I've been in a pumpkin pie mood for a month or so and made my second batch the other day. I have a couple of ovens and the one I use most of the time is my Electrolux in the kitchen. It bakes well but I do notice a difference in my pies. If I bake them in my old standby Frigidaire RCI-75 59 Custom Imperial from '59 they come out with a very glossy top, in the Electrolux they come out with a very dull appearance. They are both bake out fine, but all in all I think I prefer the Frigidaire results. Anyone else notice differences when using other ovens?
Different ovens, different pie results
- Thread starter mattl
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I have two 2002 Frigidaire ranges, one gas, one electric. Talk about differences in baking results! When baking two 9" x 13" cakes side by side in the gas oven, the outside edges raise noticeably higher than the inner edges, probably because of the openings in the floor along the sides. I prefer the results from the electric oven for baked goods. Generally more even. Using the convection feature improves results for certain foods. Gas burners give off so much heat to the room. Nice in the fall; not so much in the summer.
Having said that, I am trying to "even out" the lifespan of the two ranges by using the gas range more often. I had only gas ranges from 1986-2002, but grew up with an electric. The gas range can heat the the whole house during the self-clean cycle! Made the mistake of cleaning both ovens simultaneously once, and had to open windows in the dead of winter just to keep the temp in the house under 80 degrees, LOL.
Having said that, I am trying to "even out" the lifespan of the two ranges by using the gas range more often. I had only gas ranges from 1986-2002, but grew up with an electric. The gas range can heat the the whole house during the self-clean cycle! Made the mistake of cleaning both ovens simultaneously once, and had to open windows in the dead of winter just to keep the temp in the house under 80 degrees, LOL.
gusherb
Well-known member
The results from the bottom oven of our double oven 2006 Maytag electric range are much better then what I ever saw out of our previous 1990 Magic Chef gas range. As for the top oven of that Maytag... It's only good for cooking meals in, the baking results are very uneven.
If/when that gets replaced I'll find a dual fuel range cuz I hate the electric cooktop and love the electric oven.
If/when that gets replaced I'll find a dual fuel range cuz I hate the electric cooktop and love the electric oven.
launderess
Well-known member
All ovens vary to some degree
At one time most all cookbooks and other sources advised housewives/anyone using a new oven to either do a few tests first, and or invest in a good thermometer until they get the hang of things.
Things such as even heating/cold spots, setting of temperature and so forth all can vary by oven. Some ovens 350F will give less or more for instance. In some cases this won't matter but being off several degrees can affect certain temperature sensitive baking. Roasts and many other things however this really isn't that much of a worry.
At one time most all cookbooks and other sources advised housewives/anyone using a new oven to either do a few tests first, and or invest in a good thermometer until they get the hang of things.
Things such as even heating/cold spots, setting of temperature and so forth all can vary by oven. Some ovens 350F will give less or more for instance. In some cases this won't matter but being off several degrees can affect certain temperature sensitive baking. Roasts and many other things however this really isn't that much of a worry.
Out of curiosity, I've been meaning to do this for quite some time, I popped the temp prob of my VOM into the Frigidaire oven tonight. I bake my pumpkin pies at 400 degrees, and that is what I set the oven to. The initial temp reached 445 degrees, and then dropped as usual. The swing seem to be from 390 to 425 which is pretty typical of most ovens. The Electrolux is slightly tighter since it's quite easy to adjust the temp electronically. The Frigidaire does have a small set screw that I adjusted a few years back using my Taylor serviceman thermometer. Issue with the Taylor is the mercury separated and nothing I do can get it to form one mass, there is a gap between the segments so it's quite hard to read.
So, both ovens are operating at about the same temp removing that as a reason for the difference in the pies. About the only other difference is venting. The Frigidaire has a vent under the right rear burner while the Electrolux is pretty well sealed. Perhaps the added steam in the Electrolux causes a dull top where the vent in the Frigidaire unit lets the steam out.
The tightness of the Electrolux is fine when I'm baking Sourdough Rye bread as I use a pan of water under the bread, when I did the bread in the Frigidaire it did not turn out as well. So going forward pie down the basement, bread in the kitchen...
So, both ovens are operating at about the same temp removing that as a reason for the difference in the pies. About the only other difference is venting. The Frigidaire has a vent under the right rear burner while the Electrolux is pretty well sealed. Perhaps the added steam in the Electrolux causes a dull top where the vent in the Frigidaire unit lets the steam out.
The tightness of the Electrolux is fine when I'm baking Sourdough Rye bread as I use a pan of water under the bread, when I did the bread in the Frigidaire it did not turn out as well. So going forward pie down the basement, bread in the kitchen...
arbilab
Well-known member
Weird eh? You'd think a box of heat would be just that. But coming from a 1980s GE MOL electric on 240V to a newer BOL in a different apt on 218V, the difference is like comparing the king of Norway to Kim Jong Un.
The older one, just set it and it worked. The newer one, any setting besides 350 (where I calibrated it) has to be fudged.
Oh, thermoms with separated mercury-- or red stuff-- are ruined. Toss it. There are some 'old wives tales' of how to fix them but even those will tell you none is certain and some risk breakage.
Oh, some will say not to toss mercury thermoms. Lissen, this ghetto apt tosses a dozen thermometers' worth of mercury in fluorescent lights every week. Since every business so equipped does the same thing, you think one thermom is going to show up in the grand picture of civilization's toxic footprint?
The older one, just set it and it worked. The newer one, any setting besides 350 (where I calibrated it) has to be fudged.
Oh, thermoms with separated mercury-- or red stuff-- are ruined. Toss it. There are some 'old wives tales' of how to fix them but even those will tell you none is certain and some risk breakage.
Oh, some will say not to toss mercury thermoms. Lissen, this ghetto apt tosses a dozen thermometers' worth of mercury in fluorescent lights every week. Since every business so equipped does the same thing, you think one thermom is going to show up in the grand picture of civilization's toxic footprint?
norgeway
Well-known member
Norge,
Westinghouse and the early Frigidaires to me are the best baking ovens, the open coil elements respond much faster than the rod type elements, and the small outer coil of the broil unit heats with the bake unit, creating the most even baking, I personally like a gas oven best...but a old one with a modulating thermostat, not the awful on and off things made today, to me a gas oven needs a pilot light, not glow bar ignition.and the pilot light oven is the best proofing cabinet ever thought up!
Westinghouse and the early Frigidaires to me are the best baking ovens, the open coil elements respond much faster than the rod type elements, and the small outer coil of the broil unit heats with the bake unit, creating the most even baking, I personally like a gas oven best...but a old one with a modulating thermostat, not the awful on and off things made today, to me a gas oven needs a pilot light, not glow bar ignition.and the pilot light oven is the best proofing cabinet ever thought up!
Are you using convection in the Electrolux? If not, it's being a newer oven means it probably has a different heat balancing system for regular baking than the Frigidaire, maybe cycling the bake and broil elements separately instead of together like the Frigidaire. The stronger top heat of the Frigidaire probably produces the glaze on top of the filling by cooking it quicker when it is still moist and shiny instead of letting it dry and lose its gloss with less intense top heat.
Interesting. Yes, I'm using convection most of the time with the E. I was not aware that the F used the broil element to any extent in baking, I know the E does since the indicator shows which element is in use at any given time.
I suspect the elements are a smaller part of the difference since at Thanksgiving I bake 6 pies , 4 in the taller oven and 2 in the smaller oven. The 2 on the upper rack come out the same as those on the lower, and all 6 come out better than any in the E oven.
Who would think there would be that much difference in ovens. I'm sure the average person has no clue.
I suspect the elements are a smaller part of the difference since at Thanksgiving I bake 6 pies , 4 in the taller oven and 2 in the smaller oven. The 2 on the upper rack come out the same as those on the lower, and all 6 come out better than any in the E oven.
Who would think there would be that much difference in ovens. I'm sure the average person has no clue.
Good electric ovens have almost always used a bit of top heat during bake for nice browning. Older ranges with an open coil broiler element had a separate perimeter coil in the broiler element for that purpose. GE's early Calrod broiler elments had a perimeter Calrod for top heat before the oven set switches had the capability of operating the bake element on 240 and the broil element on 120. Running the broiler element on half voltage dropped the wattage to a fourth of its wattage on 240 so it gave about 750 watts of heat during bake instead of the 3000 watts on Broil at 240.
The proteins in the pumpkin custard respond well to that top heat and cook up shiny.
The proteins in the pumpkin custard respond well to that top heat and cook up shiny.
"I personally like a gas oven best...but a old one with a modulating thermostat, not the awful on and off things made today, to me a gas oven needs a pilot light, not glow bar ignition.and the pilot light oven is the best proofing cabinet ever thought up! "
Amen!
Amen!
An electric oven is so well insulated that you can either just turn the light on and it will supply enough heat or you can turn it on for one minute and then turn it off and the oven will be warm enough to make the dough rise. I usually repeated that before the second rising.
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