Hi All,
I love this question because it hits to one of the cores of baking and since every oven is different I always find myself fighting with uneven temperatures and hot spots. Sine I live in NYC and in an apt with an old oven not of my choosing I had to purchase a HearthKit which is a slab of terra cotta pizza-stone like insert with sides that absorbs and helps direct the heat in an even fashion. It worked like a dream to make very even cakes, cookies and pie crusts and is similar to what Hector is suggesting - even though Hectors way is cheaper and I wish I had thought of it. The only problem is that it limited the amount that you could bake. Hector, how would you line the oven with tiles? Do you mean on the racks? I would like to have as much baking space as possible and the ability to get at least two racks for baking sheets. Can I accomplish this? I envy anyone that is able to choose their own oven - I don’t even know if you realize how lucky you are.

Andy—I baked in apartment ovens for 20-odd years and I sympathize! Being able to choose our own stove/oven has been one of the high points of home ownership.

I know I am very late to the party on this topic, but I have a tangential (but related) question. I have a pizza stone that I used to keep in my oven all the time, and it did keep the oven temp even, until something leaked all over it (I think a fruit pie filling) that burned and became stuck to it. Is there any way to clean a stone once it has baked-on grime on it? After lots of scrubbing with a brush, it still has enough black gunk stuck to it to create an odor while baking!
I would hate to throw it away. At the very least I guess we can use it on the BBQ.

Rachel,  Did you use a scraper on it?  After that you just have to let the gunk burn off.  It may take an hour or two in a very hot oven but then you will have your stone back.  However, the stains will probably always stay with you!

Annie

SRARTFROMSCRATCH:
  Good morning. Bin dare dun dat also. I will proceed by mentioning why your Pizza stone will not clean it’s surface. The stone is very POUROUS. That means there are small Nooks & valleys in it"s make-up…liquids get in~bedded there & are housed there permently.  To get it looking like new the surface must be GROUND by a grinding wheel. (they are found in a Machine shop) The best you can do is what Member Annie/MAC posted to you. I must tell you… Mine looks like it went thru WORLD WAR II
& it still works. In fact I think my Pizza tastes better because of it. Do not be concerned.
  Good luck & enjoy the rest of the day my friend.

  ~FRESHKID.

Thanks Annie and Freshkid!! If the pizza stone will still work despite the stains/gunk, then I will keep using it! I just was worried I had ruined the thing.

Also, you guys would NOT BELIEVE the ancient oven I use to turn out all manner of baked goods - it was my grandmother’s, runs 50 degrees hot, and has never been serviced or calibrated to my knowledge. It just goes to show you that you don’t need fancy equipment, though believe me I would NOT turn down a full suite of oiled bronze appliances .

I recently started renting space in a commercial kitchen and was so amazed to be able to bake 80 cupcakes at the same time! And I haven’t even started using the convection oven there!

Aah.

RACHEL:
  Hello again. Depending where one lives geographically in America, there are cities & towns that the local Gas utility Companies provided free service to it’s customers like re~calibrating the oven temp.   Worth trying.. It costs free to call & find out.
  Good luck

  ~FRESHKID.

I’m new to this site and have been skimming topics.  Gotten a lot of amazing info in just a short time.

I caught Hector’s advice to preheat an oven 60 minutes.  WOW!  That seems like an awfully long time.  Is this for gas?  Electric?  Convection?

I’ve used ovens that beep when fully preheated - and actually show the user a timer counting down the time till fully preheated.  To get to 350, the timer reads six minutes.  Bear in mind, this is an electric oven.

Just moved to ATL and the (hideously crappy) oven in the home is gas.  The oven beeps after 40 minutes.  This seems like an excruciatingly long time vs. the electric oven.

In a perfect world, I would have gas cook top with an electric convection oven.  Alas right now, we’ve got this very slow gas oven.  I want to ensure it’s up to temp when I put any food or baking into it so I wait the 40 minutes till it beeps.  Is the 60 minute preheat time prescribed for a reason or does it simply take that much longer for a gas oven to preheat vs. an electric oven?

Question #2 - Anyone seen the Electrolux line?  I lust for the double wall oven with convection.  That’s SIX TRAYS of Christmas Cookies at once!  I’ve been in the presence of one of these beauties and if they bake like they look - it’s likely I won’t ever leave the kitchen.

Take a look at this oven. Isn’t it cool????? Click on the magnifying glass for a detailed view.

http://www.gaggenau.com/US_en/products/product-detail.do?contentId=6cfd5159-f87f-4a8a-b374-772ec7bc915c

Ooo la la, no more oven dropping 25-50F when you open the door!  Are you shopping for a new oven?

Whee, I want one of them!!!!

Annie

Julie - 03 June 2009 09:55 AM

Are you shopping for a new oven?

Oh how I wish I were.

ANNIE:
  Good evening my dear friend. I promise Annie when I hit that Calif. lottery or the MEGA MILLION lottery I will buy you 2 of those ovens with your name on it. Till then Annie, keep hoping for my success.

Enjoy the rest of the day Annie.

  ~CASPAR.

Caspar, You are too funny and too kind.  I’ll gladly accept the double oven.  Keep playing that lottery!

Annie

Chiff - I believe Hector preheats his oven for that length of time so his baking stone can come to full temperature, thereby helping to regulate/maintain his oven temp.  He find this especially helpful for baking breads. 

I have a gas on top, electric with convection inside range… I love it!!!  However, I don’t like using the convection feature for baking.  Items come out lopsided and two-tone (brown and white).  Some of this can be avoided by turning and rotating the pans during baking, but I’ve never been fond of doing that.  I save my convection feature for roasting (works wonderfully for that), so, unless you purchase a convection oven specifically designed for baking, don’t think you’ll be able to bake multiple trays of cookies at one time - I still find baking one tray at a time in the center of the oven gives the very best results.