How to use an oven
(gas & electric)

While ovens have become a mainstay in kitchens around the world, many people aren’t always sure how to properly use their oven to cook delicious meals. Figuring out how to use an oven on your own can be daunting. But it’s easier than you might think, as long as you keep a few basic things in mind.

With this beginner’s guide, Electrolux Indonesia will help you on your oven cooking journey. Below are some basic things you should know about how to use an oven.

1. Types of ovens

There are several types of ovens, and they need to be used in different ways.


You should know what type of oven you’re dealing with to be able to use it efficiently. Here are the most important varieties:

Gas ovens

Gas ovens use a gas-fueled burner to cook your food. If your home already has a gas connection, gas ovens are relatively cheap to install and run, though they are notorious for their uneven heat distribution.

Electric ovens

Electric ovens use electrically heated coils to cook the food. The coils heat up relatively slowly, but then keep a constant temperature more steadily than a gas oven can. While electric ovens can be more expensive to run, many people also find them more convenient, especially for baking and broiling.

Convection ovens

One of the most recent evolutions of the oven, convection ovens add more heating elements and a fan to reach more stable temperatures. Convection ovens usually cook your food most evenly and quicker when compared to other oven types.

We have an ultimate buying guide to help you distinguish different types of ovens. Read our guide to find more helpful tips for choosing a good oven.

2. How to use new oven for the first time

If you've just purchased a brand-new oven and this is your first time using it, here are a few easy steps you should follow to remove the burning smell and other debris from the manufacturing process.

These instructions for using an oven for the first time can be applied to both electric ovens and gas ovens.

• Check the User manual for the electrical power requirements and ensure that your electricity source is compatible.
• Remove all items from the packaging, including protective plastic.
• Set your oven to high heat (at least 200 degrees Celsius) for 45 to 60 minutes.
• When finished, open the door to allow the oven to cool down. This allows air to circulate and prevents lingering odors inside.
• After cooling, use a warm, soapy wash cloth to wipe down the inside of the oven and you're good to go.

3. How to preheat your oven

All ovens need to be preheated, whether they’re gas, electric, or convection. Preheating will ensure that your food cooks evenly and is cooked all the way through.

It typically takes around 12-15 minutes to preheat an oven, though this depends on the oven as well as on the desired temperature. Below is a brief guideline on preheating time for different ovens:

Note: Consult your recipe to find out which temperature it should be set to and turn it on well before your meal is ready to be cooked.

Latest models of ovens will usually let you know when preheating is done, either with an indicator light or on an LED screen.

When you’re preheating, remember to:

• Not open the oven door unnecessarily, since the heat will escape, and the preheating will take longer.
• Take out the cooking trays you need before turning on the oven.

4. Where to place your oven rack

Ovens are designed in a way that makes the very middle the place with the most even heat distribution, so most foods will cook very well there. However, here are some additional tips:

• If you’re baking things that should have an extra crispy underside: Place the rack near the bottom.
• If you’re going for a crunchy crust or broiling: Place it near the top.

If you’re cooking more than one batch of something, such as cookies: Put one sheet near the top, one near the bottom, and then rotate them. In a convection oven, however, this isn’t as important, since the heat gets circulated evenly.

5. Avoid opening the oven while you’re cooking

When you open the oven door, the heat escapes into your kitchen and the temperature inside your oven decreases. That means that your oven needs time to heat up again once you’ve closed the door. This may increase the time needed for cooking your food and could even lead to it being undercooked.

For this very reason, most ovens have windows that allow you to look inside the oven without having to open it. While you’re going to have to open it at some point, try to avoid that until it’s absolutely necessary.

>>> Read more: How to bake pizzas in electric oven

6. How to deal with oven’s hot spots

Ovens often have areas with more intense heat and areas with less heat. Those hotter sections, the so-called “hot spots”, can be used to cook food more quickly, but also put your food at risk of burning. Gas ovens are most notorious for these hot spots, since the heat distribution in gas ovens isn’t as even as it is in electric or convection ovens.

Here are some oven tips on how to deal with those hot spots:

• Find the hot spots by putting slices of bread on a cooking tray and putting them in the oven. Bread that browns more quickly indicate hot spots.
• To make sure your food cooks evenly, turn your cooking trays around frequently or use a rotating cooking tray.

Check out our helpful tutorial videos on how to use Electrolux ovens.

7. How to clean your oven

Many modern ovens come with a self-cleaning function, usually in three varieties:

• Pyrolytic ovens burn grease and sugar residue, so you only have to wipe up a bit of ash
• Catalytic ovens work similarly, but only take care of grease, while sugar residue is unaffected
• Steam-cleaning ovens soften up the dirt for you, so you only have to wipe It off with a rag

The following products from Electrolux are examples of ovens that come with self-cleaning features: