Get Your Oven Turkey-Ready!

Years of use may cause your oven’s temps to register less accurately. We have tips to help you clean your oven and make sure its temperature readings are correct so you can Get Your Oven Turkey-Ready!

How to Test Your Oven’s Temp

1. Put an oven-safe thermometer (Can Cost As Low As $6) on the center rack where most of the food cooks. Then preheat your oven to 350°F or 177°C.
2. Let your oven preheat for 20 minutes then take a temperature reading.
3. If you want to make sure your oven is maintaining your desired temperature, continue to take readings every 20 minutes for the next two hours. Keep in mind, ovens cycle on and off to maintain a stable temperature.
4. To find the average temperature: add all of the readings together and divide the total number by the number of readings you took.
   Your average should be around the original temperature you set.
5. Example: 3,500 (sum of numbers from readings) / 10 (number of readings taken) = 350°F
6. If your oven’s average temperature is incorrect after you test it, adjust the oven dial to match the internal temperature. Learn How To Adjust Your Oven’s Temperature.

Cleaning your oven

1. First, remove the racks and soak them in dishwashing liquid for two hours. Then scrub, rinse, and dry.
2. While you let your oven racks soak, you can easily make a cleaning paste by mixing a couple spoonfuls of baking soda with water in a bowl. (Baking soda loosens debris, making it easier to clean.)
3. Next, spread the paste inside the oven and let it sit overnight. (Note: the baking soda will turn brown.)
4. The next morning, use a wet rag to wipe out a majority of the cleaning paste. Then spray vinegar over the leftover paste residue. (Vinegar reacts with baking soda by fizzing and loosening debris, making it easier to scrub off.)
5. Use a wet rag to wipe it all up. Once you’ve finished wiping everything down, put the racks back inside and turn the oven on a low temperature for 20 minutes so it can dry.
6. Lastly, make the same paste (baking soda and water) and put it on the inside oven window. Let it sit for 30 minutes before using a wet rag to wipe it clean.

We hope this list will help you get your oven turkey-ready! For other ideas, check out our Last-Minute Thanksgiving Checklist to make sure you’re prepared for Turkey Day!