I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed
by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my house, one rack
was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one, the rack guides
are so placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below
it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. Does
anyone have any rough guidelines for what should be placed where in
the oven?

Dora
--
Dora

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:04:41 -0400, "Dora" wrote:


I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed
by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my house, one rack
was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one, the rack guides
are so placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below
it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. Does
anyone have any rough guidelines for what should be placed where in
the oven?

Dora


You don't say what brand/model stove you have. Ovens are designed so
that the food being cooked is properly positioned, the shelf is not
being cooked. For most baked goods you want them placed so that the
center height of the item being baked is at the center height of the
oven, therefore the lower shelf being below dead center is correctly
placed. What is odd is that your oven has only two shelf positions,
most have at least three and some have four with one at a very low
point, used mostly for large roasts... my GE Profile has four
positions. I would suggest that the stove supplied is a rather
inexpensive unit.

On Oct 27, 10:04*pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed
by a man who doesn't bake. *With my previous one at my house, one rack
was truly at the middle of the oven. *With this one, the rack guides
are so placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below
it. *I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. *Does
anyone have any rough guidelines for what should be placed where in
the oven?

It is a weighting function of the mass center of the food being in the
center of the oven and the top of the food shouldnt be too close to
the heat elements in the top.

Michael Nielsen wrote:
On Oct 27, 10:04 pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously
designed by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my
house, one rack was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one,
the rack guides are so placed that one rack is above the center and
the next is below it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick
breads, etc. Does anyone have any rough guidelines for what should
be placed where in the oven?

It is a weighting function of the mass center of the food being in
the
center of the oven and the top of the food shouldnt be too close to
the heat elements in the top.

That's the problem I'm having - can't juggle so that the food itself
is in the right place. It's a learning process with this particular
oven; so far, results have been disappointing.

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:24:29 -0400, "Dora" wrote:

Michael Nielsen wrote:
On Oct 27, 10:04 pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously
designed by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my
house, one rack was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one,
the rack guides are so placed that one rack is above the center and
the next is below it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick
breads, etc. Does anyone have any rough guidelines for what should
be placed where in the oven?

It is a weighting function of the mass center of the food being in
the
center of the oven and the top of the food shouldnt be too close to
the heat elements in the top.

That's the problem I'm having - can't juggle so that the food itself
is in the right place. It's a learning process with this particular
oven; so far, results have been disappointing.

If you've tried baking them on the level that's slightly below center
it sounds like there's a problem that requires a tech, Dora. Your
oven is new so it should be under warranty. Call someone in! It
could be a bad thermostat that's not cycling properly.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Oct 27, 4:04*pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed
by a man who doesn't bake. *With my previous one at my house, one rack
was truly at the middle of the oven. *With this one, the rack guides
are so placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below
it. *I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. *Does
anyone have any rough guidelines for what should be placed where in
the oven?

Dora
--
Dora


Some electric stoves I have had in the past had racks that could be
positioned right-side up or upside down - one way puts the surface of
the rack slightly above the grooves, and the other puts it slightly
below. If your racks are like this (an "elbow" bend at both sides of
one end), does that help?

N.

On Oct 27, 2:04*pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed
by a man who doesn't bake. *With my previous one at my house, one rack
was truly at the middle of the oven. *With this one, the rack guides
are so placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below
it. *I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. *Does
anyone have any rough guidelines for what should be placed where in
the oven?

Dora
--
Dora


Why not return it and find an oven that has the features you want. Did
you look at it before you bought it??

Nancy2 wrote:
On Oct 27, 4:04 pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously
designed by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my
house, one rack was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one,
the rack guides are so placed that one rack is above the center and
the next is below it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick
breads, etc. Does anyone have any rough guidelines for what should
be placed where in the oven?

Dora
--
Dora


Some electric stoves I have had in the past had racks that could be
positioned right-side up or upside down - one way puts the surface
of
the rack slightly above the grooves, and the other puts it slightly
below. If your racks are like this (an "elbow" bend at both sides
of
one end), does that help?

N.

Sadly, no. They won't slide in when in an inverted position. Good
thought, though, Nancy. Looks like I'm stuck with this and have to
learn to compensate through trial and error.

"Dora" wrote in message
...

I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously designed by
a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my house, one rack was
truly at the middle of the oven. With this one, the rack guides are so
placed that one rack is above the center and the next is below it. I'm
having a hard time with cakes and quick breads, etc. Does anyone have any
rough guidelines for what should be placed where in the oven?

Dora
--
Dora



There is a lot of advice around but without knowing all of the variables it
is impossible to tell.

There are several steps you should take.

1. Buy an additional oven thermometer and check to see you your oven is
running at the correct temperature.
2. Are you adjusting for the pan type/color/material.
3. Is there any significant altitude where you are?
4. Remember just because the oven clicks off (reaches temperature) does
not mean the oven has been preheated properly. Many baking\bread recipes
call for the oven to be preheated for at least 45 minutes and some recommend
1 hour.


--
Dimitri

Soy & Vegetables

http://kitchenguide.wordpress.com.

Dimitri wrote:


There is a lot of advice around but without knowing all of the
variables it is impossible to tell.

There are several steps you should take.

1. Buy an additional oven thermometer and check to see if your
oven is running at the correct temperature.

Absolutely. I feel it needs calibrating.


2. Are you adjusting for the pan type/color/material.

Well, I'm using the pans I've used for years.


3. Is there any significant altitude where you are?

No, I'm at sea level.

4. Remember just because the oven clicks off (reaches
temperature) does not mean the oven has been preheated properly.
Many baking\bread recipes call for the oven to be preheated for at
least 45 minutes and some recommend 1 hour.

I get what you are saying. Part of the solution no doubt lies in
calibration or at least the oven thermometer.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. Back to the drawing board.

Dora

Chemo the Clown wrote:
On Oct 27, 2:04 pm, "Dora" wrote:
I have a brand-new electric oven in this community, obviously
designed by a man who doesn't bake. With my previous one at my
house, one rack was truly at the middle of the oven. With this one,
the rack guides are so placed that one rack is above the center and
the next is below it. I'm having a hard time with cakes and quick
breads, etc. Does anyone have any rough guidelines for what should
be placed where in the oven?

Dora
--
Dora


Why not return it and find an oven that has the features you want.
Did
you look at it before you bought it??

I didn't buy it. I'm in a retirement community and it came with the
territory. It's a brand-new smoothtop.

Dora wrote:


I get what you are saying. Part of the solution no doubt lies in
calibration or at least the oven thermometer.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. Back to the drawing board.




I was thinking along Dimitri's lines, perhaps the temp control
needs calibrsating.

Otherwise, would it work to "boost" your baking pan by putting a
cake pan upside down under it, or would that make the lower rack
too high? It sounds as though something to raise the pan an inch
above the rack would help.

gloria p

gloria.p wrote:
Dora wrote:


I get what you are saying. Part of the solution no doubt lies in
calibration or at least the oven thermometer.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. Back to the drawing board.




I was thinking along Dimitri's lines, perhaps the temp control
needs calibrsating.

Otherwise, would it work to "boost" your baking pan by putting a
cake pan upside down under it, or would that make the lower rack
too high? It sounds as though something to raise the pan an inch
above the rack would help.

gloria p

The upside-down cake pan sounds like a good idea. I'll try that the
next time I bake. It's been pretty discouraging.
I'm going to see if the maintenance department here will calibrate the
rascal, since Dimitri could be right about the temp.

Dora

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:54:19 -0400, "Dora" wrote:

Sadly, no. They won't slide in when in an inverted position. Good
thought, though, Nancy. Looks like I'm stuck with this and have to
learn to compensate through trial and error.

My ovens came with one rack like that and one "straight" rack. Yours
came with two of the same?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:58:39 -0700 (PDT), Chemo the Clown
wrote:

Why not return it and find an oven that has the features you want. Did
you look at it before you bought it??

I'm sure she did, but it didn't register. Sometimes, you're so used
to what you have that you don't even notice a feature variation like
that until you're actually using it.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.