The Temperatures Rubbed Off My Oven Knob! Any Baking Advice?

Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong
Anjali Prasertong is a writer and public health dietitian focused on food systems, racial equity, and nutrition. Originally from Los Angeles, she has taught English in rural Japan, worked as a private chef in Malibu, and led an innovative city-funded corner store program in New Orleans that increased fresh food access in low-income neighborhoods. She was previously a contributing editor for The Kitchn, and currently lives in Denver with her husband and two kids.
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published Dec 17, 2013
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Q: I’m supposed to bake cookies for work tomorrow night and just noticed that the temperatures have rubbed off the oven knob at my new rental! There is an oven thermometer in the oven, which could potentially be used in a guess and check method for the cookies, but it won’t work for recipes where the temperature changes mid-bake.

Any ideas for a quick fix for the problem? Are temperature knobs standard (for example, is a 90 degree clockwise turn always a specific temp)?

Sent by Jessica

Editor: Jessica, if at all possible, I would skip the cookie recipes that require temperature changes during baking, just to make things easier on yourself. I would also recommend buying a new oven thermometer, since you don’t know how long the current thermometer has been in the oven and how accurate it is. It shouldn’t be too difficult to tweak the temperature while preheating the oven, until the thermometer reflects the baking temperature you need.

I’m not sure if the measurements on oven knobs are standardized — but maybe our readers do. Readers, do you have any advice for baking with an oven that is missing temperature markings?

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