The turkeys, roast beefs and hams have all been cooked, and your family is devouring the leftovers.  Those ovens have also seen many pounds of potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole, not to mention the cookies and cakes that were baked before the big meal.  Is it any surprise to say that the oven could use a good cleaning?

I thought that having a self-cleaning oven meant “no brainer”, but my friends at Kahian’s Appliance One in Hanover came up with some great tips to keep the process hassle-free.

First read your user manual.  Despite the best advice, your manufacturer may have some additional instructions.

Second, prep the area:  remove the oven racks (for most brands), and check the drawer underneath.  If you have anything stored there that’s made of plastic, you might want to remove it.  The oven gets really hot for an extended period of time, and plastic will probably melt.

Third, make sure that the area is well-ventilated.  Count on a lot of smoke, once the self-cleaning cycle gets going.  If there is a microwave over the oven, in which case the vent doesn’t do much, make sure you have a window open.  The last thing you want to do is set off that annoying (but necessary) smoke alarm.

Now you are ready to set the self-cleaning cycle.  But be prepared for this to take four to five hours.  The oven will lock, and you won’t be able to stop the process.

Which leads to the final tip – make sure you clean your oven at a time when you won’t absolutely need it for awhile.  Especially in cases where the self-cleaning cycle hasn’t been used in a long time, there can be problems that result.  After all, the oven is on at a high temperature for an extended period of time.  So if it does break down, you don’t want that to happen the day before another dinner party!

Apparently there’s a new style of self-cleaning oven that’s coming out.  It’s been introduced in Europe, and is on its way to the US.  It involves the use of steam to clean the oven, which works at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time.  If you’d like to find out more, contact Paul at Kahian’s Appliance, 781-826-3075.  He’ll take good care of you.

I’m wondering, does anyone have a nightmare story about cleaning their oven?  Please share.

 

This entry was posted in Kitchen Appliances on December 27, 2011 by THblog.