How to Use an Oven Liner to Keep Your Oven Clean
Oven liners also known as oven sheets are a great oven protector. Cleaning the oven is tough but keeping it spotless is practically impossible. One of the biggest culprits is food drips and crumbs that collect in the bottom of your oven and get baked on.
This is where oven liners come in. They are mats that are placed near the bottom of the oven when cooking to catch any falling food.
These liners can be easily removed and cleaned, helping keep your oven clean for longer.
We look at what oven liners are made of, how to use them and what problems you may run into.
Types of Oven Liner
What can I use to line the bottom of my oven?
Oven mats or liners are usually made of food-grade silicone, which is non-stick and heat-tolerant. Many liners also have a Teflon coating and are labelled ‘PTFE-coated’. The best oven liners for fan ovens in our opinion are oven liners Lakeland. These are a brilliant reliable brand to consider, a Lakeland oven liner is non-stick and very effective.
The maximum temperature varies by manufacturer, but they are usually safe up to 260C (500F).
Important: Do not use the liners above their maximum temperatures. This can cause dangerous fumes to be released.
Make sure you buy an oven liner and not a silicone baking mat. These thinner mats are designed to be used at the bottom of cake tins in place of greaseproof paper and are not heavy duty enough to catch drips in hot ovens. There are many different supermarkets that stock oven liners, some of which can even be purchased online. If you are looking for a non-stick oven liner, you can go into a store or simply search online for oven liners Tesco, oven liners B&M or oven liners Wilko to find the nearest shop to you that sells them.
How to Use Oven Liners
It’s best to always use these oven protector sheets before cooking. You should always trim the oven liner with kitchen scissors to fit your oven. Make sure there is a gap of one inch around the edges to ensure good air flow.
Some liners may be placed on the base of the oven unless your model has a heating element at the bottom, which may melt the liner. In that case, place the oven mat on the lower shelf at least one inch from the bottom. Ensure that no air vents are covered.
Most liners are dishwasher-safe, or you can wash them in warm, soapy water. Oven liners are fantastic oven protectors.
Oven Liner Problems
Should you line the bottom of your oven?
Lining the bottom of your oven depends on the type of oven you have, you should check to see if it is a fan, electric or gas oven with floor heating. In this case lining the bottom of the oven can cause heat to be trapped and cause damages, if not then it is safe to line it with protective oven lining to stop spillages.
One of the biggest problems with oven liners is melting and sticking to the bottom of the oven. This happens when the oven’s heating element is underneath the oven floor.
These ovens heat up from below and this high, direct heat is too much for oven mats to stand.
Important: Before you use an oven liner, always check in the manual that your oven doesn’t have a hidden bottom heating element. It is very difficult and potentially expensive to remove a liner that has stuck to your oven base.
Some liner types come on their own shelf and can be used in bottom-heated ovens.
Can you use oven liners in a fan oven?
Some thin oven mats can flap in fan ovens and even float out when you open the door. Some users recommend weighing them down with baking cutters on the corners, but the best advice is simply to buy a heavy-duty liner.
Self-Cleaning Mode
Always remove the oven liner before starting an oven’s self-cleaning programme. The high heat can degrade the mat and its coating may damage your oven.
Using Aluminium Foil
We often hear of people using a sheet of aluminium foil as an oven liner. However, we don’t recommend this on the bottom of ovens. Aluminium foil can easily burn and melt, and its lightweight nature means it flaps about in fan ovens.
But you can line a baking tray with foil and use this on the bottom shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are oven liners a good idea?
Yes in the majority of fan ovens, you should check whether your oven has floor based heating like some electric ovens have. In this case an oven liner can trap the heat and become damaged by the build up of temperatures. But for most ovens it can save on cleaning, especially when used often by multiple people.
What are the best Oven Lining Sheets?
The best oven lining sheets should be:
– Heavy duty to not flap about in an oven
– Large enough that it can be cut to size for your oven
– Washable
– Temperature resistant
– Non stick
Cleaning Your Oven
No matter how careful you are, your oven is bound to get dirty and grimy over time. When this happens, you can try and clean it yourself, or call in the professionals!
Ovenclean specialists can clean any oven and hob with our no-added caustic cleaning system. Get your oven sparkling clean and good-as-new. Call us today, on 0800 840 7127 or complete our online form for your free quote.
