People have been left baffled after discovering what the two-lined symbols on their oven mean.
Although manywould like to think they know the functions of their oven inside and out - comparably few appear to realise the true meaning behind one universally recognised symbol.
There are a few different types of oven present in UK kitchens, with the most common being electrical. A far fewer of the population - around 30 per cent - use a gas oven.
Experts at the Turkish appliance company, Beko, have handily de-coded the meaning behind the elusive lines and squiggles that appear on the control settings of both gas and electrical ovens.
While many of us are guilty of simply twisting the oven knob to a random setting, the mysterious two dotted lines do have specific purposes for different dishes.
When using afan oven, the main fan can easily be detected by an image of a fan within a circle, an expert revealed in the handy guide.
'In fan oven mode, your kitchen appliance will be able to distribute hot air evenly around the oven’s cavity,' the specialist explained.
The fan mode means that food will be cooked evenly, no matter what rack of the oven it has been positioned.
Experts at the appliance company, Beko, have handily de-coded the meaning behind the elusive lines and squiggles that appear on the control settings on both gas and electrical ovens
Additionally, experts explained that the fan setting cultivates 'ahot and dry environment', which also changes the way the food is cooked.
Another mysterious oven setting is the one of a fan with just one horizontal line across it.
This setting is for the fan with lower hear, and is best used for pies, quiches and pizzas where a crunchy outer layer is desirable.
'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 experts explained.
For upper and lower heating setting in a conventional oven, the expert told cooks to look for'two horizontal straight lines', with one bar at the top of the symbol to signal the upper heat setting.
In conjunction with this, he lower setting on the ovena characterised by a line at the bottom of the symbol.
The experts explained that most people are unaware of the the lower heat, but that it is best used for things that where a crispy base is most desirable.
This setting also reduces the chances of burning food and so is perfect forpizza bases and pastry cases.
The lower setting pushes out heat from the bottom of the oven, meaning the top layer won't burn.
Although many would like to think they know the functions of their oven inside and out - comparably few appear to realise the true meaning behind one universally recognised symbol
While many of us are guilty of simply twisting the oven knob to a random setting, the mysterious two dotted lines do have specific purposes for different dishes
As well as oven settings, most devices have a variety of functions, including buttons to defrost, slow cook, preheat, and grill settings.
The symbol that shows a fan with a grill activates the grill function with a fan, and is ideal for dishes that only need a light browning on the top and don't need to be cooked through properly.
The full grill can be distinguished by just one grill bar at the top of the symbol, and is most commonly used for grilling, broiling or melting cheese.
Some ovens even offer a partial grill setting, with a half shaded bar at the top indicating that a reduced power level is being used. It's best used for just a light crisping on the top.
The grill setting with a lower heat symbol indicates that both the grill and lower heat of the oven are being used and this is best placed on thicker cuts of meat to cook thoroughly while avoiding charring.
This mode combines the grill element with lower heat from the oven's bottom element.
It comes afterMichael Forbes, Product Expert at the home and kitchen appliances company UK, revealed how to getrecreate restaurant-standard pizza at home.
The expert explained that placing pizza on the top shelf of the oven is a recipe for disaster.
Placing it on the middle shelf of a traditional oven is best for achieving an even cook, he advised.
Meanwhile the bottom shelf can achieve a crispier crust – but watch for over-browning.
The top shelf, however, is likely to lead to an undercooked base and too-crisp toppings.
A pizza stone, preheated for 30 minutes and placed on the middle or bottom shelf, is ideal for a pizzeria-style crust, Mr Forbes said.
Using the right oven settings is also important, he explained, adding: 'On some new ovens, there's a setting specifically dedicated to homemade pizza, but if not, aim for 240-250°C (464-482°F) or the hottest setting available if your oven maxes out before this.
'The goal is to achieve even air circulation and heat from both above and below to create the perfect balance of bubbling cheese, rich sauce, and a crispy crust.
'Cook your pizza for 7-9 minutes if it has a thin crust, or for up to 12 minutes if it has a thick crust.'
While the best results come from using a pizza stone – designed to absorb moisture, help develop a crisp base and distribute heat evenly – turning a baking tray upside-down can achieve a similar effect.
