Oven temperature running too hot or too cold compared to the dial (all brands)
✅ Safe to check yourself
This is a common, low-risk check most people can do safely. Always unplug the appliance (or isolate power) before touching internal parts.
If food consistently burns or undercooks compared to recipe timings, and you’ve ruled out your own technique, the oven’s actual internal temperature may not match what the dial or display says — a surprisingly common and checkable issue.
How to check yourself
- Buy an inexpensive oven thermometer and place it in the centre of the oven (not touching the sides), then preheat to a set temperature (180°C is a common test point) and check the thermometer’s actual reading once it’s stabilised.
- Check for a genuine, consistent gap (more than around 10-15°C either way) rather than a one-off reading, since ovens naturally fluctuate a little as the thermostat cycles the element on and off to maintain temperature.
- Check your oven door seal (see our separate guide) isn’t letting heat escape, which can also cause inconsistent or lower-than-expected temperatures.
Fixing a confirmed discrepancy
Many ovens have a temperature calibration/offset setting hidden in their settings menu (check your manual for the exact steps — it varies significantly by brand and model), which lets you tell the oven to run a set number of degrees hotter or cooler than the dial shows, without needing to replace anything.
When to call an engineer
If there’s no calibration option, or adjusting it doesn’t bring the actual temperature in line, the oven’s thermostat or temperature sensor has likely failed and needs replacing — mains electrical work best left to a qualified engineer.