RV oven

[elkriverrats]

Good Morning! I am still on the learning curve for our rv oven and hope someone has some tips...
We have a Wedgewood oven that is mainly used for reheating meals I have made ahead of time in my nice big house oven. I always try to make at least a double batch of whatever I am cooking so when we are able to get away for a few days on the fly, I can pull from the freezer and don't have to worry about anything but dairy and produce.
It seems we have gotten into the (bad?) habit of wanting warm cookies when we play games in the evening. DS takes charge and makes cookies - I love that this is turning into his "thing". He's 15 now and every trip has me seeing down the road to when he is too busy to come with us.....

ANYWAY. The problem is finding the best way to regulate the heat in that tiny box. Cooking at temp scorches the bottoms in record time and the tops are still dough. When my guys can't bring themselves to eat a warm cookie - its gotta be bad. Last night we tried lowering the temp by 25 deg and putting the rack as high as possible. The cookies in the middle row (over the flame) were still more done on the bottom, but at least edible. I have read that I could try a ceramic tile, pizza stone, sheet of aluminum foil, etc. Has anyone tried anything that works?? And where do you put the tile - I originally thought on the lower rack, but maybe directly on the metal above the flame?

Thanks for any help. I have already printed that cinnabon cake recipe and can't wait to try it!! We are home for 2 days then on the road again for our 3rd Thanksgiving Campout. Hopefully I will have time to get a solution in place.

[rvgrammy1953]

Hi, there...

Oh, the Saga of the Camper Oven....I don't really know if anyone of us like it. well, maybe a few..... There are a few threads here on this very subject..( use the Search feature at the top right of the page to find them)......and yes, many suggestions are made on pizza stones, ceramic tiles, etc...personally, our oven is our bread box...never use it....a well made purchase of $50 - $60 on a convection/toaster oven at Walmart is our solution for about 7 1/2 yrs. of our 8 yrs. of full-timing....as long as said oven can handle a 9" cake pan or cookie sheet (many come with a cookie sheet type pan)...you can bake, roast, broil, and even toast anything you want...just in smaller batches....

Hope this suggestion gives you an option to consider for your baking needs...BTW, we do alot of cookies here, too...especially, when our grand-daughter visits...

[Liz]

I use my oven. I went through the burned cookies too...have learned to bake those kinds of things on the top shelf. I expect the pizza stone would help distribute the heat better, but haven't gotten one to try that yet.

[AlmostThere]

Aren't the RV ovens a joke? I used mine once for polish sausages. They cooked ok, but set off the smoke detector (another RV joke as they go off soo easily). I don't like having to mess with gas pilot light either.

I bought a toaster oven and do my cooking in it, but I'm only one person so don't mind small batches, although I have to admit I only use it for toast and small pizzas. Like you, I take meals I've frozen to reheat in the microwave. I also have a toaster oven in my home which I've tried baking cookies in and they didn't turn out well. Perhaps the convection feature, per Lori's suggestion, is better at baking?

Not sure how some of the RV features pass quality control...

[Dawn309]

In the 5th wheel I had an oven and a toaster oven. Used the toaster oven mostly. In the MH I have a convection oven and I love it. Can truly bake. Paul bought a convection oven that sat on his counter when he was living in the TT for all the RV oven issues. I think he got it at Walmart. He still uses it in his MH since he has an RV oven in it.

[Bethers]

Few years back I replaced my microwave with a convection micro. That allowed me to get rid of the toaster oven I simply didn't have space for. I don't use my oven at all any more. Wrong, I use it for storage.

[WickedLady]

Now I know why manufacturers no longer put ovens in the RVs; just burners and a microwave.

[JudyJB]

I had trouble with burning cookies until I raised the rack to the upper level and then making sure the oven was completely heated up before I put the tray of cookies in to bake. That mostly solves the problem, although you can also put cookies only on each end of the cookie sheet and leave the middle empty!

I also found a good quality cookie sheet that is a bit heavier also helps. And you DO have to watch the cookies much more closely than in a regular oven.

My old work friends saw my oven and called it my "Easy-Bake" oven, which it just what it looks like inside.

[elkriverrats]

Thank you all, and I will try a search as suggested.
We will eventually purchase a micro/convection combo (we have micro only now) but we are without hookups more often than not so my oven gets alot of use. Had a convection oven in our house previously and boy do I miss it.
My cookie sheet is pretty flimsy - had a hard time finding something that fit - Easy Bake is right!! I was thinking that I may put my cast iron griddle under the rack or even try the cookies directly on it. Will post a report with results. I will stick with the top shelf and probably need to wait a little longer on the oven heating to temp too.
And don't get me started on that smoke detector!!! I don't know if ours is typical, its pretty much right over the stove and I set it off reheating my coffee this morning, ridiculous! But I try not to grumble about it, will be glad of its sensitivity if we ever needed it to do its job for real...
Thanks again and have a great night.

[Liz]

I loved my Half-Time oven that I had in my Roadtrek. It baked beautifully in half the time of a regular oven. If my microwave ever dies in this RV, that's what I'll get to replace it.

[JudyJB]

I learned the hard way to always open the vent above the stove and oven when I use it, even to just boil water. I have asthma and it really set it off (but not the smoke alarm) when I very slightly over-cooked something. Fumes were not that bad to set off smoke alarm, but in a small space they were enough to make me start coughing because I am so sensitive.

[longdog2]

I have been pretty lucky with my oven cooking evenly but a lot of people get 4 six inch tiles to put on the pan above the burner in the oven. You can get them at a place like Home Depot or Lowe's but it is very important that they are unglazed. A pizza stone will work as well. They help to even out the oven temps and hot spots.

[dpf]

Try Air Bake cookie sheets.

[WickedLady]

Don't know what size you need but http://www.collectionsetc.com has a 3 piece set of non-stick baking sheets for $14.99 Small one is 13 1/4" L X 8 1/2" W. Medium is 14 1/2" L X 10 1/2" W. Large is 17" L X 11 1/2" W. They are carbon steel and dishwasher safe.