How to Test the Temperature of Your Oven
Do you often find that the things you bake turn out burnt or underdone? If you do, then your oven may not be calibrated correctly. You can easily find out for yourself if your oven is cooking at the right temperature. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Get a good quality oven thermometer. The "dial" type of thermometer is not very accurate and they are hard to read without opening the oven door. Get a digital remote thermometer for the best results. See the link in the resources section for an oven thermometer from Amazon.com.
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Check to make sure the oven's temperature sensor is secure and in the right position. It should be attached to the wall of the oven with a metal clip. The sensor measures the temperature of the air so make sure that the sensor part is not touching the wall, the rack or anything else.
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Hang the oven thermometer in the oven by wrapping the cord around the rack. Adjust the rack so that the thermometer is hanging in the center of the oven. The thermometer should not be touching any metal. Set the temperature display on the counter beside the oven.
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Set your oven to 350 degrees. Take your first temperature reading right after the oven finishes preheating. Do not open the oven door during this test or the results will be skewed.
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Ovens work by heating up to a temperature above what it is set to, and then cooling to a lower temperature before it heats back up again. The average of the high and low temperatures should be the temperature the dial is set to; a difference of up to 50 degrees between the high and low is normal. Record the temperature at the high and low point for several cycles to determine what the average is.
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If your oven's average temperature is significantly above or below what it is set too, then your oven is not calibrated correctly. You can call a repairman, calibrate it yourself or adjust your recipes to compensate.
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Resources
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Comments
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JMontell
Dec 10, 2008
Hot article! Cool tips! I can't read the numbers on my oven, so this one's a must do.
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Justen Everage
Nov 18, 2008
Great tips here!
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smilesatme1
Nov 17, 2008
I might try to touch it with my fingers~hehe Thanks good tips!
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maryellen1001
Nov 16, 2008
Thank you! I think I need this, my oven seems to be just a little bit off.
