Hawkins Service Dishes On Why Electric Ovens May Cook Unevenly

For restaurant operators using electric ovens, having food come out that’s cooked thoroughly and evenly is key to not only ensuring a delicious meal but also a safe one.

So, what’s the deal if food starts cooking unevenly? Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service explained four reasons why commercial electric ovens cook unevenly in a recent blog post and offered tips to determine if one may be to blame.

“Your commercial oven should cook your food evenly. If your food cooks non-uniformly, you may have one of the issues discussed … Therefore, you may need to call an oven repair expert to identify the exact issue and replace or repair the faulty parts,” says the service company in the post.

Here’s a look at some of the causes for temperature fluctuations:

Possible cause: Broken temperature sensor

Why it matters: A temperature sensor monitors the oven’s internal temperature and sends signals to the control board to tell it to adjust the temperature as needed. If the sensor fails, the control board won’t receive the signal to change the temperature, resulting in fluctuations.

Check it out: Check to see if your temperature sensor is touching the wall; if it is, return it to the correct position, says Hawkins. An ohmmeter can also be used to see if the sensor functions properly, or you can preheat the oven and check if the resistance temperature reading in the sensor also increases.

Possible cause: Faulty bake or broil element

Why it matters: The bake and broil elements work together to distribute heat evenly, with the bake element heating from the bottom and the broil from the top. If the broil element goes out, food may be undercooked on top. The opposite is true for the bake element.

Check it out: Check for breaking or blistering on the elements, or heat your oven to see if the two elements glow “red hot” simultaneously.

Possible cause: Broken fan

Why it matters: In electric convection ovens, a fan distributes the hot air. Without it, food can cook unevenly.

Check it out: When the oven is on, listen for loud or unusual noises that can be signs of an issue, or wait for it to cool down and try to turn the fan with your hand. Hawkins says if the fan doesn’t move freely, call a professional to replace the equipment.

Possible cause: Wrong calibrations

Why it matters: Hawkins says manufacturers often calibrate oven control boards to match the temperature the operator selects. If a manufacturer miscalibrates a control board, the oven’s temperature may not match the desired temperature.

Check it out: Set your oven temperature, and use a separate oven thermometer to see if the temperatures are similar. If they aren’t, the control board may need to be recalibrated.