Christian Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I have just bought a new house (well, it is old - around 400 years old I think) and it has a lovely cream Rayburn in the kitchen. It has been converted to oil, so has a main oven and warming oven only. One large hotplate on the top with 2 'lids' - on the right hand side of the plate is a metal disc you can remove - presumably to raise the temperature of the hot plate. How do I cook on it?? I love it, but cooking is a bit hit and miss at the moment. The controls are on the side - just a black box with 'off' and numbers 1-6. I keep it on 1, but turn it up to 2 to do roast potatoes and the oven is so hot. There is also a solid metal shelf that fits in the main oven. Any ideas? Can I steam a Christmas pudding in the warming oven? It is great for dried orange slices Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I hope someone can give you some good advice. My experience of a Rayburn is of a solid fuel one over 40 years ago. My mum used to try to use it but preferred a separate cooker as she liked to cook with exact temperatures. She used the Rayburn mainly for things like rice pudding. I remember her trying to make bread and it came out like a brick, she was never let forget that I know that getting the heat right was a problem but if the previous house owners used it it must be possible. I suppose it may be a bit trial and error. Hope it works out for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Our Rayburn sounds a bit different to yours Christian. Will study the book for you over the weekend & let you know. Hoping to cook our turkey in ours..yikes! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 I am having an electric cooker and hob fitted in a couple of weeks, as the Rayburn would make the kitchen too hot in summer. The temperature gauge is faulty I think. EIther 0 or 260C Need to make some baked goods and wondering how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Do you have a microwave convection oven, as you can bake it that then! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 No microwave yet. Only want a small one as I only really use it to start off Jacket potatoes. I'll suss it out eventually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Christian, I've no idea on how to work a Rayburn but wanted to wish you loads of happy times in your new cottage It looks lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple hen Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 We have an oil fired rayburn,I find that the numbers very roughly equate to gas marks. When the oven is first turned up it seems to get hotter for a while then even out to the selected temp after a while, to get a controlled temberature it needs to be on a few hours before I can get cakes to bake evenly. The top of the oven is hottest and I use the solid metal sheet in the top shelf rungs to keep cakes on lower shelves from burning (I think that that is what it is meant for). The hotplate should be hotter on the side above the oven gradually getting cooler over to the other side,so you can move pans along depending on whether you need a fast boil or a gentle simmer. There are so many different models so yours could be totally different, when we first installed it it took a while to learn it's little quirks, it's a bit like getting used to driving a different car at first. We do love it but can't use it all the time as it is so greedy for oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Thanks abwsco I'll get there eventually! Purplehen - yes, it is a slow learning curve, but lovely coming down in the morning to the lounge, kitchen and downstairs bathroom all toasty! The lady at the petrol station said to put the solid metal shelf in the middle of the oven, as that splits the temperature. Above is hotter, below around 50C cooler. As the temperature gauge is broken I can't work out what temperature the oven is at! Will experiment today with biscuits...... I thought that the plate above the oil burner would be hotter, but will try your suggestion. I know when I work out how to use Stanley (yes, I have named him ) he will be great. The casserole in the warming oven was lovely and I'm making loads of dried orange slices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Would a cookbook help Christian? http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rayburn-Cookbook-Richard-Maggs/dp/1904573266 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I'll ask the outlaws; they have one at the farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chooksrus Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I have a gas fired heatranger (the cooker and hot water boiler type) and they do take some getting used to. I believe the gas and oil models do have different quirks but it's said that they all do really. They are like living creatures. Think of them as pets. As I understand it, they were designed to be kept on at all times and then the heat is increased as required for cooking. We did that for the first year which was great for heat in kitchen & hot water but the bill at the end forced us turn it off with only the pilot light on. Now, we turn it on as we need it. If we need to cook in the oven, we find it needs to heat up for an hour or so to get up to 180c. I make use of this time by heating pots of water for veg or pasta. Keeping the lids down will heat the oven faster than if they are up. On my model, the hottest part of the hotplate is the left with it getting colder as you move to the right. So, boil on the left - simmer on the right. Toast can be made on the left-hand side of the hotplate when hot enough. Buy a stovetop kettle to leave on the hotplate, even if only the pilot light is on and it will keep warm and won't take too long to boil up (saying that we have a 2 burner hot plate seperate). Oven - technically, It is more efficient to cook in the oven, so slow-cooking is ideal but you have to weigh up having the Rayburn on longer. As my model also heats the hot water as it cooks, I get an extra benefit. The very top of the oven is of course the hottest and kind of works like a grill but not quite as immediate. The floor of the oven is the next hottest part (I lay roasting veg/potatoes on the floor of the oven and it works perfect). As the levels then go down from the top to the bottom then the heat decreases. Both the hotplate and the oven have hotspots - the boiler side of the oven wall is generally hotter. Bottom oven - this is good for keeping food warm or defrosting meat etc. As you've said drying food also. I don't think there is much you can cook in it though - maybe meirangues (?). The metal sheet can seperate the oven and help regulate the heat. They are used to place above baking part way through to stop the tops burning. Christmas - When the rayburn came into it's own for us. Turkey cooked overnight for about 10 hours or so - as we've got the heatranger, we had the cooker off but the heating boiler on and the ambient heat in the oven sat at around 140-150c. Woke in the morning and had the oven free for roast pots and parsnips etc. The turkey was perfect as the slow-cooking helps keep the juices in. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 Thanks for the reply! A very kind Omleteer has offered to send me a couple of cookbooks, so I should be well away soon. I made some gingerbread men the other day and although they cooked in 7 minutes, they turned out fine. I think it is just a case of tweaking timings to get the best results. I still can't seem to get things to boil on the hotplate though Don't really want to turn the dial to 6 (max) as surely this will up the oven temperature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chooksrus Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 When our oven is sitting at it's 'low' setting and fully warmed up the oven will be 180 - 200c. Boiling water on the right hand side doesn't take too long - in fact it's pretty quick. Increasing the setting up to 6 (my setting goes up to 9 - very spinal tap!) will add heat to the hotplate but , yes, will incease the temp of the oven. Sometimes, if we're in a hurry and space is short on the hotter part of the hotplate, we will use to gas hot plate to start it off and then transfer to the simmer side of the hot-plate. My tip is keeping a kettle on the hotplate at all times. Using lids for pots always helps. Check your pots and pans to ensure that the bases are level because if there is a warp and the base is not in full contact with the hotplate then it will take longer to boil. Good luck and if any of my advice helps then payment of cakes will be accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 Thanks everyone. Work starts on the kitchen units this week and the new shelves for my larder so have turned the rayburn off for the week. It is cold now but not long until the kitchen is sorted and i can fire him up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 You can get an oven thermometer from Lakeland as well so you will know what temperature the oven is at - I have one to use with my old Rayburn, alternatively you can replace the heat gauge on your Rayburn - most of the parts are fairly easily available (mine currently reads 550F and has done for the past 5 years!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 I called Rayburn and the temperature gauge is £30 plus £5 P&P - very easy to fit she said... Take off the internal door - just 4 screws Remove the old gauge....simply enough just pops out... Put the new gauge in...ok.... Then get some fire cement.... she lost me at that point! Will go to Lakeland I think Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Mention of fire cement reminds me of when I was sent to B and Q by OH to get some. So I got a BIG trolley to carry this heavy object, asked this helpful young man - only to find it's sold in small tins......... Easy to carry home, Christian, if you decide to have a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 My Brother is a plumber and said he would get me a gauge and fit it for my Christmas present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Is it similar to cooking on an Aga, the demonstration I went to when we moved and gained an aga also covered Rayburns. Do you do the majority of cooking in the ovens not on the top. I know Rayburns you can set the temperature more, the Aga is one temperature and you adjust where you cook things. I love the Aga but you have to change the way you cook and I am sure this is the same for a Rayburn Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...