Mike Avery wrote:

> Oven thermostats, to be kind, suck rocks. Most are off by
> considerable amounts, and many vary. So, you set your oven
> to 350F and the next think you know, your bread has turned to
> mahogany (the phrase one of my employees used to describe the
> bread when he burned it. He's a used car salesman now.) The
> oven shoots to 500, drops to 250, and then climbs to 450.
> I've seen oven temperatures fluctuate all over the place.
>
> Using an oven thermometer lets you know what is really
> happening, and when you need to call the repairman.

I'm sure that's true. I've actually got one, myself. But I got it after my
oven started acting crazy to see what was going on (digital control was shot
-- I rent, and when I finally buy a place, we're going analogue ...).

I'd heartily recommend that someone get an oven thermometer if they're
experiencing problems, but I wouldn't tell a newbie that it's a required
piece of equipment before starting to bake.

--
Jef