It’s unsafe to touch the oven while it’s hot. So, how long does it take for an oven to cool down?
An oven takes approximately 40 to 45 minutes to cool down completely. However, the cooling time depends on the oven’s size, insulation quality, fuel type, and whether its door is left open or closed. The same oven will take less time to cool if you keep the door open after switching off the supply.
Let’s take a deeper look at this now.
Factors That Affect The Cooling Time Of An Oven
You may already know that an oven doesn’t automatically reach the desired temperature when you switch it on.
It takes time to heat up to the temperature you set.
Once it reaches this temperature, it will retain it until you reduce the heat or cut the power supply.
Just like it takes time for an oven to reach the desired temperature, it needs time to cool down.
However, this time depends on various factors. Let’s look at each of them closely.
1. Oven Size
Have you noticed how cookies or pies cook faster in a small oven?
This is because a large oven has a larger area to warm. So by the laws of physics, it takes longer to heat or cool a large space.
Meanwhile, smaller ovens have less area. Hence, they heat and cool faster than big ovens.
So, a smaller oven from the same brand would take less time to cool than a big oven.
2. Insulation Quality
Ovens are built with insulation to retain the heat energy for cooking food.
This insulation is between the oven compartment and the metal casing.
Now, insulation quality plays a vital role in heat dissipation. It also decides the efficiency of the device.
Most oven manufacturers use fiberglass as insulation material because it can withstand high temperatures.
Modern ovens use more efficient materials like CMS, which can withstand even higher temperatures than fiberglass.
Nevertheless, the purpose of the insulation is to trap the heat inside an oven.
Once you cut off the power supply, heat will start escaping from the oven, and its temperature will fall.
However, ovens with good insulation will keep some of the heat inside. So, it will take longer to cool.
Improper or old and damaged insulation can cause heat to escape faster.
Recommended Further Reading:
- Resolving the Problem of Uneven Heating in Microwave Ovens
- Is a Rotating Tray Essential for Microwave Ovens?
- A Guide to Controlling Internal Rust Formation in a Microwave Oven
3. Fuel Source — Electric Or Gas
Ovens use gas or electricity for heating.
Depending on the source of fuel, the method of operation will be different. So will their cooling times.
In a gas oven, the appliance starts cooling as soon as the supply is off.
Meanwhile, an electric oven has various components that work together to deliver the heat.
When you switch off the supply, electric ovens cool down in stages.
The oven reaches room temperature only when all the different components cool down.
So, it usually takes longer than for a gas oven.
4. Oven Door — Closed Or Opened
While using an oven, you must keep the door closed to trap the hot air inside the chamber.
Opening the door for even a few minutes will cause the temperature to fall significantly.
This also means that you can speed up the cooling process of an oven by opening its door.
When you leave the door open even slightly, you expose the hot air inside the oven to the cooler air outside.
As a result, the hot air rises and escapes the chamber.
Meanwhile, cold air from the surroundings rushes in to take its place. Hence, the oven cools down faster.
Although an oven will start to cool as soon as you cut the heat source, it can take longer when the door remains shut.
However, it’s not always a good idea to leave the oven door open. Let’s find out why.
Related Further Reading:
- Is Ventilation Important for Operating a Microwave Oven Effectively?
- Do Microwave Ovens Explode?
- How Many Amps Does An Electric Oven Use? + Amps Rating Effects
Is It Safe To Leave The Oven Door Open To Help It Cool Down?
Depending on the type and model of your oven, it may or may not be advisable to leave the door open to cool it.
Some ovens have delicate electronic components and electric panels.
These involve complex electronic circuitry, and each of these parts has a specific cooling time.
When you leave the door open, you force these components to cool down quickly. Forcing this action may damage the parts.
However, for basic oven models, leaving the door open shouldn’t be a problem.
Traditional gas-powered ovens don’t present any problems when you leave the door open.
Nevertheless, leaving the door open will allow hot air from the inside to escape to the surroundings.
This can make your kitchen toasty.
While it may be a pleasant thing in the winter, your kitchen may feel stifling if you do the same in summer.
Leaving the oven door open will also release the food smells into the surrounding space.
Moreover, keeping the door open can be dangerous if young kids or pets come too close to the appliance.
The Presence Of Fans: An Additional Factor That Affects The Cooling Time Of An Oven
Modern convection ovens have inbuilt fans to reduce the cooking time.
Fans allow heat to spread through the chamber quickly.
They improve the hot air circulation and help the food cook better.
They also prevent the appearance of hot or cold spots.
Ovens with fans cool down faster than those without them.
Whether you leave the door open or closed, the fan will help the hot air escape faster from the oven.
The internal fans of ovens run for longer when they sense heat.
So you can reduce their operation time and energy consumption by leaving the door partially open and allowing any excess heat to escape into the surrounding.
Interesting Further Reading:
How Long Does It Take For An Oven To Cool Down After Self-Clean?
Cleaning an oven is a labor-intensive and tiring task.
To make it easier, many oven manufacturers include a self-cleaning feature.
They use high temperatures to burn off ingredients that have splattered or spilled inside the oven.
The walls of these ovens are made of high-quality, heat-resistant porcelain enamel.
Most self-cleaning ovens take between 30 to 90 minutes to cool down.
During the self-clean cycle, the temperature of the oven increases significantly.
When this happens, any leftover food inside the oven is burnt off.
You can easily wipe off the ash that remains and restore your oven to clean condition.
The main benefit of using this feature is that you can avoid strong oven cleaners with harsh chemical agents in them.
Additionally, you can clean the oven easily and prevent any food build-up.
It will save you from extensive scrubbing and cleaning.
Once your oven cools down, you can just wipe the internal chamber, and it will be as good as new.
A self-cleaning oven is very convenient to use and clean.
However, you should also remember that it operates at extremely high temperatures in this mode.
To handle these high temperatures, such ovens will usually be built with thicker insulation layers.
When you subject such devices to a self-cleaning cycle, the oven will take longer to cool down.
