If you’re the owner of an older electric oven or cooker, you may have noticed the control panel symbols rubbed off/worn off. Or, you simply don’t want to rummage around looking for a lost manual. Either way, it can be difficult to know which functions or settings to use when cooking or baking.
However, with some knowledge about common oven functions and symbols, you can get back to cooking your favourite meals with confidence. In this guide, you’ll learn about some common symbols and functions found on Electra ovens, including fan ovens and grill symbols, to help you get the most out of your appliance.
Electra Oven Non Cooking Symbols
When using an electric oven, it’s important to understand not only the cooking symbols but also the non-cooking symbols that may appear on the control panel. The following symbols indicate important functions.
Oven Light
Overview: The oven light function, represented by a light bulb symbol, allows you to see inside the oven while it’s in use, making it easier to monitor your food and ensure it’s cooking properly.
Best for: This function is best used when you need to check the progress of your food without opening the oven door and letting heat escape.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The oven light function provides several benefits, including the ability to easily monitor your food without opening the oven door, saving you time and energy. It also helps to prevent accidents that can occur when trying to check the progress of your food in a poorly lit oven. Leaving the oven light on for extended periods of time can generate heat and cause the bulb to burn out more quickly.
Defrost
Overview: The Defrost function, represented by a fan over a water drop symbol, is a convenient way to defrost frozen foods quickly and safely, without cooking or baking them.
Best for: This function is best used when you need to defrost frozen foods quickly.
Benefits/Drawbacks: By using the fan without any heat in the oven, the food you need to defrost will be ready to cook much faster than if you left it on the counter or in the sink. The defrost function may not be suitable for larger cuts of meat or delicate items, as they may not defrost evenly.
Electra Oven Grill Symbols
The grill function on your Electra oven is a versatile feature that can be used for a variety of cooking tasks, including browning, toasting, and melting. In this section, you’ll learn what the symbols are.
Grill
Overview: The Grill function, represented by a solid horizontal line with a zig zag below it, is a versatile cooking option that allows you to brown, toast, and melt foods with ease, using the upper shelves of the oven. It’s recommended to preheat the oven for about 10 minutes before using the grill function.
Best for: This function is best used for grilling meats, toasting foods, and finishing casseroles.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The grill function provides several benefits, including the ability to brown and crisp foods quickly and evenly, without the need for additional oils or fats. While the grill function is versatile, it may not be the best option for larger or thicker cuts of meat, as they may not cook evenly.
Fast Grill
Overview: The Fast Grill function, represented by two zig zags, is a convenient option for quickly grilling meats and covering a larger surface area, using the upper shelves of the oven. It’s recommended to preheat the oven for about 10 minutes before using the fast grill function.
Best for: This function is best used for faster grilling and larger cuts of meats.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The fast grill function is able to grill foods quickly and evenly, using both the grill and upper heating elements for better coverage. However, it’s important to note that the oven door must be closed when grilling and the temperature should be adjusted to 190°C for best results. While the fast grill function is great for larger cuts of meat, it may not be the best option for delicate or thinner cuts of meat, as they may cook too quickly or become dry.
Grill and Fan
Overview: The grill and fan function, represented by a zig zag over a fan symbol, is a versatile option that combines the even cooking power of a fan with the browning ability of a grill, making it ideal for thicker cuts of meat and other foods.
Best for: This function is best used for grilling thicker meats, such as roasts, chops, and whole fish.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The grill and fan function provides several benefits, including the ability to cook thicker foods evenly and quickly, while also browning them for added flavour and texture. The downside is that grease can splatter around the cavity. It can also be annoying as it is loud and used for long periods of time.
Other Cooking Symbols
Conventional Baking
Overview: The conventional cooking function, represented by a solid horizontal line at the top and one at the bottom, is a classic option that uses static heat to cook foods evenly on both the upper and lower levels of the oven.
Best for: This function is best used for making pastries, cakes, baked pasta, lasagne, and pizza.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The conventional cooking function provides several benefits, including the ability to cook foods evenly and thoroughly using static heat. It’s also important to note that some dishes may require a different temperature or cooking time than what the conventional cooking function provides.
Top Only
Overview: The top only cooking function, represented by a solid horizontal line at the top, is designed to use the upper heating element only, providing high heat to the top of your dish.
Best for: This function is ideal for browning the tops of dishes, such as casseroles or gratins, or for quickly melting cheese on top of dishes like lasagne.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The top only cooking function provides several benefits, including the ability to quickly and evenly brown the tops of dishes. This function only uses the upper heating element, so it’s not suitable for cooking thicker dishes or for cooking foods through to the centre.
Bottom Only
Overview: The bottom only cooking function, represented by a solid horizontal line at the bottom, is designed to use the lower heating element only, providing high heat to the bottom of your dish.
Best for: This function is ideal for cooking dishes that require a crispy or browned bottom, such as pizzas or breads.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The primary benefit of this setting is the ability to quickly and evenly cook the bottoms of dishes. Since it only uses the lower element, it is not ideal for cooking things like roasts that require browning all over.
Convection Fan Cooking
Overview: The Convection Fan function, represented by a solid horizontal line at the top, one at the bottom and a fan symbol in the middle, uses the upper and lower heating elements, as well as the fan, to provide even heat distribution and faster cooking.
Best for: This function is ideal for baking dishes such as cakes, cookies, and bread, as it ensures even cooking and a consistent temperature throughout the oven.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The primary benefits are faster cooking times and even heat distribution. The fan helps to circulate the hot air throughout the oven, ensuring that your dish is evenly cooked. Be mindful when cooking things like meat roasts or chops as there will be splatter due to the air blowing around the cavity.
