The holidays are a lot of fun but they can also be stressful, especially if you are the lucky one who’s hosting the holiday meal. Thankfully, planning ahead can help make things run smoothly. You’ve probably already thought about your shopping lists and maybe even tested out your recipes, but have you thought about checking your appliances? Meals are often the most important (and most anticipated!) part of any holiday and if your oven isn’t working properly, you could be in for a big disaster. Here are some tips on what to check on your appliances to make sure they can handle the extra holiday load.
Our resident handyman and repair technician Steve says a working oven/range is essential over the holidays. The main event will undoubtedly be the holiday meal and no one wants a malfunctioning range to spoil that. Steve suggests you should:
- Inspect the bake and broil elements for signs of corrosion or arcing. The elements should be smooth and clear of any blemishes. If there is any food spillage on the elements from boilovers, this should be carefully examined as that is the first place that the element would rupture.
- Make sure you know how to work your oven, particularly if it has an electronic clock. You don’t want to accidentally set your oven to a control lockout for instance and not be able to cancel those settings. Locate your user guide or find one online to insure that you don’t end up in a fix.
- To make sure you can cook your side dishes and then keep them warm, test the surface elements to make sure that they function properly. Vary the controls from simmer to high to verify that they cycle accordingly.
- Even though a clean oven is important, if you have a self cleaning oven it is recommend to not put the range through a clean cycle. The high heat generated during a clean cycle as well as the increased use of the element can sometimes cause a premature failure of a component that is on the borderline, but would have otherwise functioned fine during a normal cooking day.
- Before your main cook day, put the range through a bake cycle for at least 30 minutes or more, to make sure that everything is working ok. This would also be a great time to test your. actual oven temperature with a kitchen thermometer. A variation of even 25°F could mean the difference between a perfectly cooked pumpkin pie or burnt charcoal for dessert
Following these tips and making sure you’re well prepared for the duty of hosting will save you a lot of trouble, so you can spend more time in the company of your friends and family. Enjoy the Holidays!