercial oven is very similar to a basic home conventional oven in that it has heating coils that heat the interior of a metal box to a desired temperature. Commercial ovens are built stronger, may have more accurate temperature gauges and timers, and often have more than one door in the front. The process of using it is virtually the same, as all ovens do the same basic job -- cooking food through the use of dry heat. Follow basic safety rules when using a commercial conventional oven to bake your dishes without sustaining injury.

Things You'll Need

• Oven mitts

Instructions

1. Open the oven and inspect the interior while it's still cold. Remove any pans or food that may have been inadvertently left behind the last time you used the oven. Adjust the racks to give the oven interior the best configuration for your planned workload.

2. Close the oven door and turn on the heat to preheat the oven. Set the oven temperature for the desired amount of heat for your planned recipes. Allow the oven to heat for 15 to 30 minutes. Consult with the manufacturer's directions to find the recommended amount of preheat time for your particular oven.

3. Place uncooked food in an oven-safe pan and set it on a flat surface near the oven. Don a pair of oven-safe gloves or mittens. Open the oven door all the way and make sure the door is firmly in the open position and won't close on your hands. Pick up the pan and place it in the oven, allowing room on all sides of the pan so heat can circulate.

4. Place more pans of uncooked foods onto the oven racks, filling the interior of the oven as much as possible. This will save time on prep work. It will also save on energy costs by combining cooking times.

5. Close the oven door and remove the oven mitts. Set a timer for the correct cooking time for that dish.

6. Put oven mitts back on when the timer goes off. Open the oven door and remove the cooked food. Place the pans of food on a heatproof flat surface. Close the oven door, then remove the oven mitts.

7. Turn off the oven at the end of the work day. Open the oven door slightly to allow the interior to cool faster. Set the rocker switch to the "Cool down" setting if your oven has one.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the oven mitts frequently for holes and replace them as needed.

• Remove the oven racks after they are cool and wash them each night to prevent buildup on the bars.

• Always yell out a warning such as "Hot!" or "Open oven!" before opening the oven door. This will help prevent people from accidentally walking into an open oven door, or from knocking you into the oven interior from behind.

References

• Jean's Restaurant Supply: Commercial Oven Energy Efficiency