How to Break In a New Electric Range Oven
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3+ hrs per cycle
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- Beginner
A brand new electric range oven needs to be properly broken in before any food gets cooked in it. This is necessary due to the "new oven" smell and taste that will stay with the food if you don’t. There are a few things that can be done to remove the odor before embarking on your first entree.
Plan your cooking schedule to accommodate a full day of working on your new oven. Choose to go out to eat or grill instead if the weather is warm since ridding your oven of chemical residues can include several attempts and a lot of waiting between steps.
Using the Self-cleaning System
A popular way to remove the chemical odor of a new oven is to use the self-cleaning system several times until the smell completely vanishes. The smell may get quite strong while the self-cleaning is working and good ventilation is essential in the house during this process, so open up all the windows in the kitchen to get a good cross-breeze.
Some chemical odors may still be present after the first self-cleaning and the process may need to be repeated more than once. The inside of the oven should be wiped off after each cleaning cycle.
Heating the Oven First
For most appliances, manufacturers recommend that you heat a new oven to about 400 degrees for 30 minutes to help remove any chemical residue from the surface inside the oven. Again, this process may have to be repeated several times to get completely rid of the nasty smell. It is also advised to open all windows in a kitchen before heating up a new oven for the first time because the odors from heating the residues will fill the air rather easily.
You will also likely want to wipe down the inside of the oven between heating cycles as well. This process will take a while because you will need to be sure the oven interior is completely cool before you can wipe it down to prevent injuries.
A good indication of when you’ve been successful in ridding the oven of these chemical residues is when the smell stops filling the air during heating. This is another reason to keep the kitchen well-ventilated. With good air circulation, the smell can clear as much as possible and you can better tell when the oven stops producing it.
