Oven Rack Position

[Fisher's Mom]

I've never bought a brand new oven (there was always one in every house we bought) so I've never had a manual. I got one online for the "new" stove I recently got and it actually designated the rack positions. It was kinda vague about what foods should be in what position so I didn't think much about it. Then I noticed in another thread that someone mentioned rack position might be an issue in fish coming out not quite right. Are there any basic guidelines on what foods should go on what rack position? Or is it a matter of what technique requires what position? (I always thought there were different positions to accommodate big food or multiple sheets of cookies, etc.)

 

[keltin]

Is it gas or electric? In an electric oven, you have two heating elements: one at the top and one at the bottom. When baking, only the bottom element comes on to regulate the heat (although both elements typically come on to pre-heat to the desired temp). When you put something on a rack that is low for baking, it gets close to the bottom element and can absorb more heat this way, and will brown (or burn) the bottom more easily that had you moved it up higher.

If you’re broiling, only the top element comes on, so naturally you want to move the rack up higher so that it is close to the broiling element.

Typically for baking, setting the rack right in the middle is perfect. If you need to use both racks and have to lower one, then you’d want to put things that won’t burn due to being in close proximity to the working element. For example, if you’re doing a roast in a covered roaster, a casserole, and a platter of rolls, you’d want the roast down low since the liquid in the roaster will protect it, and the casserole and rolls will go on the upper rack away from the lower element.

In most gas ovens I’ve seen, there is only one flame bar at the bottom of the oven, and a broiler is typically under the oven in a little pull out area......the same area that is used for storage in an electric oven.

 

[Andy M.]

Modern gas ovens have the broiler at the top of the main compartment. It only comes on for the broil function.

With both elements in the main compartment, the oven getrs hot enough to self clean.

 

[keltin]

Modern gas ovens have the broiler at the top of the main compartment. It only comes on for the broil function.

With both elements in the main compartment, the oven getrs hot enough to self clean.

Didn't know that, thanks! Obviously, I haven't been around a gas oven in quite some time!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Actually, mine is about 4 years old I was told, and it has the separate pull out broiler in the bottom. The one I had before was 40+ years old so it had that set up too.

 

[Andy M.]

I guess there is a mix then. Mine is 5-6 years old.

FM does your's have the self cleaning function?

 

[GotGarlic]

I just got a new Jenn-air gas oven with our summer kitchen renovation - it's self-cleaning, has a broiler inside the oven, and the bottom drawer is a warming drawer. In my old gas oven, the bottom drawer was just for storage and the broiler was inside. That one was purchased in 1993.

I think the placement of these items and other features depend on the manufacturer and model.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

No, it doesn't. I just checked the Five Star website and it appears that they still make their gas ranges with the separate broiler except for the dual fuel models. Do you have a dual fuel?

 

[Andy M.]

Not dual fuel. Gas throughout.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Mine is Gas throughout! Broiler inside. It's an 6 year old Viking. No warming/storage drawer.

 

[keltin]

So FM, did you get your answer? My response was more about the operation of the oven since I figured understanding that would make pre-heating and rack placement make more sense and easy to apply on the fly.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I think so, Keltin. It has always confused me. (Heat rises, right?) Anyway, it looks like there are no hard and fast rules about rack positions - just know where the hottest part of the oven is.

 

[Andy M.]

You are safe using the middle of the oven for everything. If a recipe calls for a specific rack position, it should caal it out in the directions. For example, "Preheat the oven to 400F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven."

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Thanks ya'll. I really appreciate the help.

 

[Smylietron]

While we're talking about ovens, is one type better than the other in any way? I hadn't even known gas ovens were still around, now I'm curious about them.

 

[Robo410]

general rack positions...lower third for baking roasting using metal pans; middle for glass, ceramic, corningware pans, top third for broiling moderate and close up high.

If you have convection, you can place several pans on as many racks as you have and all should bake equally. (cookies, pies etc.)

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Thanks Robo, that's just what I was looking for! I do have convection that can be turned on and off and I've found that everything bakes evenly on all 3 racks as long as I use slightly smaller sheet pans.

 

[keltin]

Convection ovens are a whole different animal! They use fans to move air so that every spot in the oven is the same temp. For convection, rack position isn’t really a concern.