How to test if your oven temperature is accurate - How To

Nov 01, 2024

Here's how to love the one you're with, and beat them at their own game.

Do you ever feel like your oven might not be being honest with you? Say, you followed a recipe and did everything right, but your chicken has come out near mummified and dry. Or perhaps one side of your sponge cake is perfectly tanned while the other resembles an old campfire? There’s a chance that your oven has been lying to you.

What started out as a steamy romance has turned hot and cold. Most of us aren’t in a position to throw in the towel and get a new oven and have to love the one we’re with. Here are some common signs (and fixes) of a dodgy oven relationship.

Set some ground rules early with a test recipe. Lean on a simple, tried and tested recipe like a batch of scones, cupcakes, or a roast chicken – if your scones always took 20 minutes in your old oven, check the state of them in your new oven. Are they dry, or still doughy? Is one side darker than the other? This will help you figure out if your oven runs hot or cold, or has inconsistent temperatures.

Why is your oven heating to the wrong temperature?

Ovens tend to be ambitious beasts. If you’re setting your oven to 180 degrees, often they will ramp up higher than that to compensate for the heat lost when you open the door. The heating element will usually turn off when the desired temperature is reached, and turn back on if the oven cavity drops too low. Think of it as a law of averages and one of the few times in a relationship when predicting your needs is actually a bad thing.

A lot of ovens simply lose accuracy as they get older. It’s also possible that the internal thermometer or thermostat is faulty or damaged, or even the heating element. These can usually be replaced by a qualified technician.

How do you test your oven temperature?

Bad news. There’s no quick fix for this one. What you can do, however, is invest in your own oven thermometer. They are inexpensive and can be placed in various spots around your oven. Pop your thermometer on an oven rack and set your oven to whatever temperature you like. When your oven reaches temperature (allegedly), check what your mobile thermometer reads. There, you will find your truth.

P46 Colin Fassnidge's spicy jerk chicken and black bean bake with pineapple salad

Does it matter what rack you cook on in the oven?

Ideally, no, In reality, probably. The basic laws of thermodynamics (fun, right?) determine that the lower rack will be cooler, the higher rack will be hotter, and the middle rack will be just right. Fan-forced ovens are designed to minimise the effects of the fluctuating temperature by circulating the hot air. We know that heat rises, so the idea of the fan-forced (convection) oven is to to mix any variable temperatures up and create a consistent temperature.

Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world.

As a general rule, the lower rack is best for roasting, the middle rack is where your cakes go, and the top rack is the place for items that you want to caramelise, crisp, or grill.