dr morbius
Senior Cook
I personally wouldn't ever put anything on the oven floor. Adding a pizza stone means you'll have a hot spot at the stone, and (I think) that means uneven cooking elsewhere.
Oven temperature can't keep up
- Thread starter September
- Start date
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blissful
Master Chef
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 7,091
@September let us know how it worked out for you.
A pizza stone will hold heat. If you aren't covering vents I would think you were safe. I'd probably put it on the bottom rack but it would get in the way if I needed both racks.
A pizza stone will hold heat. If you aren't covering vents I would think you were safe. I'd probably put it on the bottom rack but it would get in the way if I needed both racks.
Absolutely September. I had 4 smaller square oven tiles that probably equalled a regular pizza stone. I put them in the bottom of my gas stove and I truly think it maintained a more even temperature.
I baked a lot of bread at the time so I often moved it up to a shelf to bake the bread directly on the stone. (with parchment paper - just easier to move)
If the bread was in pans I moved the stone to the bottom shelf.
Eventually I just left the stone on the bottom shelf rather than down to the floor. Don't know why - just did. Was a shelf I never used and I still had two other shelves I could move around.
I baked a lot of bread at the time so I often moved it up to a shelf to bake the bread directly on the stone. (with parchment paper - just easier to move)
If the bread was in pans I moved the stone to the bottom shelf.
Eventually I just left the stone on the bottom shelf rather than down to the floor. Don't know why - just did. Was a shelf I never used and I still had two other shelves I could move around.
September
Assistant Cook
Thanks for your input Dr. Morbius! That's what I would have thought to, but apparently people say the opposite is actually true-that it helps even out hot spots. Doesn't make sense to my head, but I can't deny that it seems to have worked for a lot of people.
September
Assistant Cook
Just got the igniter a few days ago. I will try it out soon, and let you know how it went. I've been to busy to order a pizza stone, but that is at the top of my to-do list. Can't wait to get it and try it out! Thanks for your help! Sometime next week, I'll let you know how everything works out.
September
Assistant Cook
That's great to know! I wondered how it would do on the floor of the oven. I have three racks, but I only need two so I may just leave it on the bottom rack like you did. I will be ordering the pizza stone very very soon. I can't wait to use it! Thanks for your help. I'll come back next week and tell you how it goes.
GinnyPNW
Master Chef
Keeping a pizza stone in an RV oven is very common practice, if it is the gas type. It helps keep the temperature from fluctuating and/or helps it recover faster when one has to open the door. I did that for years, when we had a gas oven. The RV bounces around when one is driving down the road...and I never had a problem with breaking a stone. Mind you, I would keep it on a rack when cooking and move it to the oven floor when driving. Just for the noise factor.Thanks for your input Dr. Morbius! That's what I would have thought to, but apparently people say the opposite is actually true-that it helps even out hot spots. Doesn't make sense to my head, but I can't deny that it seems to have worked for a lot of people.
September
Assistant Cook
Hey everyone,
I came to give an update on the situation in case it would help others or if anyone would have any ideas. So I used an oven thermometer to monitor my temperatures, and replaced my igniter and temperature sensor and tested away. Other than that my oven preheats now at a noticeable faster rate, it didn't fix my issue. I found that using lighter pans and baking way longer has helped, but not fixed my issues. Most ovens have hot spots, but I heard that gas can be worse which is what I have. Because of the uneven heating, when I bake my cupcakes, some get done sooner and others are under-baked in the same batch. I tried to take out the ones that were done earlier and leave the others in the oven, but it is too hard to tell which ones need to stay in until they all cool. Before my cakes were burning on the outside before the inside was cooked, and now the cupcakes are more even as far as each cupcake is concerned (being baked all the way through without burning on the outside), but as for the whole batch I am getting uneven results.
If anyone has any ideas on how to help even out hot spots, I'd be so grateful to hear them. I know baking pans can matter. I read that aluminum pans heat more evenly, but I am trying to figure out if it heats the whole pan more evenly (to the same temperature at any place on the pan) or if it just helps transfer the heat to each cupcake and not necessarily reduce any hot spots in the pan or oven. Hope this makes sense. Maybe I should make these questions another post instead of tagging them on here. Again, thank you everyone for your help. Hopefully, this can also be of help to others seeking solutions.
I came to give an update on the situation in case it would help others or if anyone would have any ideas. So I used an oven thermometer to monitor my temperatures, and replaced my igniter and temperature sensor and tested away. Other than that my oven preheats now at a noticeable faster rate, it didn't fix my issue. I found that using lighter pans and baking way longer has helped, but not fixed my issues. Most ovens have hot spots, but I heard that gas can be worse which is what I have. Because of the uneven heating, when I bake my cupcakes, some get done sooner and others are under-baked in the same batch. I tried to take out the ones that were done earlier and leave the others in the oven, but it is too hard to tell which ones need to stay in until they all cool. Before my cakes were burning on the outside before the inside was cooked, and now the cupcakes are more even as far as each cupcake is concerned (being baked all the way through without burning on the outside), but as for the whole batch I am getting uneven results.
If anyone has any ideas on how to help even out hot spots, I'd be so grateful to hear them. I know baking pans can matter. I read that aluminum pans heat more evenly, but I am trying to figure out if it heats the whole pan more evenly (to the same temperature at any place on the pan) or if it just helps transfer the heat to each cupcake and not necessarily reduce any hot spots in the pan or oven. Hope this makes sense. Maybe I should make these questions another post instead of tagging them on here. Again, thank you everyone for your help. Hopefully, this can also be of help to others seeking solutions.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I think a pizza stone on the floor of the oven will help with reducing temperature fluctuations. It isn't a hot spot. It never gets hotter than the set temperature. When you open the oven door to add, adjust or remove pans, a stone will help maintain even temps.
I'm perplexed by your muffins cooking unevenly with some over cooking and others undercooking in the same pan. If you put several pans in the oven at one time you have to leave a good space all around and in between the pans to ensure airflow that promotes oven temperatures. You should have a two inch space between and and all around the outsides of the shelves.
I'm perplexed by your muffins cooking unevenly with some over cooking and others undercooking in the same pan. If you put several pans in the oven at one time you have to leave a good space all around and in between the pans to ensure airflow that promotes oven temperatures. You should have a two inch space between and and all around the outsides of the shelves.
September
Assistant Cook
Thanks for your tip, Andy! It is definitely a weird situation, but I have some new pans that I am going to try to see if that makes a difference. I am definitely getting a pizza stone; just need to find one that isn't too small for my oven and that is thick enough for my needs. Thanks!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
This is the type and size of stone I have. Works great and hasn't cracked in years. Look for a stone made of CORDIERITE. Very durable.
