Elements of a Range Oven Explained
Published by Adam Pol,
The area in your household that gathers everyone every day be it for a quick snack or for the preparation for a whole meal is the kitchen. A kitchen is the most filled room when it comes to appliances with one of the most essential kitchen appliances being the oven. Often called a kitchen range or stove can serve different purposes depending on what you get.
A kitchen range, for example, is the standard cooking appliance you see in everyone's homes and it is often referred to as the same thing as a stove. People call stoves, stoves mainly because they rely on gas, while kitchen ranges mainly rely on electricity. These two differ from an oven which is an enclosed space made to cook your food. There is no top on which you can cook. You also have a range oven which is a term that is not used as much but it refers to a standard range.
Elements of a Range Oven
Fans & Motors
While fans are not the most integral parts of a range oven they are still well important. Fans help keep the inside temperature at an exact level and they work together with other electric range elements – motors. Motors are what help deliver the right amount of power to the fans and other oven stove elements. The two work together to provide the correct convection setting.
Regulators & Thermostats
Something that electric range ovens have is regulators and thermostats. If a thermostat is not present you wouldn't know the exact temperature you have your oven set at. Regulators work in conjunction with thermostats as the thermostat detects the temperature, the regulator is what then adjusts it.
Bake
The bake oven heating element is a component that provides the main heat source. The bake element is usually located at the bottom and it is often used for self-cleaning when used in such an oven.
Broil
A broil element is found at the top of a range oven and it provides direct heat to the top part of the food. Like the bake element the broil element, it can also be used for self-cleaning.
Rack
An oven rack is where the bakeware and cookware are placed on inside the oven. The rack also makes it easier for you to move your cookware and bakeware up and down as some ovens can come with multiple racks.
Bake Tray
Your model of an oven can also come with a hidden bake tray. This element is usually located at the bottom of the oven cavity. This tray is there to provide protection for the bake element from spills and drips that can occur while cooking.
Vent Tube
Since your oven can generate heat it can also release heat as well as moisture. This is all thanks to the vent tube, an oven heating element that is found typically at the top of the oven cavity.
Convection Baffle
If your oven comes with a convection feature then it definitely has a convection baffle. Convection baffles are electric range elements are what encases the fan which is usually located on the rear wall of the oven.
Light Bulb & Assembly
Now every range oven no matter if it has a convection feature or not comes with a light bulb and assembly. This is so you're able to see how your food is being cooked with the light usually found near the top.
Ignitor
If your oven range is a gas one it comes with a gas ignitor that ignites the oven's heating burner. This element is located inside the oven, near the burner tube.
Gas vs Electric Ovens
Although there are various types of ovens and stoves when it comes to their design and functionality, there are only two when it comes to their power source. Gas-powered ovens tend to be more affordable than electric ones but they do come with some big disadvantages. First of all, if you don't have a gas supply in your home you'll have to install it be it the mains or bottled which can be costly. Then you get the issue with uneven heating which is a big drawback if you bake a lot.
Electrical ovens, on the other hand, are a lot easier to set up, use and achieve even browning with your food. Although electrical ovens are more expensive they tend to give you a lot more options and versatility when cooking. You also get to do all this with just the touch of a button and not have to worry about any open flames.
Conclusion
Range ovens, although most commonly known as just ovens are the most commonly used cooking appliances in any kitchen. This is why understanding how one works is a great way to learn more about how to use it efficiently especially if you have an electric one. But even if you have a gas-powered range oven you can still learn how to use it more efficiently by learning a thing or two about all its components both inside and out.