Maybe your grandma used to use tinfoil to line her oven floor to aid cleanup.
But times have changed; tinfoil is no longer made of tin. The stuff you use to shield your ham is actually aluminum foil, which has a lower heat tolerance.
The high temperatures of your oven floor can actually cause the foil to melt right onto that oven surface.
And you can’t clean it off.
We’ve had Warners’ Stellian customers spend hundreds of dollars replacing the oven floor on relatively new ranges because of this well-intentioned mistake.
Instead, aluminum foil-makers suggest you line the oven rack you’re using with aluminum foil rather than lining the oven itself.
Many stoves choose to stop functioning right around the time you’ve finally finished thawing, brining, trussing and stuffing that huge bird on Thanksgiving morning.
Now your oven very well might be dead, but sometimes you just need to give it the ol’ Fonzie treatment.
Oven Troubleshooting
Now, I’m not actually suggesting you punch your juke, er…range; but try shutting off your circuit or unplugging your appliance for 20 minutes. It’s always the first advice I give customers before we attempt service – and it’s worked before! Best case scenario, you’re back in business once you plug it back in or reset the circuit.
If you have a gas range and the cooktop is working but the oven isn’t, flip the regulator switch (which automatically cuts off the flow of gas at a certain pressure).
If you’re still getting an error code or the unit is still dead, you’re probably going to need service. You can call us on Friday at 651-222-0011 (opt. 4).
But at least you tried. In a pinch, fire up the grill.
Not sure how to regain a clean stove after all that Thanksgiving cooking? Cleaning stove tops can be a pain, but consider that dirty cooking surfaces don’t reflect heat as well, meaning that you waste energy and compromise performance when using a messy stove.
Instead, try these useful stove cleaning tips that have worked for me.
When cleaning a smooth top stove, first use a razor blade (yes, I’m serious) to gently scrape off any burnt on food residue. Sometimes smooth top stoves burners discolor with time, but I’ve found that Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works well to fade dark stains. Apply cooktop cleaner (which we sell for about $5 at all Warners’ Stellian stores) with a soft rag or paper towel for general cleaning. Cooktop cleaner also gives a nice, smooth finish to glass- and ceran-top stoves you can’t get from soap and water, sorry!
To clean a gas stove top — like I have at home — remove all grates and burner caps to the sink and simply use soap and water to clean. I scrub off all the food residue that ends up around the burners by sprinkling on some Barkeeper’s Friend and rubbing it off with a moistened towel. Again, the discolorations (I have a white stove) are removed by Magic Eraser and some elbow grease.
The most important tip I have for cleaning gas stoves, though, is properly replacing the now-clean burner caps, as misplacement could cause stove lighting issues.
Despite a general dislike for most of the appliances I inherited with my first house, I feel lucky to have a gas stove (or range, as in appliance jargon).
I love cooking, so I appreciate the power and responsiveness of gas.
However, unlike their electric counterpart, gas ranges can’t just be dialed on; their burners must be ignited.
I occasionally struggle with lighting my burners – and I know I’m not alone – so here’s what to check if you’re struggling.
Burner cap A lot of ignition problems and uneven flames result from food spills and related dirtiness. Routine cleaning and general unslobbiness will avoid this.
After a spill, use a nonabrasive plastic scrubbing pad and mildly abrasive cleanser or soap to thoroughly clean the cap.
Make sure the cap is completely dry before replacing it over the burner. Take care that alignment pins are lined up with with the cap.
(I know I usually would never say this, but) Don’t put them in the dishwasher.
Burner ports Burner flames should be about 1″-1.5.” The flame should be blue, not yellow.
If these aren’t the case, your burner ports could be clogged, so you should clean it, following these steps:
Make sure all the controls are off and the stove is cool. Don’t use oven cleaners, bleach or rust remover.
Clean the burner cap as instructed above..
Clean the gas tube opening with a damp cloth.
Clean clogged burner ports with a straight pin. Do not enlarge or distort the port. Do not use a wooden toothpick. If the burner needs to be adjusted, call appliance service.
Replace the burner cap.
Turn on the burner. If the burner does not light, check cap alignment. If the burner still does not light, call appliance service.
Knobs (This one falls under the “duh” category, but you never know…) Push in the burner knob before turning to light to ensure that it’s set correctly.
Maybe your grandma used to use tinfoil to line her oven floor to aid cleanup.
We’ve had Warners’ Stellian customers spend hundreds of dollars replacing the oven floor on relatively new ranges because of this well-intentioned mistake.
