Oven issues in 17Z

gaylec · 10-30-2012, 08:21 AM

This past weekend was the first time I tried using the oven to do up some cinnamon rolls. It seems to be very hot along the bottom, and the heat doesn't seem to circulate properly to brown the tops.

Has anybody else has similar problems, and if so, what sorts of solutions have you found for dealing with it?

I wanted the oven to be able to do things like warming crusty bread, baking rolls, cookies, maybe frozen pot pies. I'll never do any "formal" baking in it, so just need it to to do a pretty minimal group of tasks.

Any help would be much appreciated!

OnTheGo · 10-30-2012, 09:05 AM

Hi gaylec, ... don't know what oven you have. It sounds like your getting heat but it's not circulating, or it's being lost to poor insulation. If the oven has a fan, check for its being operational. If it doesn't, I would call the manufacturer (not Jayco) and ask them about it.

Terry · 10-30-2012, 09:20 AM

If you are not used to a gas over, it does take some getting used to - especially that small RV oven. We use stone baking ware which tents to distribute the heat a little better. Turning on broil toward the end will also help brown the tops.

tlhdoc · 10-30-2012, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheGo

If the oven has a fan, check for its being operational. If it doesn't, I would call the manufacturer (not Jayco) and ask them about it.

Jayco did not manufacturer the oven. They buy the appliances. The oven in my 17z is the only gas oven I have used. I have a separate thermometer to help keep the temperature inline. I also preheat the oven for 15 to 20 minutes before using it. The propane gives off water when it burns, so there is more moisture in the oven and that changes the cooking.

gaylec · 10-30-2012, 04:12 PM

I use gas at home exclusively. Poor circulation is no doubt one of the problems, and I didn't preheat before I threw the rolls in.

So maybe I need a combo approach, a fan to circulate. perhaps something to lift the baking sheet off the floor of the oven, as well as taking the time to preheat. Good suggestions everyone! I really want to do better next time, which is this weekend upcoming!

wmoses · 10-30-2012, 05:39 PM

We have a 17Z and probably have the same oven as you. My wife has made casseroles and also English Muffins with cheese on top. No issues in either case. She preheated the oven on all occasions.

The oven in the RV as well as the one in our house have no fan so the technology is the same - preheat the oven and allow the heat to rise. Preheating does not take long with this oven. As for browning the tops of dishes, my wife would use the bottom drawer on the house oven and in the RV oven she'd try and fit the dish (which would have to be fairly low and flat) on the bottom of the oven under the burner. We have not done this yet, mind you and probably never will.

tlhdoc · 10-30-2012, 05:49 PM

Two more things. I use pans with a heavy bottom. They help keep the heat even. I also use smaller pans so that the air can circulate. If the pan fills most of the oven and does not leave room around the edges for the air to circulate the bottom of the baked item will over cook.

jdorant · 10-30-2012, 07:31 PM

we have the same problem in our x23j. I use gas at home, so we know its not the "getting used to gas" issue. Everything burns on the bottom. It's the poor distribution of the heat. Someone told me to layer the bottom of the oven, under the rack, with unglazed floor tiles and it would stop burning. I haven't tried it yet but I think that definitely could help. I was also thinking a baking stone, if I can find one that fits pretty snug.

gaylec · 10-31-2012, 08:12 AM

A baking stone, that's a great idea!!!!

mcfarmall · 10-31-2012, 10:07 AM

I put 2 6 x 6 unglazed floor tiles centered on the shelf that the burner is mounted to. Make sure the holes around the front and sides are not blocked. This helped a bit, but I made a perforated metal "riser" that sets on the rack and brings your pan up about 1". This helped a bit more. When I bake, I preheat for 10 minutes, put the pan in and rotate it 1/4 turn every 10 minutes and stuff comes out perfect every time.

BlueHaul · 10-31-2012, 10:42 AM

Your metal riser idea sounds like a good one! I might have to try that. While this may not be 100% relevant, it's good to remember that you're burning propane, which burns quite a bit hotter than natural gas. If your home runs on propane as well there's no learning curve at all, but if your home is connected to natural gas (as ours is), remember that your fire is a hot one! This is most noticeable on the stove burners where I find it easy to screw up things like omelets! :napoleon:

mcfarmall · 10-31-2012, 01:26 PM

One other thing to keep in mind is that the burner in an RV oven is only about 1 1/2" below the bottom rack. On a residential oven it is nearly 6" below the bottom rack. That's why the perforated metal riser helps with the burning issue by putting more distance between the pan and the burner. Yes there are more btu's in a given amount of propane versus NG, but the oven thermostat should still regulate the heat so that while the flame may be "hotter" it still will only burn when necessary to maintain a given temperature.

gaylec · 10-31-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

One other thing to keep in mind is that the burner in an RV oven is only about 1 1/2" below the bottom rack. On a residential oven it is nearly 6" below the bottom rack. That's why the perforated metal riser helps with the burning issue by putting more distance between the pan and the burner. Yes there are more btu's in a given amount of propane versus NG, but the oven thermostat should still regulate the heat so that while the flame may be "hotter" it still will only burn when necessary to maintain a given temperature.

That is a great suggestion!

tlhdoc · 10-31-2012, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

I made a perforated metal "riser" that sets on the rack and brings your pan up about 1".

Does your oven have a few locations for the rack? Mine has 2 or 3 locations to put the rack.

gaylec · 10-31-2012, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlhdoc

Does your oven have a few locations for the rack? Mine has 2 or 3 locations to put the rack.

Mine has two, so maybe raising it will help also.

mcfarmall · 11-01-2012, 04:01 AM

Yup it does but when I move the rack up one level, you can't fit anything thicker than a pizza pan on it without hitting the top of the oven. I actually tried this before resorting to the metal riser idea and my round cake pan for cinnamon rolls wouldn't fit.

wmoses · 11-03-2012, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmoses

We have a 17Z and probably have the same oven as you. My wife has made casseroles and also English Muffins with cheese on top. No issues in either case. She preheated the oven on all occasions.

The oven in the RV as well as the one in our house have no fan so the technology is the same - preheat the oven and allow the heat to rise. Preheating does not take long with this oven. As for browning the tops of dishes, my wife would use the bottom drawer on the house oven and in the RV oven she'd try and fit the dish (which would have to be fairly low and flat) on the bottom of the oven under the burner. We have not done this yet, mind you and probably never will.

Since posting the above we put our oven to the test -

The English muffins with melted cheese came out great and were used in McMuffin-style egg sandwiches with bacon and cheese. Now enjoying my coffee following two of those.

gaylec · 11-06-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmoses

Since posting the above we put our oven to the test -

The English muffins with melted cheese came out great and were used in McMuffin-style egg sandwiches with bacon and cheese. Now enjoying my coffee following two of those.

Looks like there is plenty of room under there. I'll have to try this.

This past weekend I followed all your suggestions and took the time to preheat the oven. It didn't solve all the issues, but it certainly helped. I still think I'd like to get some sort of fan for inside the oven to spread the heat better.

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