You’ve been using your oven wrong – what these 15 symbols REALLY mean

YOU may use your oven almost everyday but do you know what every symbol on it actually stands for?

Consumer expert Which? has put together a great guide on some of the most common oven symbols so you can make the most out of your kitchen.

GettyGet more out of your oven with these symbol tips[/caption]

The list isn’t extensive and might not apply to older ovens.

However, you may recognise at least a few of these symbols on your own device.

Child lock

.This key symbol can be very important[/caption]

This is one of the more important oven buttons but many people don’t realise they have it.

Modern ovens can come with a small key symbol and once pressed it can turn a ‘child lock’ feature on.

When switched on, your oven should not respond to any other buttons or dials being changed.

Defrost

.A snowflake symbol often means defrost[/caption]

This symbol may speak for itself.

If you see a snowflake and a water droplet you’ve likely found the defrost symbol on your oven.

It means that your oven fan will switch on without heat.

No cooking will take place but the moving air should defrost your food quicker than just leaving it out of the freezer.

Oven light

.This button can help you clean your oven[/caption]

If your oven has a separate light system it may be represented by a light bulb symbol.

This can be useful if you want to have a better view inside your oven when cleaning.

Plate warming

.Warm plates can keep dinner party guests happy[/caption]

This is a good trick for people who like dinner parties and don’t want to serve their guests cold food.

Three lines stacked on top of each other is usually the oven symbol that indicates plate warming.

Automatic switch off

.This button can make sure you don’t burn your dinner[/caption]

This button is useful if you want your oven to turn off at a specific time but are also busy doing all things.

It’s called a ‘minute minder’ and is usually represented by a clock feature.

You can time your cooking as normal and then make sure the ‘minute minder’ is switched on too so everything turns off when it should.

Alarm

.The bell button should indicate your oven’s alarm[/caption]

This one is pretty self explanatory.

The bell symbol should indicate your oven alarm and you can set it to ring when your food is ready.

Pyrolytic cleaning

.This symbol isn’t universal[/caption]

Pyrolytic cleaning is a way that modern ovens can clean themselves with elevated temperatures.

It can heat your oven up to around 500°C.

This can incinerate any grime and you can then simply wipe the remaining ash away.

Which? says that the pyrolytic cleaning symbol isn’t consistent across manufacturers but sometimes it’s represented by a series of different sized dots, diamond shapes or the letter P.

Low heat and grill

.This setting is good for crisp pizzas[/caption]

If you want to use the grill and a lower heating element you may need this symbol.

It’s a zigzag line at the top and a straight line at the bottom.

This is good for things like pies that need to be crisp on the top and bottom.

Fan and grill

.Using your fan and grill can provide a more even bake[/caption]

This feature is usually represented by a fan and a zigzag line.

It’s useful if you want the fan to spread the grill’s heat for a less harsh but even bake.

Part grill

.Use this to make a good grilled cheese[/caption]

You’ve probably noticed by now that the grill is usually represented as a zigzag line.

Just one of these lines usually represents the part grill and that’s good for things like a grilled cheese or fish sticks.

Full grill

.This symbol indicates more intense grilling[/caption]

This is usually represented by two zizags and provides more intense cooking.

It can be good for browning things or making them crispy.

Fan oven

.You may find you need the fan symbol a lot more than others[/caption]

This symbol usually speaks for itself.

It’s just a fan sign and means yo can use the fan oven to circulate heat and provide even cooking.

This is good for most types of cooking, especially roasting meat.

Fan with low heat

.Use this to avoid soggy pastries[/caption]

A single line below the fan symbol indicates that the heat will come from the base of your oven and then the fan will spread it around.

This can help you make crispy pizzas or avoid a soggy pastry base.

Lower heating element

.This symbol is useful if you like making stews[/caption]

If you only want to use the lower heating element you need to look for the symbol that’s just a line at the bottom of a square.

This could also be used for crisp pizza or stews.

Upper and lower heating element

.If you don’t like using your oven fan, try this symbol[/caption]

A horizontal line at the top and bottom of a square can indicate the upper and lower heating elements of your oven.

The lack of fan means the heat will spread through the oven by something called ‘natural convection’.

This is said to be good for large cakes, pastries, scones and meat roasting.

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