I use my electric kitchen oven for tempering and was wondering if anyone else has issues keeping the correct heat? I use a separate digital thermometer with a probe to double check the actual temp and find I get quite a swing. I decided to do a little testing while making a pizza today and found more of the same as when tempering-big swings...
My oven is a double oven (top/bottom) and the element is on the top of each. I started thinking a heat sink might keep things more even, so I put in the pizza stone and set to 450. After it heated up, I opened the oven and put in the pizza. The temp then immediately rose, topping out at 479.5. After 13 mins, it's down to 435 before starting to climb-that's just too much for me to think is okay. The ovens were new 7 years ago. Any advice out there? I keep thinking I can do a lot to make my processes go "right", but if I end up with 30 or 40 degree swings throughout my tempering, I'm not sure I can expect consistent results...
Jeremy
Jeremy Lindley, Apprentice Smith
My electric wall oven is like .... 40 yrs old. It is a little hit and miss getting 375 (for a number) as set on the dial but when it levels off as per the digital probe it swings about plus/minus 5 deg. On the other hand my toaster oven once it hits temp. doesn't budge.
You may try insulating with ceramic insulation as long as you aren't preparing food in it anymore. That will keep the regulator from cycling so much. Just a thought. Got the idea from $50 knife shop book. Wayne Goddard puts alot of good ideas out there for the poor boys like myself.
Despite the popularity of toaster ovens as a cheap and low profile tempering oven for the shop, I have found them to be much more problematic than full size kitchen ovens in this matter. It may be the element layout that you describe, all the kitchen ovens that I have used worked with one element during normal baking procedures. With any oven, from kilns to kitchen, it is normally best to bring it to a steady temp and then introduce all of your blades to minimize the amount of cycling that has to occur.
"One test is worth 1000 'expert' opinions" Riehle Testing Machines Co.
Thanks for the help. My oven is still very much in use for the primary purpose, so adding some other insulation isn't likely to work. I think the next thing I'll try is to turn on the bottom oven, as well. The two ovens have their own insulation, but maybe with the bottom one at temp too will help? They're also convection style ovens, but I've pretty much always used them with the conventional setting when baking. Maybe I'll try the convection setting and see if there's any less swing. Thanks again.
Jeremy
Jeremy Lindley, Apprentice Smith
Jeremy,
I use a double oven also. My top one is an oven/convection unit and the lower on is an oven only. I noticed a swing in the one with the convection similar to what you are getting.
My lower one swings about 5-7 * from the set temperature. For my small knives I use a GE Toaster Oven and it runs 15* higher than the setting and is quite stable. I wrapped the back and bottom with insulating fiber board as it was getting too hot when left on for 2 hours. I have an IR probe and a thermal couple I have tested with. I also made a metal rack to hold my blades, it acts a heat sink/regulator for them.
My elements are on the bottom for baking and the top for broiling. I use the bottom ones. and set my blades in the middle rack.
George
