Many times the oven bothers us the final result of a dish in which we had invested money and time but, above all, effort and enthusiasm.
That is why it is very important to know how an electric oven works .

Before using the electric oven (or the gas oven ) it is advisable to read the instruction manual for use but it is not always possible nor is it always enough.
So I have decided to share my observations of how a conventional electric oven works.
Functions of an electric oven.

As we know, a conventional oven has 2 main modes of baking: heat "only from below" and heat "from below and above".
Apart from the obvious difference between these two options there is one that is not obvious but very important.
With the same temperature, the intensity of the heat that comes from below in "just below" mode is higher than that which comes from below in "bottom and top" mode.
For example, if we light the oven at 200C in "just below" mode and put a sponge cake on the first shelf counting from below, it is likely that before it is made inside it burns us below. But if we turn the oven to 200C in "bottom and top" mode and equal, we put a cake on the first shelf counting from below, it is likely that we do well inside without burning underneath and browned slightly above

Even if the oven is in "just down" mode it does not mean that our plate (or whatever we do) is not going to bake us up. Yes it will bake. And it will also color but it will take more time. This mode is used for dishes or baked goods that need a heat stroke for their interior, which take time to be made inside.
Most think that if we light the oven in "bottom and top" mode and we put our plate in the middle, we have to bake equally, both above and below. But it is not like that, the most probable thing is that above we are done before that below.

In some cases, to obtain the optimal result of baking, it is necessary to combine the two modes of baking (or those that have the oven ... but especially those that you control).

Many ovens have the "convection" mode. Its function is to distribute the heat evenly and thus accelerate the baking process.
Its great disadvantage is that when moving the heat through the oven, it dries the surface of the dish. In the case of a roast perhaps not as harmful as in the case of a cake or a loaf of bread whose crust may look like the sole of a shoe.

For what is good the mode of "convection" is to achieve a nice and uniform gold plate. The most sensible thing is to turn it on for the last 5-20 minutes of baking (depending on the dish). As long as it's needed.

In either a baking or other mode, it is very important to place our plate at the proper height.
The purpose of the different possible heights that the oven offers us is to help us control the intensity of the heat that reaches our plate both from above and from below.

As in the same baking we can combine different modes, we can also change the height. For example: start baking our plate on the first shelf (counting from below) and finish the baking on the second or even the last (as in the case of a gratin for example).

Taking into account these options, my oven definition would be the following:
The oven is a device whose purpose is to offer us the optimum result of the baking of the food and for it it is foreseen in several ways of the operation and of several heights in its interior that can be used in different combinations, according to the needs.

As we can see, to learn how to master an oven you have to play with the options you have and, above all, pay attention during the whole baking process.
As much as the recipe says that you have to bake the cake for 30 minutes at 200C, it is not right to put it in the oven and go watch TV or chat on Facebook. It is possible that the heat that comes from below or from above or by one of the sides !, is too strong and you have to raise the cake to an upper shelf or lower it, turn it to 90º. Or, maybe, do not move it and change the baking mode ... raise or lower the temperature.

There are many options so I invite you to practice and know in depth this "friend" with whom you share your space. And if you give it the necessary attention, surely you will get good results from the beginning.

Remember, knowing how to use the oven gives a lot of freedom in the kitchen.
And a spongy cake inside and golden on the outside gives much more pleasure and happiness than one that is burned on the outside and half done inside.