Instructions: Oven cooking may use up a lot of gas and electrical energy, compared to other methods. But maintaining your oven in tip-top condition can help make it more efficient.

Here is some oven care and safety information from the National Society of Professional Engineers and Michigan State University Extension:

Inspect your oven: Check the glass in the oven door. If its cracked, it may break when heated, causing bits of glass to settle in the food being baked.

Check oven-door gaskets. Broken or worn gaskets allow heat to escape and can cause surrounding areas on the door to become very hot.

Blocked air vents can make the oven operate inefficiently.

Self-cleaning ovens: When its time for a cleaning, plan ahead. Use the self-cleaning cycle right after using the oven to take advantage of residual heat. Run the cleaning cycle on the weekend or after the weekday peak energy use period ends at 7 p.m.

Pre-clean the areas not reached in the self-cleaning cycle: the frame around the opening and the edge of the door outside the gasket. Reclean these areas after the cleaning cycle is over.

Use hot water and detergent or a paste of baking soda and hot water on difficult spots; rinse well with a solution of 1 cup water and 1/2 cup of vinegar to remove all residue. This prevents it from being baked on during the high heat of the cleaning cycle.

Never clean the gasket with anything because it could be damaged and the oven would not have as good a seal.

If you choose to save energy by not using the self-cleaning cycle in your oven, do not use chemical oven cleaners. Some residue may remain, and the high heat could change it into compounds that etch the enamel. (Instead of commercial oven cleaners, clean and rinse with detergent or baking soda as described above.)

For best baking results: Place an oven thermometer in the oven to check whether the ovens thermostat is correct. Check your manual to see how the oven can be calibrated to change the temperature if its too high or low.

Dont leave the oven door open while the oven is turned on.

Place food on a rack in the middle of the oven to guarantee even baking.

Since heat rises, the air at the top of the oven tends to be hotter, which could give different results if the food is placed too high in the oven. If you use the lower rack setting, foods tend to burn on the bottom.

Oven manufacturers do not recommend placing a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven. This can cause the oven element to burn out faster.

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