Q: My husband and I purchased a new gas range as part of our kitchen renovation and the oven has been a nightmare. The stainless steel panels generate so much heat from the oven vents that they're practically scalding. Is this a normal occurrence with stainless ovens, or did I just pick the wrong model?
Also, the oven is still off-gassing after several "break in" bake cycles, Do you have any recommendations on how to expedite the process? The manufacturer has been unhelpful on both fronts.
Sent by April
Editor: Readers, does anyone have experience with stainless steel ovens, or have any suggestions for breaking in a new oven?
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run the oven cleaning cycle and make sure that venting to the outside is available.
Most modern non-commercial ovens vent from under the rear control panel. (real commercial grade will have controls on the sides away from the heat usually vented from the top or rear with a dedicated opening) The panel is covered with a tempered glass that helps insulate the electronics from the heat. It shouldn't get too hot to touch. The area around it, will. I sometimes use the oven's vented heat to keep items warm (literally putting it on the back burner) or to melt butter in a glass container (need gloves to handle).
Some mild heat is expected on side panels but it should not be 'too hot to handle' The rear control panel's glass should be touchable at all times, while the surrounding area may not be, but there's usually some plastic fittings in there so they shouldn't be melting either. Oven door glass panels may get very hot.
An adequate (300 cfm at least) outside venting fan can eliminate a lot of these issues. (How to calc cfm? Add up the BTU output of all burners and oven, divide by 100.)
We have a Kenmore oven where the back panel got so hot, you couldn't touch it. The buttons on the rear panel for turning the oven on actually began bubbling up. We had Sears replace it with a new one. The panel no longer gets hot but the vents below it, which are metal, do get very hot. Like Stan, I use the heat to my advantage. Be careful of metal pot handles being left too close.
I don't think the outside of any properly working oven should get that hot. When it comes to appliances that involve fire and gas, my philosophy is to take no chances. I would insist that it be refunded, replaced, or serviced. If the manufacturer is being unhelpful, let them know that you plan on contacting the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports about what you consider a defective appliance and a safety hazard.