-1

Why does nobody warn new bakers how much oven temp varies?

I checked my oven with a separate thermometer after 2 years of baking and found it runs 40 degrees cooler than what it says on the dial, how do you all keep your temps consistent without buying a new oven?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_miller841mo ago

Forty degrees is a lot but honestly that's not that unusual for a home oven. I've had three ovens in the last ten years and every single one was off by at least 20 degrees one way or the other, especially after a few years of use.

wells.olivia1mo ago

Yeah, "not that unusual" is right. My oven runs hot by about 35 degrees and I just learned to live with it. I set it to 350 when I want 385 and call it a day. My baked goods are a constant guessing game but my guests are too polite to complain. I figure if the smoke alarm isn't going off, it's a win.

the_xena1mo ago

@wells.olivia the smoke alarm thing is a real mood. Ngl that 40 degree gap is brutal but you gotta just get a cheap oven thermometer and hang it inside. Then you can mark the dial with a sharpie where the real temps land. I wrapped foil around the heating element in mine to force it to run hotter and it actually worked. Took some trial and error but now I only check the thermometer once a week instead of every time I bake.