If you can’t find the manual for your Zanussi cooker, you may be confused about some symbols’ meanings.
Instead of ignoring the symbols and just using the basic settings, try to learn them to get the most out of your oven. Understanding all the functions and symbols of your Zanussi oven could result in subpar cooking outcomes.
Fortunately, many of the fan oven symbols on modern cookers are universal, indicating that the symbols are identical or comparable across various manufacturers.
This guide will outline all the functions you might encounter and serve as a general guide/key to clarify UK Zanussi old oven symbols. So whether you’re a cooking novice or a seasoned pro, this guide will help you make the most of your Zanussi electric oven.
Zanussi symbols for traditional oven cooking
Every modern Zanussi oven will have these basic functions to cook in the oven. They are all the functions you expect to have in a cooker, so the symbols will help you cook what you want.
Conventional Cooking
Overview: The Conventional cooking function, represented by a line at the top and one at the bottom, is a great option for traditional recipes like a roast, casserole, or for baking bread.
Best for: Any dish that doesn’t need special treatment.
Benefits/drawbacks: The Conventional cooking function can be used for a wide range of traditional recipes, making it a versatile option. The top and bottom heating elements ensure even heat distribution, resulting in perfectly cooked dishes. This function can take longer to cook dishes than other cooking methods, which could be an issue for busy cooks or those with time constraints.
Meat
Overview: This function, represented by a line at the top and two dashes on the bottom, is an excellent feature that helps produce juicy and tender roasts. To use this function, simply place your meat on a meat pan and position the pan on the lowest shelf position, which is shelf position 1. This setting reduces the base heat, preventing larger meats such as turkey from burning on the bottom.
Best for: Great for roasts of any kind, steaks, and thicker cuts of meat.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Using the Meat function, you can maintain the succulent juices in your meat, resulting in a mouthwatering and tender meal. The downside is that you can’t cook anything else in the oven during this function.
Bottom Heat Only
Overview: Only the oven’s bottom element will be activated when using this function, represented by a lone line at the bottom. It is ideal for baking and even reheating items when using lower heat temperatures. The foods will crisp up on the bottom when this function is used, but the top won’t be heated as aggressively.
Best for: Pizzas, flans, pies, or quiches cook well in this setting.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Baking is ideal with this setting since the top doesn’t get as done as the bottom. This is important for many baked items since the top can burn. The downside is it can take longer to cook these items so you will use more electricity.
True Fan
Overview: True Fan, represented by a fa within a circle uses a fan for convection to reduce cooking time, lower the temperature, and cook on multiple shelf positions while still achieving even cooking or baking results. This function is highly versatile and can save time in the kitchen.
True Fan is ideal for cooking a variety of foods simultaneously without having to worry about flavours transferring between them. For instance, a roast dinner and an apple pie can be cooked simultaneously with great results and flexibility.
Best for: Cooking roasts, baking certain pastries, and dehydrating
Benefits/drawbacks: True Fan allows for even heat distribution throughout the oven, ensuring that food is cooked evenly and consistently. The fan also helps to reduce cooking time by up to 10 minutes for each hour of cooking.
One potential drawback is that the fan can cause some foods, particularly those with high liquid content, to dry out more quickly than with other cooking methods. Another possible drawback of True FanCook is that it may use more energy than other cooking functions, which could result in higher electricity bills over time.
Zanussi Grill Symbols
The grill function is also an essential feature of any Zanussi oven. However, some models have an upgraded grill function that lets you get more out of the top element to roast meats and other items.
Grill
Overview: Electric cookers and ovens come equipped with a Grill function, represented by a squiggly line at the top. It’s perfect for making small quantities of toast or delicious cheese on toast. The Grill function can also be used for browning.
For best results, place your food in the centre of the grill pan or wire shelf towards the top of the oven cavity (specifically, shelf position 4 or 5). This function is ideal for smaller quantities of food and can be used with the oven door closed.
Best for: Reheating, browning meats, and anything else that could normally be cooked on a traditional grill outside.
Benefits/drawbacks: The grill function is versatile and can be used for various cooking tasks, such as browning, toasting, and grilling. The high heat of the grill function can sometimes cause smoking and splatters, which can be difficult to clean up. The grill function is designed for small quantities of food and is unsuitable for cooking larger portions or family-sized meals.
Fast Grilling
Overview: Use the Fast Grilling function, represented by a solid line above a squiggly one, to cook larger quantities of food across the grill pan or wire shelf. To cook large quantities of food, placing the food towards the top of the oven cavity, specifically on shelf positions 4 or 5, is recommended to achieve optimal results.
Best for: Great for Sunday roasts or items with a protein and side dish to cook together.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This function includes getting a great sear on a thick steak and cooking in bulk for things like kebabs. The negative aspect is that it uses a lot more power than regular grill cooking.
Turbo Grill
Overview: The Turbo Grill function is represented by a fan under a squiggly line. Using the Turbo Grill function, the oven will distribute heat alternately between the fan and grill, producing juicy meats with crispy skin. For the best rotisserie effect when cooking chicken, place it on the middle shelf. The heat will circulate evenly around the chicken to give it a golden and crispy exterior while remaining juicy on the inside.
To prevent overcooking when preparing roast meats like chicken or pork, set the temperature to 180°C and reduce the cooking time by 15%. This ensures that the meat is cooked thoroughly but remains moist and tender.
Best for: Cooking a whole chicken or roasting large quantities of meat.
Benefits/drawbacks: The combined fan and grill function is a fast cooking method, allowing you to prepare meals more quickly. The Turbo grill function may use more energy than other cooking methods, which could result in higher electricity bills over time.
Zanussi speciality baking symbols
Having some extra features for baking can elevate your baking game. For example, baking bread with the steam function will produce crispy crusts with fluffy crumbs. Cakes are always moist and never dry, and other pastry items come out to perfection. Below are the symbols so you know which ones to use.
Air Fry
Overview: The Air Fry function is represented by a fan over a pan with dashes over it. Air fryers are all the rage since they allow you to get fried results without the mess and calories associated with frying. AirFry is a highly effective way to achieve crispy, delicious results for your favourite meals. The specially designed Zanussi AirFry tray ensures that the hot air circulates around the food, cooking both the top and bottom simultaneously.
AirFry is perfect for cooking crispy meals like fish fingers and golden chips without turning.
Best for: Crispy chips, chicken wings, and other typically fried foods.
Benefits/drawbacks: AirFry is a healthier way to cook foods that would normally be deep-fried, reducing the amount of oil used in cooking. The even heat distribution ensures food is cooked evenly and consistently, producing crispy and delicious results.
The downside is that when not used correctly, the AirFry setting can result in unevenly cooked food, particularly when cooking larger or thicker items. An oven Air Fry setting will use more energy than the smaller countertop versions also needs to be remembered.
Moist Fan Baking
Overview: The fan with water drop within a circle indicates Moist Fan Baking. If you have dreamed of baking perfect baguettes as they do in France, then you will love this function. It is the same system that professional bread ovens are equipped with. This cooking function is also an excellent option for anyone looking to achieve light and fluffy baking results, particularly for souffle. It is energy-efficient, designed to retain moisture in the oven, and perfect for one-shelf cooking.
Best for: Baking bread such as baguettes or country loaves, cooking roasts, and baking souffle.
Benefits/drawbacks: Cooking using this setting is a healthier way to cook foods, preserving nutrients and vitamins often lost in other cooking methods. Steam ovens retain moisture, resulting in moist and tender dishes without adding fats or oils. Steam cooking does not allow for browning or crisping, which may be undesirable for some dishes.
PlusSteam
Overview: The PlusSteam function, represented by a puff of steam, is great for achieving excellent baked goods such as bread, Yorkshire puddings, and moist cakes. With this function, bread comes out fluffy on the inside and has a crispy, golden crust on the outside, while cakes turn out moist and flavorful.
To utilize the steam function, pour up to 250ml of water into the reservoir at the bottom of the oven cavity. Next, turn the control knob to the fan/steam function, set the desired temperature, and let it preheat for ten minutes before putting your food in the oven. Once you’re done cooking, wipe away any remaining moisture after the oven has cooled.
Best for: Crispy baked baguettes, cakes and roasts
Benefits/Drawbacks: Besides the culinary results of using the steam function, another benefit is that it reduces cooking time. If you are cooking a roast, for example, not only will it not dry out, it will also cook faster. The only real downside is that it has limited functionality so you may need to use more to warrant the extra expense of having it.
Microwave
Overview: The microwave function is represented by three wavy lines. A suitable way to reheat meals and warm bowls of soup is by using a microwave set at low to medium power levels, typically between 100W and 600W.
Best for: Reheating foods, partially cooking potatoes and vegetables.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Having a microwave function in the oven helps to reduce your kitchen workflow. For instance, you could partially cook your jacket potatoes with the microwave function, then turn on the conventional oven setting to cook them through. The downside is that the microwave isn’t as powerful as a stand-alone unit, and removing the rails and baking trays is inconvenient.
Zanussi non-cooking function symbols
Many Zanussi models come with extra features to make your life in the kitchen easier. These functions are not necessarily related to cooking but will help you save time.
Defrost
Overview: The Defrost function, represented by a half snowflake with three water drops, is an excellent option for anyone looking to reduce the time it takes to defrost their food. Compared to defrosting on a kitchen worktop, this function can reduce defrosting time by up to 50%. The Defrost function uses the oven fan to circulate room-temperature air around the food, resulting in even and quicker defrosting.
Best for: Defrosting foods quickly
Benefits/drawbacks: One of the biggest benefits is that you can defrost food faster while also freeing up counter space to do so. The downside is that the fan can be loud while the food is thawing out.
Fast Heat Up
Overview: The Fast Heat-Up function, represented by two arrows pointing right with a line above and below, enables a rapid heat-up of the oven cavity, reducing pre-heat times by up to 40%. This fantastic function is perfect for making convenient meals. With the oven reaching the desired temperature much more quickly, it’s a quick and easy way to pre-heat your oven and get cooking.
Best for: When you are cooking a lot of food and don’t want to waste time.
Benefits/Drawbacks: When you are limited in time and can afford to waste time waiting for the oven to heat, this function can be a lifesaver. The downside is that it uses a lot more energy to heat than when using a traditional pre-heat setting.
Keep Warm
Overview: The Keep Warm symbol is represented by a line at the bottom with a wavy line radiating away from it. By maintaining the oven at 80°C, the Keep Warm setting helps to preserve the ideal temperature of your food, without overcooking or causing it to spoil. This makes it the ideal feature for keeping your meal warm without any further cooking.
Best for: Cooking large quantities of food that stay hot until the completion of the meal.
Benefits/drawbacks: This function is fantastic at helping you finish cooking a meal with many components and keeping everything warm. The Keep Warm feature is also suitable for warming plates and cups. No downside stands out.
Enamel Liners
Overview: Zanussi ovens feature Diamond Glazed Enamel liners, which are sturdy and can be found in all models. The smooth yet robust finish of the enamel liners makes it effortless to wipe away any oven grime, using either a wet microfibre cloth or an oven cleaner from Zanussi for tougher stains.
Best for: People who cook a lot and want to minimize the effort to clean the oven.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Since enamel is non-porous, it can resist getting heavily soiled as well as resist staining. A commonly reported downside is that enamel is prone to chipping which can damage the lining of your oven.
Light
This function, represented by a light bulb, turns the oven cavity light on and off.
Zanussi cleaning function symbols
Having a self-cleaning oven is another way to save time in your cooking. These features will reduce the time you need to be bent over the inside of the oven so you can spend more time cooking delicious foods.
Pyrolytic Cleaning
Overview: The Pyrolytic Cleaning function, represented by three rows of blocks one above the other, heats up the oven cavity to 500°C, which causes any food residue to turn into fine ash. During this process, the door will lock at 300°C and will only unlock once the oven has reached 300°C during cool down.
Best for: Thoroughly cleaning tough grime and heavily soiled oven interiors after cooking greasy food.
Benefits/Drawbacks: This setting can take a lot of the scrubbing and use of harsh cleaning products through the intense heat of the process. The downside is that you will likely spend approximately 50p for a one-hour-long setting. There is also a long cool-down period to observe before you can use the oven again.
Catalytic Cleaning
Overview: There are two potential symbols representing the Catalytic cleaning function with one having just the word Catalytic, and the other with an X above the word Catalysis. The Catalytic cleaning function uses high, intense heat similar to the Pyrolitic setting. However, the difference is with this type of Zanussi oven, the interior is coated in a catalytic coating that helps the cleaning process through the oxidation of the material stuck on the walls.
It is recommended to use some cleaning products ahead of the cleaning action to facilitate the process.
Best for: Breaking down tough to remove remnants of greasy foods.
Benefits/Drawbacks: Although you may need to spray the interior before using this setting, it is still a very low-maintenance way to clean the oven. The downside is that this catalytic coating is prone to damage. You must pay attention to the cleaning products you use on this coating.
Aqua Clean
Overview: The Aqua Clean setting is represented by a large water drop with two sparkles. Using steam and heat can help loosen any food debris in the oven cavity, making it easier to clean the oven. To clean the oven, pour 200ml of water into the oven’s base, set the temperature to 90°C, and leave the oven on for 30 minutes.
Best for: Those who want to reduce their energy consumption when cleaning the oven.
Benefits/Drawbacks: The biggest benefit to using this function is how much less energy is required to operate the cleaning of the oven. It also takes a lot less time to clean than when using the high-heat methods. However, it doesn’t thoroughly clean stubborn grime and stuck on foods from the cavity. It is meant to be used more often to prevent food from getting baked into the cavity walls.
Oven / Cooker Clock Symbols
Time Of Day
The clock is represented by a clock symbol. To display or modify the time of day on your oven, ensure that the oven is turned off as the time can only be changed in this state.
Duration
The Cooking Duration setting is represented by an arrow pointing right with a bar on either side of it. When setting the cooking time, ensure that a heating function is already set before proceeding.
End Time
The End Time of the cooking process is represented by an arrow pointing to the right toward a solid line. When setting the oven turn-off time, ensure a heating function is already set before proceeding.
