March 18, 2007 - 6:23am
Saltillo tiles affecting oven?
Has anyone experienced problems with their oven using saltillo tiles inside? I have a KitchenAid 36" Dual Fuel Range and after many experiments, I realized that my new tiles won't allow the oven to heat up to maximum temp when placed across my rack with a 1" gap around. I have to place the two tiles at each end of the range with a gap in the middle for the oven to heat up.
It would be fine except that I won't be able to make baguettes or use a closed lid on the tiles (unless I can find one that's 30" wide).
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Squid, that's really intersting. I wonder if the thermostat is underneath the tiles. Maybe if the element is heating from below and the temperature measurement is also below the tiles, it thinks it's done when in fact the top of the oven is still cool. If so, maybe a convection mode, if it has one, would circulate the air and even out the temperature above and below. Another idea might be to put a pan of water underneath the tiles. The energy going into heating up and boiling the water might keep the temperature cooler below the tiles and allow the upper part to heat up more. It might help to change the rack height if you have any flexibility. Lower or higher might help, depending on where the temperature is being measured. Sorry if this is way of the mark, but it might at least spark some ideas.
Bill
Thanks for giving me a starting point, Bill.
Let's see. To answer your questions:
I always bake my break on convection. It was giving me the same problem whether or not it was on "regular" mode or convection.
I had a pan on the bottom rack with water in it. I have one of those ranges that has the heating coil underneath the bottom. I don't see the element. I don't know if that was worth noting.
I've been putting my tiles in the middle. I could try putting them higher, towards the upper heating elements. Or should I put the water above and place the tiles on the bottom rack? I guess I should experiment?
I'm inclined to think there's a problem with my oven if no one's experienced this. The fact that it worked fine the first time further makes me wonder. I mean, damn.... this was an expensive range. I posted on the KitchenAid forum so hopefully someone can give me some answers.
Squid,
It does unfortunately sound broken, especially if it worked fine, and now it does not. I was just tossing out some ideas, but it sounds like you've already been way down those roads. Good luck figuring it out or getting it fixed.
Bill
Thanks, Bill. I'll let you know what I find out. I was hoping I wouldn't have to bring the tiles into it since it gives a manufacturer an easy way out.
Well, Bill...... you might have been right.
I went to the KA forum to get some help and they wouldn't post up my question. They gave me the # to customer service. In one last effort to see if I could sort out the problem, I put the tiles on the lowest rack. Although it took 45 minutes to heat up, it finally worked. It still doesn't explain why it WAS working on the middle rack. I'll probably end up calling KA to make sure something isn't wrong.
I'll have to test it out on the lower rack this week when I make bread. I know the lower spot seems to be cooler from when I was testing out the oven temp. We'll see what happens.
Squid,
That is strange. It still sounds wrong that it used to work and now doesn't, even if it somehow works on the bottom rack. Good luck with it. I'll be very curious to know what the cause was if you figure it out.
Bill
Bill, I called KitchenAid and the're having someone come out on Monday. They wonder if one of the heating coils below went.
Crossing my fingers.