Gas v Electric Ovens

[MaggiEliteCuisine]

For 50 years I have baked/cooked with an English Domestic Gas oven, where the burner across the bottom at the back. Never had any problems with anything. My ovens were well researched and not cheap.
I now rent a, property with a very basic unspecified (no make) electric oven. It is new. The top element is open and also acts as a grill. The bottom element is under the floor. The bottom element alone struggles to reach the temperature I select. I therefore use both top & bottom elements to heat oven. I have to keep a baking tray immediately under the top element, otherwise everything burns on top. If I cook with just bottom element, most of the time the dishes are under cooked.
I am struggling to convert my recipes for various dishes/cakes. I have an oven thermometer in the oven permanently and the thermostat seems true.
I suppose I'm used to heat circulating, not directly up or down.
I am not in a position atm to change the oven to better quality and gas is not an option as here in Spain where I live, fitted gas ovens are not allowed.
Any advice would be welcome
Thank you

 

[Roll_Bones]

In the US all appliances are labeled as to their brand, model and serial number along with the technical aspects. More than likely your oven has something somewhere to tell you what it is. It should.
It may be on the inside wall where the oven door rests upon. It is usually somewhere it can be found easily if you know where to look.

I had electric my whole life and now have gas. They both worked fine and I am still getting used to cooking with gas.
There is something wrong with your oven as it should reach and hold temp easily.
Sounds like you need to call a service person to come and check it for you.

 

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum!

Since you are renting, your landlord is responsible for the appliances, so if the oven is not getting up to temp, I would talk to them.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I would suggest a large counter top convection oven. It would be much cheaper than replacing your built-in oven and they make some large enough to fit a 16-inch pizza, with a rotisserie and air frying capabilities.

 

[Termy]

I thought electric ovens were fine, that it is the cooktops that suffer. Friends of mine just bought a stove that has a gas cooktop with an electric oven and they are happy with it. They better be because it is a built-in.

The Wife was adamant I read part o the manual, it was marked "IMPORTANT" and whatever, but it was in case you were going to run it off propane, which needs smaller jets, which were in a small bag. No need, I have been around this stuff all my life so I knew.

Now your (OP) oven might be dragging down the electric in the house. In the old days you could tell. the TV picture would shrink, the radio might have a lower volume and of course the lights dim. Not no more.

At the local DIY stores they got line voltage monitors, cheap enough. It may not be the whole house, just that 240 line. If so I would talk to the landlord about it and point out that this load is on the whole house and could be too much, cause problems. Like burning down.

All you might really need is a new run straight to the stove. This is not that expensive. The wire could be $100 but that is cheaper than a house. The original outlet should work, not sure about the breaker but usually it should.

I have been disappointed by many stove tops on electric before, but never an oven. That is why I suspect the low voltage.

T

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

For as long as I have been cooking, the thought was gas burners for their infinite settings and instant ON/OFF capability, and electric ovens for their steady heating. Then along came the induction burner. Same capabilities as gas burners, but without the ability to leak a poisonous explosive into your kitchen.

About 65 years ago, my mother had a Kelvinator electric stove. The oven had a pre-heat setting that used both upper and lower elements to reach desired temperature, and when the little yellow light went off, you switched the setting to bake and it just used the lower element. I have never seen the purpose of pre-heating a broiler. You turn it on and it is on, period. Just put the rack at the top of the oven and broil, which is like grilling, but upside down.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

along came the induction burner. Same capabilities as gas burners, but without the ability to leak a poisonous explosive into your kitchen.

Never a fan of gas burners inside, which is why I went with a 36" ceramic cooktop. Having 6 burners makes it a bit more usable as I can use two or more hobs to control pan temps.

But being in a PG&E service area (who can't keep the power on reliably), I bought a 110V/1100w induction hob that can be run off the generator when the 220v/7kw cooktop simply can't.

I was immediately spoiled by its control and temperature range, and almost always use it for sauces, seafoods, and other delicates. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a six burner, 220v 7kw induction cooktop, and it will come as soon as the existing cooktop fails.

 

[dragnlaw]

Hi MaggiE and Welcome to DC!

Boy, you sure got everyone's opinion on their ovens!

If your Landlord can't help you perhaps you could look into a Counter Oven or Toaster Oven. Don't know what your availability and choices are in Spain, nor the prices.

But from the sounds of it you are doing about all you can. The cookie tin on the top to prevent burning! Wow! I would never have thought of that!

Good Luck, hopefully someone will be able to give you a few more hints to work with what you have.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I thought electric ovens were fine, that it is the cooktops that suffer. Friends of mine just bought a stove that has a gas cooktop with an electric oven and they are happy with it. They better be because it is a built-in.

The Wife was adamant I read part o the manual, it was marked "IMPORTANT" and whatever, but it was in case you were going to run it off propane, which needs smaller jets, which were in a small bag. No need, I have been around this stuff all my life so I knew.

Now your (OP) oven might be dragging down the electric in the house. In the old days you could tell. the TV picture would shrink, the radio might have a lower volume and of course the lights dim. Not no more.

At the local DIY stores they got line voltage monitors, cheap enough. It may not be the whole house, just that 240 line. If so I would talk to the landlord about it and point out that this load is on the whole house and could be too much, cause problems. Like burning down.

All you might really need is a new run straight to the stove. This is not that expensive. The wire could be $100 but that is cheaper than a house. The original outlet should work, not sure about the breaker but usually it should.

I have been disappointed by many stove tops on electric before, but never an oven. That is why I suspect the low voltage.
In my professional opinion its the stove not the power. By code the stove should be on its own circuit. So chances are very good there is nothing wrong with the circuit.
My first thougt when this thread was first started

T

Low voltage is easily checked with a voltmeter. All you would need to do is measure it with the oven on and then with it off. Monitoring in a residential application is not warranted.
An oven element that is not getting the correct voltage would only take longer to heat.
The OP mentioned it would heat but not reach set point. That has nothing to do with low voltage.
My very first check for this problem is the oven bottom element. If the broiler works, for sure its the bottom element or the circuitry for the bottom element in the stove/range.
I have found this cause several times over the years. Usually it can be found without any tools or meters. The last time I checked one I found it by feeling the element all the way around and located a burned spot.
This element would get full voltage but could not get hot enough as the burnt spot was a high resistance connection. Still a complete circuit until it got hot.
This is most likely a stove/oven issue. And if everything else works on the stove, there is no other thing it could be but the bottom (bake) element or the circuitry for the bottom element.

About 65 years ago, my mother had a Kelvinator electric stove. The oven had a pre-heat setting that used both upper and lower elements to reach desired temperature, and when the little yellow light went off, you switched the setting to bake and it just used the lower element. I have never seen the purpose of pre-heating a broiler. You turn it on and it is on, period. Just put the rack at the top of the oven and broil, which is like grilling, but upside down.

I had a preheat function on an oven before. I liked it and it heated up much faster with two elements on than one.
However, the top element went out of the equation as soon as the oven reached set point. It was automatic. Select bake and it automatically turned on the lower burner and pulsed the upper burner until the oven reached set point.
When I had an electric range, I would turn the broiler on and wait until it was red hot before putting any food under it.

 

[Termy]

"The OP mentioned it would heat but not reach set point. That has nothing to do with low voltage."

Oh contrare. You could conceivably calculate the BTUs, the loss through the oven walls and what is left to bring the thing up to 300º hotter than ambient. You will find that most manufacturers only give what is needed, and that is with the expected input.

I've even seen gas go low. You could have a big furnace, two hot water tanks, hot water heat and when that is all fired up you might see the burner flames go down a bit when you turn on the oven.

As far as Spain, they must have propane, and most new ovens come with a set of propane jets. Get a wrench and be happy.

I that is illegal oh well.

T

 

[GotGarlic]

"The OP mentioned it would heat but not reach set point. That has nothing to do with low voltage."

Oh contrare.

*Au contraire

**What's good for the Canadian is good for the American