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Before You Bake: Is Your Heating Element Healthy?

Check your oven’s health before the holiday season

Austin families are preparing for the holiday season, which often means cooking and baking for parties and family gatherings. Before you head into the kitchen this winter, it pays to be sure that you have all of the ingredients you’ll need to make dazzling cakes, cookies, and party foods. Of course, it’s also important to be sure that your major appliances are doing their part in your holiday preparations.

Is Your Oven’s Heating Element Causing Baking Woes?

There’s no doubt that baking is a science. After all, it takes the perfect combination of ingredients to make stellar baked goods. Excelling as a baker also means having the right appliances. While many professional bakers swear by convection ovens, most homeowners still use standard electric or gas ranges in their homes. Thankfully, you can still get great results with these types of ovens.

However, you do need to take special factors into consideration when baking in an electric oven. You’ve probably thought about where to place oven racks for optimal results. Yet you might not have thought about the role your oven’s heating element plays in your holiday baking plans. After all, the heating element is responsible for providing the heating power needed to bake.

If your heating element isn’t calibrated correctly, you’re likely to run into problems while baking. Older or defective elements may either overheat or under heat your oven and cause baking woes. Just imagine what will happen to your crisp lace cookies if your oven says its temperature is 350 degrees but the actual temperature inside is 400 degrees.

How to Test Your Heating Element at Home

Problems with baked goods being either undercooked or overcooked can often be attributed to a bad heating element. If you’ve followed a recipe exactly but are still having problems with your baked goods, it’s likely time to test the heating element. Most ovens have two heating elements. The top heating element is the main element while the bottom element is generally used for broiling.

You can also use an oven thermometer to gauge whether or not your heating element is performing as designed. If it isn’t, it’s time to call in an appliance repair specialist. Call the experts at ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin today to set up a repair appointment.

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