Cooking on gas

[Lmcgrath87]

I have never had a gas oven before, never used one. Mostly I cook stuff on the hob, but I have lazy days where I just want a pizza or what have you ( there is one in the oven now)

 

Last time I tried pizza it wasn't the same as my electric fan oven. Maybe temp wasn't right... Should I expect it to cook at the same speed I would in my electric? Is there a knack?

 

How about baking does that differ?

[MtB]

A gas oven is generally 'wetter' than electric, and bakes better cakes.

 

I'd say you didn't have it hot enough for the pizza. One of mine does pizza brilliantly, the other is grim.

[David Mack]

In my experience boat gas ovens often have a rather uneven heat distribution. So if you don't want your pizza black on one side and raw on the other, it is a good idea to turn it round half way through the cooking time.

[Lmcgrath87]

I did turn it when cooking and put the heat on full whack and voila! A lovely pizza, much better!!

[Bettie Boo]

It's been so long since I've used an electric oven I don't really remember the difference, but what MtB says sounds about right.

 

I do find the need to turn the contents of the oven half way through a bake as other's have suggested, which is something I didn't need to do when baking in the gas oven while in bricks & mortar to achieve an even bake

[canals are us?]

My oven is good but fed up of bending down to light it, so bought an electric mini oven as on mains electric. I find some pitzas suffer from soggy bases, which I hate.

 

James

[MtB]

My oven is good but fed up of bending down to light it, so bought an electric mini oven as on mains electric. I find some pitzas suffer from soggy bases, which I hate.

 

James

 

 

Cooking too cool causes that. Also need to cook directly on the oven shelf, not on a baking tray, in my limited experience as a master chef...

[Psycloud]

We found everything needs cooking at 1 or 2 marks higher than the instructions say. Soggy bottoms cured by using an aluminium pizza tray which is a round nonstick baking tray full of holes. In fact we cook most things on it, such as pies, oven chips, quorn products etc. still turn half way but it really helps cook the underside of things.

[ROBDEN]

I think you'll find that most ovens vary.

 

Some you have to turn up higher than the recipe says.

 

We have to turn our oven down a couple of "marks" or everything burns.

 

Rob....

[Lmcgrath87]

I agree with cooking pizza directly on the shelf or using a pizza tray.

 

Next question.... How do I light my grill?

[MtB]

I agree with cooking pizza directly on the shelf or using a pizza tray.

 

Next question.... How do I light my grill?

 

 

 

Match or fag lighter.

 

Did you like the way I avoided the potential to work a lewd double entendre into my answer? )

[dor]

I usually cook at home with an electric fan oven. The boat oven, in a Caprice cooker is so different. I cook virtually everything on Mark 9, anything else seems very slow. This is good for firing ceramics at the top whilst you can put your hand on the bottom (of the oven).

 

The solution to just about everything is to keep moving it. Rotate pizzas 180 degrees two or three times during cooking, shuffle stuff between top and middle shelf and watch for anything at the back catching fire. And if you put plates in the bottom to warm, be careful they are not too far back or they will crack if they are too near the flame.

 

Like any oven, you get used to its idiosyncrasies and use it accordingly, but don't expect your oven to work the same as someone else's.

[Lmcgrath87]

 

 

 

Match or fag lighter.

 

Did you like the way I avoided the potential to work a lewd double entendre into my answer? )

 

 

Very well done but I know i use my lighter, but where is the grill bit do I try and light?!

[Delta9]

 

 

Very well done but I know i use my lighter, but where is the grill bit do I try and light?!

The bit the gas comes out of..

[bottle]

If you have a knob control marked grill the burner will either be just under the hob or in the top of the oven.

 

It will look like a pipe with holes coming out both sides.

Edited July 16, 2015 by bottle

[MtB]

If you have a knob control marked grill the burner will either be just under the hob or in the top of the oven.

 

It will look like a pipe with holes coming out both sides.

 

 

It might also look like an area of wire mesh in the top of the oven cavity, or grill cavity. Turn the knob (snigger) to ON, and press it IN, and you should hear gas coming out if you listen carefully. Wave a lighted match around on the mesh or pipe the pipe with holes and it should light...

[BlueStringPudding]

I do the Jamie Oliver trick of turning the oven up to maximum while preparing the food and then down to the correct temperature for the food once I've put it in there

 

Seems to work with my gas cooker on the boat

I also turn the food halfway through as others have said

[ChimneyChain]

I'd imagine it's all about trial & error.

 

Darren

[DHutch]

I was the reverse, and ended up buying a house with an electric oven rather than gas which we have at both my parents and the boat.

 

Fortunately the rings are gas, but while the timer is useful for those who like to wander off and wait till you can smell its cooked from the garage, its a right noisy box of tricks and the grill is that bad I have stopped trying to use it!

 

As said, the temperature is less even, which is great for doing a roast, but means which shelf you use matters and particularly if doing two pizzas swapping and rotating them half way through works well.

 

A good gas panel grill is the best thing since sliced bread, and makes excellent toast, although some gas ovens also have naff grills that are just a line of flame at one side and much less even a grill on a par with a cheap electric one.

 

 

Daniel

[canals are us?]

 

 

Cooking too cool causes that. Also need to cook directly on the oven shelf, not on a baking tray, in my limited experience as a master chef...

Unfortunately can't cook any higher as this is on the full gas setting. I do just place them on the bars. My old vanette GC 7000 just isn't very good. I was going to replace it but decided cheaper to just buy an electric mini oven! Sometimes the oven takes 3 goes to light as when releasing after 30 seconds goes out as the thermocouple hasn't heated and opens up the gas valve. Probably needs a good service.

 

James

[Athy]

Many (most?) modern gas ovens have a push-button ignition (for which I am sure there is a proper name) which, having turned the oven or grill knob to the required regulo and held it firmly in, you just push. It will make a crackling sound, and you hold it in until you see the blue flames in the grill/ oven.

 

if your oven and grill have manual ignition and you don't like the idea of getting your hand singed, you can buy lighters which have a long nozzle. Some emit a flame like a normal lighter, others produce sparks and the abovementioned crackling sound. The latter are probably better. Try eBay or a caravan shop. (Which reminds me, many items used on boats are also used in caravans and they are often cheaper in caravan shops than in chandleries).

[Larentia]

I did turn it when cooking and put the heat on full whack and voila! A lovely pizza, much better!!

I cooked a pizza last week in mine, first one for ages, total indulgence as it was a £4 (on offer) Tesco's 'finest' and it was super darn fine. Way better than the electric (no gas in the village) oven I had when I was renting. Not had one since though potential treat this weekend is probable

[Lmcgrath87]

I cooked a pizza last week in mine, first one for ages, total indulgence as it was a £4 (on offer) Tesco's 'finest' and it was super darn fine. Way better than the electric (no gas in the village) oven I had when I was renting. Not had one since though potential treat this weekend is probable

 

Pizza on a weekend is becoming a bit of a routine for us, pizza, beer and (at the moment) a Denzel Washington Movie, tomorrow we're watching Fight I do believe.

 

Been using the oven a lot more now - chicken cooks wonderfully. Fish fingers do take slightly longer, but I've moved the shelves up higher on the assumption heat rises so this is better.

 

Just need to get a cake on the go!

[Theo]

One thing that you will notice is that whereas an electric oven takes 15 or 20 minutes to heat up, a gas oven heats up next door to instantaneously. A great benefit when using it to heat plates.

 

N

[Larentia]

Pizza on a weekend is becoming a bit of a routine for us, pizza, beer and (at the moment) a Denzel Washington Movie, tomorrow we're watching Fight I do believe.

 

Been using the oven a lot more now - chicken cooks wonderfully. Fish fingers do take slightly longer, but I've moved the shelves up higher on the assumption heat rises so this is better.

 

Just need to get a cake on the go!

 

Last night I had a normal pizza (Tesco again but half price at £1.80 or something!) cooked really well again, said 10-11 mins on box but was done in half that. Scoffed with some red wine followed by Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace (again!) and some cider - also from Tesco, 18 cans of Magners for a tenner thank you very much!