Westinghouse GEK1235W User Manual

14

HANDLING BAKING

HANDLING BAKING PROBLEMS

PROBLEM

POSSIBLE CAUSE

WHAT TO DO

Uneven cooking

•  Incorrect shelf position 
•  Oven tray too large
•  Tray not in centre of oven
•  Air flow in oven uneven

•  Select shelf which puts food in centre of oven
•  Try other trays or dishes
•  Put trays in centre of oven
•  Turn food during cooking

Baked products too brown 
on top

•  Oven not pre-heated 
•  Aluminium foil in oven
•  Baking tins too large for recipe
•  Baking tins not evenly spaced

•  Food not evenly sized or placed on trays

•  Food placed too close to top of oven

•  Pre-heat until indicator light goes off 
•  Remove foil 
•  Use correct size tins
•  Place baking tins so that there is at least 3cms 

between tins and oven walls 

•  Make food same size and shape and spread 

evenly on trays 

•  Place food in middle or on a lower shelf

Baked products too brown  
on bottom

•  Baking temperature too high 
•  Baking tins too large for recipe
•  Baking tins are dark metal or glass

•  Food too low in oven
•  Oven door opened too frequently  

during cooking 

•  Lower temperature
•  Use correct size tins
•  Change to shiny, light tins or lower temperature 

by 10ºC

•  Cook one shelf higher 
•  Do not open door until half way through 

cooking time

Cakes have cracked  
thick crust

•  Baking temperature too high 
•  Food too high in oven
•  Cake batter over mixed
•  Pan too deep
•  Baking tins too dark

•  Lower temperature
•  Cook one shelf lower 
•  Mix just long enough to combine ingredients 
•  Check size of pan and use recommended size 
•  Change to shiny tins

Baking products are pale,  
flat and under cooked

•  Baking temperature too low
•  Food too low in oven
•  Baking time too short
•  Incorrect tin size

• Raise temperature
•  Cook one shelf higher 
•  Increase cooking time 
•  Use correct size tin

Cakes fallen in centre

•  Baking temperature too low
•  Baking time too short
•  Measurement of ingredients is wrong
•  Door opened too early

• Raise temperature
•  Increase cooking time 
•  Check recipe
•  Do not open door until three quarters (¾) of 

way through cooking time

Crusts too thick

•  Incorrect ingredients

•  Check recipe

Meat and potatoes not 
browning in fan oven

•  Poor circulation

•  Put food onto a rack to allow air to circulate

Juices running out of meat

• Do not pierce meat with fork but turn with tongs

WMAN_540 Upright_Jun11.indd   14

28/06/11   12:07 PM