Cooking: The oven in my new dorm room is not digital - how is the temperature set?

I just got this dorm room - I'm a 2nd semester freshman at ucla. This oven is gas but it is not digital and I don't have a microwave yet. I see how to lite the burners but how do I use this oven? It's like really old and it makes no sense. there is no way to punch in the temperature. There is a thermometer hanging on the rack inside. Please help. What is the thermometer hanging inside for? There is a tiny little fire way in the back next to a burner looking thing - what is that for? The oven is a little bit warm inside all the time - even though the oven is not on - is that normal or is this thing broken? The only other person here who is awake is a guard and he can't leave his desk by the front door to help. I can take a pic but I can't seem to get it from my cell to my email - I send it but it's not getting to my email - I'm trying but it's not working - I'm stuck. It's working! The painted numbers are worn off but you can still make out the numbers it you look closely. <painted numbers on the knob were worn off and hard to see - almost invisible> The oven is working now - hot pizza! This is really not a bad oven once you get used to the controls. It does need a new knob for the oven. Thanks.

Answers

champer

The little flame is the pilot light, turn the oven on and it will ignite the burners. It's usual for the oven to be a little warm because of this pilot light. The knob for the oven usually starts from the "off" position and turning it will light the burners and control how hot it gets depending on how far you turn it. Looks like someone has kindly added a thermometer so you can see what the oven temperature is. Try turning it on maybe to half way, you'll hear a soft "whoomp" as the burners light and then leave it for a while before you check the thermometer. If it's at the temperature you require then so be it. If it's not getting hot enough turn the knob up some more. Experiment and see what happens, then you'll know how to set it. You could of course ask your neighbors if they have the same thing, perhaps their knob isn't as worn and you can see what the settings are.

You should have a burner knob in the middle on the front that has numbers on it. Turn the knob to your desired temp (eg 350º) and the oven will heat to that temp (however it will not beep when it gets there). If you add a pic we can figure this out for sure. Updates: the thermometer inside will just be to tell the temp because it does not beep when preheated. The little fire is called a pilot light; it's what ignites the burner in the oven. The oven is warm because of the pilot light; this is normal.

Anonymous

There SHOULD be temperature markings on a knob at the oven valve itself or on a separate knob. Some really old ones have only numbers (1 to 10, 10 is hottest) on the knob. A picture of the controls would help us more. You can also ask the dorm manager. They will know.

kennzz05

It's warm inside because it has a pilot light that ignites it. Unless the burners ignite with a tick tick tick sound

Zzz

Should be a numbered dial somewhere

John P

Possibly there is a dial on it for temperature. A dial is a round knob with graduations. Check whether the degrees shown are Fahrenheit or Celsius (Centigrade). Fahrenheit is generally used in the USA, Celsius in almost all of the rest of the world, so graduations on any microwave etc might depend on where it was made.

roberto

mgod your major is what?

Poppy

There is a temperature dial( analogue), try it.

GTB

Are you really a college student? Look up the particular oven on line, get the manual, read the manual; also the word is "light" not "lite"

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