Oven… you’re up! Navigational systems are gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas road trips, grocery lists upon sub lists are being penned for the MEGA food shopping sprees, and all that splashy decor has sprinkled everyone within shouting distance with glitter. But before we demonstrate our ability to withstand the heat in the kitchen, let’s review some important safety instructions and warnings for your ovens, friends, to avoid risk of fire or bodily harm.
■ Never Use the Oven for Warming or Heating the Room. It’s for warming your casseroles, not your toes!
■ The littles (those smaller versions of you) should not be left alone or unattended in area where an oven is in use. Curiosity burns the tiny fingers. Also, don’t let them sit or stand on any part of the oven. Not a jungle gym with heating options.
■ Be careful wearing loose-fitting clothing while using the oven. Romantic evenings will be redirected real quick if you catch your pretty negligee on fire!
■ Don’t try to repair or replace any part of the oven unless it is specifically recommended in the manual. Anything else really should be referred to a qualified technician. Fact.
■ Your oven is not extra storage space! Do not try to store anything flammable in an oven. That’s just trouble waiting to happen.
■ Do NOT use water on a grease fire! You can smother the fire or flame by using a dry chemical or foam-type extinguisher. Make sure you keep one on hand, just in case.
■ Here’s a tip you might not know… Only use dry potholders. Damp potholders on those hot surfaces can result in burns from steam. Don’t touch any hot heating elements with a damp potholder. Also, don’t use a towel when pulling items out of the oven. Be careful when opening the oven door… unless you’re into a painful steam facial, let the hot air / steam escape before placing food in or taking food out of the oven.
■ Do not try to heat up food containers with the lid on! This can cause pressure to build up and the container to burst unexpectedly, resulting in pain. Lots of pain. And probably food dripping off your face.
■ Don’t obstruct the oven ducts. They don’t like it. It’s rude.
■ Try to remember to place your oven racks in the desired location while the oven is COOL. How many of us rarely remember to do this? Up goes all the hands. Well then be careful removing the rack from the hot oven and don’t let your potholder come into contact with the heating element. This can be a tricky operation.
■ Heating elements may be hot even though they are dark in color, so don’t touch them! Same for the interior of your oven, which can become hot enough to cause burns. Other areas of the oven may become hot enough to cause burns too, such as oven vent openings, surfaces near these openings, oven doors, and windows of oven doors. In other words, just be sure the oven is cooled down before running your hands all over it.
Here’s a few extra tips just for the self-cleaning ovens among you:
■ Don’t clean the gasket! Seems like a good idea, but the gasket is crucial for a good seal. Be very careful not to rub, damage, or move the gasket.
■ Commercial oven cleaner or oven liner protective coating of any kind should NEVER be used in or around any part of the oven.
■ Check out your Use & Care Guide for the clean only parts listed. It’s very helpful!
■ If it’s time for your annual self-cleaning of the oven, do it several weeks before any planned holiday meals and remember to remove the broiler pan and any other utensils that may be lurking around inside.
One last thing… aluminum foil can be detrimental to your oven (see above photo). If you want to avoid permanent damage to the oven bottom’s finish then don’t line the oven bottom with any type of foil or liner. And don’t wrap the entire oven rack with foil because air must be able to move freely for optimum cooking results.
We hope these tips are helpful when gearing up for the huge holiday feast coming to an oven near you! If you find yourself with a problem outside of your wheelhouse…. Call us here at Guinco Service and one of our friendly CSR’s will set you up with a qualified technician to get your appliance in tip top shape!
Thank you for letting our family help yours!
