Oven is at the correct temperature but things are baking consistently slower than recipes suggest
I have a weird issue
I moved into a new house recently and I have some old oven in here I bought a thermometer which is hanged inside and it seems like the temperature is correct however, anything I put inside is not baking in the time it should.
For example I have cookies recipe that requires 160 degrees Celsius [=325f] for 10 min, but they are still not fully baked after 17min at 350f or ~22min on 325 [almost done though]
Same for a simple frozen pizza. Instructions are 400 degrees for 18-21mins, but it is close to be done after 25+ mins. The cheese at the top is still not fully melted after that period.
It may sound weird but the only thing I can think of is the baking sheet.
I have: Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, 2 pack, 2-Pack, Silver
Maybe this is not the right sheet for baking and I should have ones from a different material and a different color [in my home country the sheets are black]
For the cookies I also put them after they were in the freezer. They should be cold while going into the oven, but maybe this is too cold and it contributed to the slow process
UPDATE:
Hey! So I checked and only the lower element is working. Here is the catch - The company is claiming that this is the baking element and the top element is the broiling, so only one of them will work at the time. Does this make sense to you all?
Best Answer
The colour of the baking sheets does have some effect, but not as great an effect as what you're describing. My guess would be that one of the heating elements is broken (probably the top one since you mention cheese not melting). The bottom element can get the oven to the correct temperature, but if heat is only radiating from the bottom that will affect how things bake.
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Why does my oven take longer to cook things?
Answer: If your baking times are significantly shorter or longer than those called for in a recipe, there may be a calibration issue with your oven's thermostat. This is a very common problem, and almost all ovens \u2013 even those that give the impression of precision through digital temperature displays, etc.Why is my oven heating so slowly?
An electric oven model will heat up slower than others if it has hidden heating elements. For example, suppose your oven takes far too long to heat up. In that case, it's because of leaking hot air, power supply problems, worn-out heating elements, or a faulty main control board.Why is my oven not getting up to temperature?
If you notice that your electric oven isn't heating up to the correct temperature and food comes out under-cooked, this many be caused by a defective electric oven thermostat. Thermostats measure the temperature inside the oven cavity, switching the electric element on and off to maintain the desired temperature.Why it is important to follow the correct oven temperature and baking time?
More often than not, controlling the temperature in an oven does more than just ensuring doneness\u2014it can affect the texture and flavour of the dish or baked goods. Generally, a temperature that's too low makes it harder for your food to be done, and a bitter, burnt taste will emerge in overcooked food.The Real Reason We Bake Everything At 350 Degrees
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Answer 2
Given your update about elements, there are a few things you can do, though neither will be as good as a better oven.
First, use the smallest baking sheet you can, to allow the hot air to circulate. Some frozen pizzas can cook directly on the shelf.
Second, switch elements to finish cooking. Preheat with the bottom element, cook for most of the time, then turn to the top element for a few minutes. Cookies should probably go fairly low down, but pizza can go quite near the top element as browning is good. Cooking your pizza on a preheated pizza stone will help with this method, but it really needs even preheating before using top heat. Some experimenting will be needed, as it's easy to burn things with top heat. For thicker items that cook for longer you might even want to give it a few short bursts of the top element.
Recipes that cook inside preheated heavy pans (cast iron) should be more successful.
Unfortunately this will never be very good for many baking tasks, as the temperature fluctuations will be too great. Adding thermal mass (that pizza stone again) can help.
Answer 3
My guess is that your old oven was a convection oven, and your current oven is not. A convection oven has an integrated fan to spread the heat around evenly. I checked a few of my recipes, and 17 minutes at 350 F is actually a reasonable baking time for cookies in a non-convection oven.
The rule of thumb here is that when converting a recipe from convection to standard, you increase the temperature by 25 F, and leave the time constant. This doesn't cover the whole difference, though. If there were a couple other factors (if you moved from a high altitude location to a low altitude location, or had a different sheet style) that would cover the remaining differences. In the end, every oven is different, and you'll need to take some time to figure out those differences.
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