People are only just discovering the secret symbol on their ovens – and it’s the key the perfect pizza every time
EVER wondered what all the symbols are on your oven? Well it turns out your not the only one.
Foodies have been left stunned after discovering what some of the symbols really mean – and there’s even a secret one that’s the key for cooking the perfect pizza.
Many people might claim to know the ins and outs of their oven, but there’s one that’s sure to leave people scratching their heads.
Luckily, the experts at the Turkish appliance company, Beko, have revealed the true meaning behind the confusing codes – and they’re on both gas and electric ovens.
For fan ovens, the main fan can be spotted and used with the symbol of a fan with a circle around it, the pro told MailOnline.
This mode is to go-to option for most home cooks and means the food will be cooked evenly no matter where in the oven it’s placed.
A slightly more mysterious setting is the one of a fan with one horizontal line across it.
Beast used with a lower heat, this setting is perfect for food where a crunchy outer layer is the goal, like pies.
“This is because the heat will be coming from the bottom of the oven – meaning the bottom of your food will be getting nicely cooked – but then some of that heat will be circulated around the rest of the oven to keep the top of a dish nice and moist,” the pro said.
And if you want both upper and lower heating you should look for the sign with two straight horizontal lines with one thicker bar at the top.
But if you want more heat from the bottom, look for the same signal with the thicker bar on the bottom of the symbol.
According to the experts, most people don’t actually know what the lower heat symbol is used for, so they avoid it when cooking.
But the setting is actually the key for food like pizza, were a crispy base is the goal.
Because the setting pushed out heat from the bottom of the oven, it means the food can cook and get the desired crip base without burning the top.
So, you never have to compromise on your pizza and can have the best of both worlds with gooey cheese and a crisp base – who knew?
The symbols aren’t the only ones you may not know about though, there’s also options to defrost, preheat and even grill on most ovens.
Look for the symbol with a fan and a grill for food that needs a bit of browning on top and not cooked all the way through.
For the full grill, the symbol looks like one thick bar at the top – it’s perfect for melting cheese, broiling and more.
Meanwhile, the grill symbol with a bar at the bottom means the lower heat of the oven is being used at the same time as the grill.
This is a great setting to use thick cuts of meat to ensure they’re fully cooked and not charred.
Fridge or cupboard? The essential food storage guide
Foods must be stored correctly to keep them fresh and prevent the spread of bacteria.
Nutrition expert Birgit Brendel said bread will last longer when stored in the fridge or freezer.
However, this can compromise the flavour.
Storing in ceramic or pottery containers is an alternative that allows for air to flow easily and slow the growth of mould.
Robert Morris, managing director of food safety consultants, Complete Food Safety, revealed the best place to store fresh fruit and vegetables.
He said salad foods should be stored in the fridge drawer, but away from anything grown in the soil such as carrots, parsnips and beetroot.
Tomatoes are an exception to the rule as fridges can alter the natural ripening process and diminish their taste.
He also advised against putting avocados and bananas in the fridge as this will cause them to blacken quicker.