Chef claims you've been using your oven wrong but 1 change can fix it

Despite living in an era dominated by air fryers and microwaves, the conventional oven remains incredibly valuable. Whether you're preparing a joint of meat for Sunday lunch or attempting to bake a sponge, our ovens prove remarkably adaptable and cater to numerous culinary requirements.

However, have you ever removed something from the oven when it ought to be ready, only to discover it's either charred or undercooked?

This frustrating experience affects countless home cooks, even when following recipe instructions precisely - and it appears the issue might stem from using our ovens improperly.

According to a culinary expert on Instagram, numerous ovens actually operate at higher or lower temperatures than their front dials indicate, meaning while you believe you're preheating to 200°C, the actual temperature could be 220°C or merely 180°C.

Tue Nguyen, based in the US, posted a video claiming many of us are being "gaslit" by our ovens, as we assume we're cooking at the correct temperature when we're actually not.

She explained: "Oven dials are not always accurate. Some ovens run colder or way hotter. If a recipe calls for 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) and your oven is actually 375, that's a problem."

To resolve this issue, Tue recommended purchasing an oven thermometer. These devices can precisely monitor your oven's temperature, allowing you to set it to 200°C and determine definitively whether it genuinely reaches that heat level.

You won't need to use the thermometer every time you cook, but it can be used a few times to determine if your oven dials are accurate. If you discover your oven runs hotter, you can set it to 180°C when you need food cooked at 200°C, and vice versa if it runs colder.

What's more, Tue finally put an end to the debate over which shelf should be used for each cooking task.

She asserted the top rack should be used for broiling and quick browning as it's nearest to the top heat source. The middle rack has the most even air circulation, so it should be used for most baking and roasting tasks.

Lastly, the bottom of your oven is closest to the bottom heat source, making it ideal for creating crusty breads and pizzas and for caramelising the bottom of anything you might be cooking.

This guidance will vary depending on the type of oven you have, as some ovens, such as gas ovens, only have one heat source at the bottom.

Viewers of the video expressed their gratitude to Tue for her advice. Many admitted they knew their oven didn't cook things properly, but had never thought about getting a thermometer to check the temperature.

One individual exclaimed: "That oven thermometer is life-changing!" Another commented: "So helpful!" A third shared: "I definitely didn't know this."