User manual

4
14
Fan baking
The temperature in the oven is controlled by a thermostat. The fan distributes the heat
throughout the oven compartment. This allows:
• Baking on all shelves at the same time with little variation in browning or cooking.
• Cooking at slightly lower temperatures.
• Cooking from a cold start so there is no need to preheat the oven – this is good for
casseroles and fruit cakes.
• Good cooking results for cream mixtures, rich pastries and bread but with these foods,
preheating the oven for 10 to 15 minutes is required.
Defrosting
• Defrosting uses air that is circulated by the fan.
• You should defrost food before cooking it.
• You can defrost food by:
– turning the fan on;
– leaving the oven off.
• You can also use this method to raise yeast dough and dry fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Condensation
Condensation fogs the oven door and happens when you are cooking large quantities of
food from a cold start. You can minimise condensation by:
• keeping the amount of water used in cooking to a minimum;
• making sure that the oven door is firmly closed;
• baking custard in a baking dish which is just a little smaller than the water container;
• cooking casseroles with a lid.
Note: If you are using water in cooking, this will turn to steam and may condense outside
the oven. This is not a problem or a fault.
Cooking guide
• Select the correct shelf location for food being cooked.
• Make sure dishes will fit into the oven before you switch it on.
• Keep edges of baking dishes at least 40mm from the side of the oven. This allows free
circulation of heat and ensures even cooking.
• Do not open the oven door more than necessary.
• Do not place foods with a lot of liquid into the oven with other foods. This will cause food to
steam and not brown.
• After the oven is turned off it retains the heat for some time. Use this heat to finish custards or
to dry bread.
• Do not use a lot of cooking oil when roasting. This will prevent splattering oil on the sides of
the oven and the oven door. Polyunsaturated fats can leave residue which is very difficult to
remove.
• When cooking things which require a high heat from below (e.g. tarts), place the cooking dish
on a scone tray in the desired shelf position.
• For sponges and cakes use aluminium, bright finished or non-stick utensils.
USING THE OVEN
SIMPRD 342-1-529 30/1/08 8:51 AM Page 14