This senseless violence has got to stop

[roto204]

Chronology of a disaster

7:30 p.m. An impulse buy at Target results in a devious desire to use both ovens on the '56 Frigidaire.

8:00 p.m. Both ovens reach preheat target temps. The smaller oven, always hotter (but dicier when baking, due to its nonfunctional broil element, which I haven't sorted out), overshoots by 25 degrees, so I throttle the temp back. The larger oven, generally known as "Old Faithful," receives a batch of cookies sans-adjustment. (Broil and bake elements both work in the big oven.)

The bag says to bake for 8-13 minutes. I dial-up 10 on the Robertshaw.

8:07 p.m. A mixed olfactory message, consisting of warm cookies and smoke greets me in the bedroom. I dart into the kitchen just as the timer goes off, and pull one set of cookies from the small oven--perfectly fine, if a little pasty due to the missing broiler sun-tan effect. From the big oven, I get a blast of smoke enough to make my eyes water and close, and I get this:

Cookies--perfect on the top, and blackened on the bottom. 60% of my haul is headed for the trash can.

David inquires whether or not the cookies can be salvaged for dunking in coffee. I reply that, sadly, this would not appear to be the case, even for very poor-quality coffee brewed very strongly.

Conclusion

Damn it all to hell, how do you calibrate the knobs on these stupid Frigidaires? The GE I had used a wonderful slider on the back of the temp knob that was a no-brainer to adjust. I have not been able to figure these out.

 

[mattl]

On my '59 CI if you pull the knobs off you will see access to two small set screws. these can be loosened and the dial rotated to adjust the temp setting. I have no idea if yours is the same, but worth a look.

 

[rp2813]

My mom's '49 Westy temp knob had that same sort of sliding adjustment on the back of it. Somehow I get the feeling this issue may be more complex. On the Westy the actual control of the oven was accomplished via a cable that was wrapped around two pulleys in a figure 8. If the Frigidaire has a similar arrangement, maybe something has slipped and thrown the calibration off. When the cable failed on the Westy, we used picture wire to fashion a replacement as by that time parts were long since NLA. That picture wire is still working fine for Greg as far as I know.

Nate, did I already tell you all of that? I sort of remember relating the story in the recent past and you're the only person I know who would have been interested.

Damn, and they had m&m's in them too! :-(

 

[frigilux]

My deepest sympathy at the loss of what should have been a yummy, late-evening cookie-fest is, unfortunately, sharply tempered by the fact that it is 4 degrees here, while you, on the other hand, are in California, Nate. *LOL*

 

[tlee618]

Hey Nate, I think your problem may be the cookie sheets. In the picture they look like the dark finished ones. I have always been told that you need to reduce the called for temp. by 25 degrees if you are using these.
Terry

 

[yogitunes]

What EXACTLY were you cooking up in the bedroom that cause you to lose track of what was baking in the kitchen?.....you left that part out............lol

Nate seems upset....guess we know what burns his biscuits!

was the cookie tray on the center rack in the oven?

 

[maytagbear]

Terry is correct!

....about many things, and correct about dark baking sheets.

Get some shiny ones (at Goodwill, or SallyAnn, or Savers.)
OR, some of those LOVELY "CushionAir" baking sheets. I have two that I have had for years, and no cookie failure with them.

Yes, a person does need to extend baking time by about 2 minutes, when using CushionAir baking sheets but the perfect results are totally worth it!

OR, find a restaurant supply store, and get pro-weight cookie sheets. These have a lip all around, and take a few minutes longer to bake, also. However, these are also very good, and failing any baking assignments, are heavy enough to be used as defensive weapons, or as something in a "playroom." They do last for SEVERAL lifetimes in home use (using my Grandma Prichard's, but I know similar ones are still available.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[roto204]

That's probably it

I'm betting you nailed it, Terry and Lawrence--I'll go get some lighter sheets.

Eugene--*chucks you a cookie*

Here, warm up. It's still smoldering.

 

[toggleswitch]

oh Nate,

No need to get so upset that you have to toss your cookies!

I'm with Yogi. Cant have your t*ts in the oven when your b*lls are in the bed

 

[roto204]

Oy!

Oh Lord, when I posted that, I should have realized it was going to become TMI.

No, I was not "multitasking," I was checking e-mail. Ten minutes is plenty for cookies but not enough for other things.