Cleaning your oven. A warning/reminder

[WIN 52]

For me, stove top cooking of bacon with sausage seems to work well with the dial set at around 3, a low setting. Much less splatter.

My son has gotten me using parchment paper to slow cook steaks, pork chops, roasts and etc by first wrapping them with the paper then aluminum foil and slow cooking them at 300° F for 3 hours. I also add fat and herbs/spices to the packets and make 3 or 4 meals at a time. Ribs done this way are really good. Not sure about using the foil this way? , but if done properly the juices stay in the paper, not leaking out. Yes, I also have a catch pan, in case of a leak.

 

[loreta]

me too have a similar incident happened to me, I was cooking and I left the pan with oil too long on the fire and it started to smoke, I did not had a fire extinguisher then it burst in to flames that I called the fire department which they came by really fast while I was trying to put it off and it was not pretty, all the top part got burnt, but thanks goodness it was not a mayor thing, and the moral of this story is I should have an extinguisher handy....

I have an almost tragic situation when I was very young: we prepared some French fries and then I went to see tv, a program named Minifee. So imagine. When I went to the kitchen there was fire in it! Hopefully the first thing I did is banging on the door of my neighbor that came to see the problem, and then I was filling one bucket with water to throw on the fire (it was an electric stove). She was an angel because she stopped me in time. I was just 11 years old. I don't want to think what would have happen if my neighbor was not there to save my life. Very important to learn how to deal with fire in a kitchen. And teach this to young people!

 

[mabar]

Horseofadifferentcolor, that was a timely reminder for everyone.
Handy hints:
When cooking, always have a lid handy of the right size for the pot you are cooking in.
Fire extinguishers only last for 45 seconds, if you have a big fat fire, you may need something else. Baking Soda and Salt are good options, and cheap.
A Fire Blanket may save your home and your life, and they're cheap.

DO NOT TRY TO PUT OUT A FAT FIRE WITH WATER !!! it will explode everywhere.
Covering is a good option, use lid or fire blanket.

If you are trying to put out a fat or oil fire with DRY POWDER or even a FOAM extinguisher, run the powder or foam down the edge of the pan, do not aim it straight at the fat as it will blow everywhere and get worse.

Remember you only have 45 seconds to get it out with an extinguisher!

Make sure you turn off the power or gas, or douse the coals to remove the heat source.

One other thing: flues and chimneys and rangehoods collect oil and fat in them, so clean them occasionally.

Take care out there!

Thanks MusicMan, those tips are good to know, I had not had any similar accidents, but having an extinguisher inside home is something I do not have and have to do it soon, we have an extinguisher by floor at the apartments, though. fire blanket? need to know where to buy it first.

ADDED: Oh, I forgot to mention that I use cheap vodka in a spray bottle to clean the inside of the oven. Works OK. I'll try the baking soda and vinegar when it's real greasy.

Ahhh, had not tried vodka!!, a cheap one of curse, thanks! Do not use much the inside of the oven.

On the top I ususally use baking soda and vinegar and lemon juice -I do use half of the lemon, usually those that are old, it works but not that "fast", the ring elements of the burners are the ones that get greasier, using scrubbing brush "many" minutes to do it, I had found that if I leave those with baking soda and vinegar for a while -30 minutes or more, it does come out easier the grease and I do not have to scrub much. But, my daily rush prevent to do it that way, is a reminder/struggle to be calm and have patience. For some reason those get more greasy than anything.

Glad your experiences, Horseofadiffer​entcolor and other had become just anecdotal.

 

[Hesper]

Glad it worked out without any major problem, horseofadifferentcolor. And thanks for the reminder.

Yeah, that must have been quite a panic button moment. Thanks so much for the reminder.

 

[Henchman 21]

How many smart people does it take to burn down a house? Please do not forget what you learned in home-ec. I have spent most of my working career in kitchens and I have no answer to that question. I've seen it all, and can say that it will happen to anyone. Be vigilant and mindfull in all your activities. Stay constantly on guard. The last thing anyone wants to see is good folk going to waste over a mental error.

 

[SeekinTruth]

@mabar,

I've been using cheap vodka (80 proof) in spray bottles for decades as a general cleaner and for disinfection. It great for counter tops, kitchen table, etc. It's not THAT great for baked on oven grease, but does the job with a little "elbow grease", as they say. Still better than using some of the nasty chemical cleaners all the time....

 

[Laura]

We have a self-cleaning oven but you still have to apply a little elbow grease at the end of the process. Back when I cleaned my oven by hand, I used a lye cleaner or a lye solution that I mixed up myself.

We stopped cooking bacon and really spattery stuff in the oven and we have a pot for deepfrying it and sausages and other things. We also have an electric deep frying that we use quite a bit. Keeps the oven clean. And we keep the extractor fan running while frying to pull the greasy fumes out. Of course, then, you have to clean the extractor filter... but no way to get out of some work. It's just easier to not have to clean the oven so often.

 

[MusicMan]

Of course, you could try steaming the sausages.
I find that it makes the skins come off, and they taste better too.
And no spatter.
I put the snags on a metal cake stand above the veggies and steam the lot at the same time.

 

[Magpie]

Wonderful, practical advice being shared, as well as, some harrowing reminders about what grease build up can do. Thank you for the thread.
In regards to cleaning and what to use, I can tell you what won't work, as I have witnessed the futile attempts made in my own kitchen: do not use the commercial oven cleaners if you live in a small space, or if you have poor ventilation, if you're going to be home. That's one of those things, where if it's bad enough to use the chemicals, plan on packing up the car, take the dog, the cat, the kids, and go to a friend's for a few hours. Then after everyone is out of the house, open windows, spray, and leave. I have gotten really terrible headaches and nausea from the industrial cleaners. Do not hang around for that.
If you'd like to go a more brain cell friendly route, make a paste of baking soda, borax, and water. I used a rubber spatula to spread it over the charcoal cave that my oven had been turned into. The key with the baking soda/borax paste is to let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Then use a bit of medium grade steel wool to scrub the gunk off. After you've removed the gunk, you can mist it over with a spray bottle with a white vinegar and water solution and wipe it the rest of the way down with a rag. Do not use rags you are partial to, as they will never be the same again. :)
The racks can be cleaned with the steel wool as well. It can be found at any hardware store for super cheap. Make sure you get a good sturdy pair of gloves, as steel wool will cut up your hands.
These are just a few things I've learned the hard way :(
Wishing everyone happy cooking, happy cleaning & safe kitchens!

 

[mabar]

@mabar,

I've been using cheap vodka (80 proof) in spray bottles for decades as a general cleaner and for disinfection. It great for counter tops, kitchen table, etc. It's not THAT great for baked on oven grease, but does the job with a little "elbow grease", as they say. Still better than using some of the nasty chemical cleaners all the time....

Ah!, thanks, went to find out what's supposed to mean vodka (80 proof) because I am beyond ignorant regarding alcohol beverages. And, I was thinking that a cheap vodka was going to almost impossible to find here, since that liquor is imported, thought about tequila, it is also a distilled liquor, or perhaps mezcal, since it is less expensive than tequila.

 

[Horseofadifferentcolor]

How many smart people does it take to burn down a house? Please do not forget what you learned in home-ec. I have spent most of my working career in kitchens and I have no answer to that question. I've seen it all, and can say that it will happen to anyone. Be vigilant and mindfull in all your activities. Stay constantly on guard. The last thing anyone wants to see is good folk going to waste over a mental error.

Aint that the truth! We looked and sounded like a bunch of dancing monkeys trying to put that fire out. Hooting and hollering, pretty much in pure panic. The flame from the bottom caught the grill in the oven so I grabbed an oven mitt and ran outside barefooted with the ever growing flame on the grill to put it on the BBQ pit. When I ran back inside after giving the advise to pat out the flame in the bottom of the oven to my husband, I saw that that advise was completely wrong and had just fanned the flames farther out! It all happened soooo fast. All I can do is laugh at it now, but it is a serious matter and we were very lucky it did not turn out worse.

Thankyou everyone for the tips and advise.

 

[lilyalic]

Thanks for the tips guys! I'll be attempting the oven cleaning on the weekend, I'll try both the vinegar & baking soda, and the alcohol... whichever works best I suppose!

I'd completely forgotten about deep fat fryers, definitely worth buying one if it saves spreading grease everywhere!

 

[MusicMan]

I would be careful using alcohol in an oven, make sure you have plenty of ventilation going, to get it out before you re-light the oven.
We don't want any nasty explosions.

And while we are talking about cooking with fat, let's not forget your drainage systems, which can get clogged with it.
Laura's suggestion of lye (caustic soda - NaOH) is useful to keep the pipes clean, and also if you have grease traps you need to clean them out regularly.
Oh yeah, use gloves and goggles when playing with that stuff, it can burn you.