Tips for Cleaning a Convection Oven

Nowadays, many convection ovens feature a self-cleaning cycle, but I wanted to show you how, with a little effort, you can easily remove most of the surface grime that builds up in an oven. It's quite easy to remove grease and baked-on stains using two simple household cleaning products: dish soap and scouring powder such as Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend. The appliance industry recommends these scouring products because they scour without scratching enamel or stainless steel.

I certainly make good use of the self-cleaning function several times a year, but since it's a four-hour process, sometimes it's just as easy to use a little elbow grease. Since my oven is 24", the racks fit easily into the dishwasher and can be cleaned in the heavy-duty wash cycle. You can also wash larger oven racks in the dishwasher if you are able to remove the middle and top racks; then, you can flatten the tines and angle the oven racks in, leaning them against the side of the dishwasher.

First, I wipe out the oven cavity with hot, soapy water to remove any grease. Then, I sprinkle Bar Keepers Friend onto a damp cloth and scrunch it up to make a paste, which I rub into the most heavily soiled areas of the oven.  I let that sit for about 10 minutes, then work the stains a little more and rinse with hot water.  If you have baked-on stains on the oven floor, add a small amount of water to the oven floor and heat the oven in the Bake mode to 200 F. The heated water will help release any baked-on debris.  Turn the oven off after about 10 minutes and carefully work the stained area. Always take care not to get the oven gasket wet.

Now, the one area in an oven that shows the most staining from cooking is the inside of the oven door, and even self-cleaning doesn't remove those stains.  I have tried a lot of different ways of cleaning the glass, but the method I find most effective is using a soap-filled SOS pad or similar product. Definitely do not use the scrubbing part of a sponge or any other sharp scrubbing device.  The soap pads do a fantastic job; I have never scratched the glass. Best of all, you do not add harmful chemicals to the oven.

Obviously, cleaning an oven is not high on anyone's list of fun things to do, but as you can see, keeping it clean actually takes minimal effort.