I’ve taped a cheat sheet inside my pantry door for years—mostly for my partner, who always forgets which mode to use. Honestly, I think the real game-changer is when folks see how much crispier roasted veggies get with convection. Has anyone ever noticed weird hot spots, though? My old oven was notorious for that.
Has anyone ever noticed weird hot spots, though? My old oven was notorious for that.
Oh, the dreaded hot spot roulette. My 1920s oven is basically a time machine for uneven baking—one side’s roasting, the other’s just... existing. Here’s my survival guide: I always rotate trays halfway through (sometimes twice if I’m feeling ambitious), and I keep an oven thermometer in there because the dial lies. Convection helps, but in these old houses, you’re still at the mercy of ancient wiring and questionable insulation. At least it keeps things interesting.
Hot spots are the bane of my baking existence, too. I’ve found that even with convection, my 1950s oven still has a mind of its own—sometimes I swear it’s just trolling me. Ever tried putting a pizza stone on the bottom rack? It helps even things out a bit, at least in my experience. But yeah, those old ovens definitely keep you on your toes...
I get the appeal of a pizza stone, but I’ve actually had mixed results with it in older ovens. Sometimes it helps, but other times it just makes the bottom of whatever I’m baking way too dark before the top’s even done. Maybe it’s just my setup, but I feel like those old ovens are so unpredictable that even tricks like that can backfire.
Have you ever tried using an oven thermometer in different spots? I started doing that after a few too many uneven batches of cookies, and it was eye-opening—my “hot spots” were way hotter than I thought. It made me wonder if convection is really all that helpful when the base temperature is so inconsistent. I mean, if the airflow’s just moving uneven heat around, does it really solve the problem?
Curious if anyone’s actually managed to fully “tame” a vintage oven, or if we’re all just adapting as we go.
Convection definitely isn’t a magic fix, especially with those old ovens where the temp swings are all over the place. I’ve had similar issues—sometimes it feels like you’re just shuffling hot air between already uneven zones. Using multiple thermometers was a game-changer for me too, though honestly, I still end up rotating pans more than I’d like. I don’t think anyone truly “tames” a vintage oven; it’s more about learning its quirks and working around them. Kind of makes you appreciate a good bake even more when it actually turns out right.
