Bottom oven on a range cooker

Gryfon

What do you use it for? I've got an oil fired Stanley which is like an Aga/Rayburn and heats the house, water and we can use it for cooking.

However I never use the bottom over. Firstly because I'm never sure what to put in there, secondly because it went through a phase of leaving black soot over everything and thirdly because I'd forget I'd put something in there

So what do you use it for? I'd like to give it a clear out and try again with it! Got to be for more than just drying things out and keeping things warm, isn't it?

OddjobKIA

MY mother has exactly the same as what you describe....

1..warm plates
2..roast pots
3...pizza

Penelope_Penguin

Gryfon wrote: »

What do you use it for? I've got an oil fired Stanley which is like an Aga/Rayburn and heats the house, water and we can use it for cooking.

However I never use the bottom over. Firstly because I'm never sure what to put in there, secondly because it went through a phase of leaving black soot over everything and thirdly because I'd forget I'd put something in there

So what do you use it for? I'd like to give it a clear out and try again with it! Got to be for more than just drying things out and keeping things warm, isn't it?

I use mine on my Rayburn instead of a slow cooker I put casseroles, pasta sauces in there and they cook all day

It's also good for drying out crystallised peels.

DS cooks his conkers there :rotfl:

Penny. x

Gryfon

Thanks shall give that a go! I'd usually cook stuff in the top oven as I always think that the bottom one will be too cool. However saying that I only ever have the heating on low anyway so the top oven never gets too hot.

Skintmama

You can use it to dehydrate fruit and vegetables for storing, apples, mushrooms, cherry toms etc. Also, works well for quick dry pot-pourri!

Foodwise, I can slow cook in mine but because I am not confident it is hot enough I take the casserole out a couple of times and give it a 10 minute blast in the top oven before putting it back into the lower one.

Vegetables can be boiled up on the top of the stove then strained through the lid and put into the lower oven to finish cooking in their own steam.

Large cakes can be finished off in the lower oven to stop them overbrowning......transfer them in to the lower oven on their baking sheet to keep the heat.

You can apparently cook a Christmas cake overnight in the lower oven....when I tried this though I felt mine didn't have a properly baked taste.

Meringues and pavlovas will do well.

I keep a stockpot of water in the lower oven which get s hot enough for me to use to wash dishes rather than heat the tank or boil the kettle.

Rest your roasts and grilled meats in there whilst finishing off other dishes.

Pasta- Bring to the boil on the top of the stove (in plenty of water) then put the lid on and place in the lower oven for 20 minutes or so. It is much harder to overcook it using this method.

Warm sugar for jam/marmalade making, flour for breadmaking, melting chocolate and flapjack butter/sugar/syrup.

I am sure there is more;)

PasturesNew

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

DS cooks his conkers there :rotfl:

When I read this, I wonder if the OP can use it to roast chestnuts at Xmas? Roast chestnuts are soooo scrummy!

Spirit_2

I keep things warm in there, but use it a lot for cooking. Beef brisket slow roasted is lovely, long slow casseroles, onions are softened in there . Today I cooked tonights dinner in the main oven, and a chicken cassreole for in the week in the bottom at the same time.

Sliced oranges dry out well for use in christmas decorations

I too forget things from time to time, but it adds to the fun!

Debt_Free_Chick

I also use mine (AGA) as a slow cooker. But even for things that don't necessarily need a slow cook method e.g. roast chicken. I start the chicken off in the hot oven to crisp up the skin and get it going and then transfer it to the warm oven where it can sit for hours without drying out.

And if I have a large number of different dishes all requiring the oven at the same time, I do some in advance and then transfer them to the warm oven.

I'd be lost without the warm oven! Can't see how you manage without it

Gryfon

Fabulous thanks! I think I worry that it'll be too cool in there for some reason. Shall have to give slow cooking in there a go over the winter and not use my electric slow cooker...and if we're all still alive by the spring then I know it's hot enough to cook stuff :rotfl:

Shall give it a brush tomorrow and then put some paper on a tray in there just to check that it's not still spreading soot everywhere! I vaguely remember the last time I dried some herbs forgetting and I ended up with sooty rosemary