How to use your ovens and hobs safely!

Unless you plan on living on takeaway during your time with us then you're going to be spending a fair amount of time in the kitchen preparing and cooking food. To help you familiarise yourself with those workhorses of the kitchen, the oven and hob, we've pulled together a few useful tips that will let you get cooking right away.

How to safely use your Oven

All of our residences use different makes and brands of ovens and, with many equipped with slightly varying features and styles, you'll be able to find out more information about the model that is in your flat from your site team.

In general though, the cooking process is the same for all ovens:

1️⃣ Check that your oven is switched on at the wall.

2️⃣ Set the temperature according to the manufacturers cooking instructions or from the recommendations of your recipe. All temperatures in the ovens will be displayed in Celsius. Also be aware that some ovens have a built in grill setting on the temperature dial when turned to max heat. If using the oven as an oven, don’t set the temperature higher than 220 degrees to prevent the grill setting from kicking in.

3️⃣ The (usually red) indicator light will be illuminated to show that the oven is heating.

4️⃣ Once temperature has been reached and the heating indictor light has gone out, you can place your food on to a baking tray and load it carefully in to the oven to cook for recommended time.

6️⃣ When the timer bleeper goes, you can remove your from the oven. Always take special care when lifting your food from the oven, using oven gloves or a thick, dry towel to protect your hands. For more info on the importance of cooking food at the right temperature and how to check if your food is cooked, see our Stress Free UofGLiving Food Safety Essentials.

7️⃣ If the food is cooled to your satisfaction then switch off and enjoy your meal!

Cleaning the oven

Given the amount, and variety, of food that your oven will be cooking over the course of the year, it's probably no surprise to learn that it could become quite dirty very quickly! It's therefore vitally important that you don’t allow a layer of grease or debris to build up and potentially become a fire hazard.

The easiest way to stay on top of this is, after the oven has cooled down after use and is switched off at the wall, give it a quick clean with a sponge and some oven cleaner, or, depending on what was cooking, even just a damp wipe. That should prevent stains or crusts forming and keep your oven performing at its best for your whole stay.

How to safely use your Hob

Like the ovens, you may find that different residences are equipped with different styles of hobs with slightly varying features and styles. You'll be able to find out more information about the hob in your kitchen from your site team but whether you've got an electric, a ceramic or an induction hob, the following steps should help you get started. 

1️⃣ Before you begin, make sure that the pots and pans you are using are compatible with the type of hob you are working on.

2️⃣ Check that the hob is switched on at the wall and then switch on the extractor fan above the unit to avoid a build up of steam and heat.

3️⃣ Set the dial for the particular ring to the required temperature. The higher the number, the hotter the ring will be.

4️⃣ Place your pot or pan on to the ring to commence cooking.

5️⃣ Stay in the kitchen during the cooking process to monitor your food and don't allow a lot of steam to build up as this has been known to activate the fire alarm. If you think the kitchen is getting a bit steamy just open windows and use the wall fan for extra ventilation.

6️⃣ Once your food is cooked, turn off ring and hob via switch on wall.

Remember not to place hot pots or pans straight on to the worktops as this will cause damage and result in a recharge.

Cleaning the hob

Like your oven, it is good practice to clean your hob after each use and avoid a build up of grease and debris on rings and main unit. Don't forget about the fan filter above the hob either as it can suffer from grease build up too.

Before you start cleaning, just make sure that the rings have had a chance to cool down, that the hob is switched off at the wall and that you are using appropriate cleaning chemicals. It's also important that you don't use too much water when cleaning your hob as this will cause the hob to short.

Looking for some recipes? 

If you're looking for some interesting ideas to help change up your weekly menu be sure to keep an eye on the Food section of UofGLiving. Here we've got lots recipes, local favourites and, if you can't bothered cooking after all, a guide to the various UofGFood outlets on campus😀