BACKMAR 9, 2026
It is incredibly frustrating when you follow a recipe perfectly, only to pull out a meal that is undercooked in the middle or burnt on the edges. If your oven takes too long to preheat, cooks unevenly, or just feels too cool, you are likely dealing with a temperature discrepancy.
Looking for more guidance? Take a look at our Repairs overview.
It is very common for ovens to drift out of calibration over time or for specific heating components to wear down. Fortunately, finding out exactly what is wrong is a straightforward process that you can do safely on your own.
In this guide, we will walk through how to test your oven's true temperature, identify whether the issue is a simple setting adjustment, and determine when it is time to call in a professional.
Before taking anything apart or calling for a repair, you need to prove that the oven is actually missing its target temperature. Built-in oven sensors can be inaccurate, so you will need an independent measurement.
Compare the thermometer reading to your 350°F setting. If the thermometer is within 25°F (14°C) of the set temperature, your oven is operating within normal manufacturing tolerances. If the temperature is off by more than 25°F, you have a confirmed issue to investigate.
Sometimes the heating elements are working perfectly, but the oven simply cannot hold the heat inside.
Once the oven is turned off and completely cool, inspect the door gasket—the rubber or fiberglass seal around the oven opening. Look for obvious tears, missing sections, or heavy fraying.
To test the seal, gently close the oven door on a standard strip of paper. Pull the paper out. You should feel slight resistance. If the paper slides out effortlessly, the gasket is likely compromised and letting heat escape. Replacing a door gasket is an inexpensive and manageable repair. You can store your appliance model numbers in the Casa app so you always know exactly which replacement parts to order.
If the door seal is tight, the next step depends on whether you have an electric or gas oven.
We need to determine if the entire oven is struggling, or if just one specific mode is failing. Turn your oven to BAKE at 350°F and look through the window. The lower bake element should eventually glow red. Turn the oven off, wait a moment, and switch to BROIL. Check if the upper broil element glows red. If you have convection, listen for the convection fan turning on.
Similar to electric ovens, observe the BAKE and BROIL functions through the window to see if the problem is isolated.
If your testing shows that the oven is consistently off by the same amount across all cooking modes, recalibrating the internal thermostat is usually the fix. This does not require any tools or part replacements.
If the oven still misses the target temperature after recalibration, the internal control board or the temperature sensor wand itself is likely failing.
While confirming temperatures, checking door gaskets, and recalibrating the control panel are safe to do yourself, you should stop and call an appliance repair technician if:
For gas ovens in particular, if the igniter is glowing but the gas is not igniting, stop immediately. Call a gas-safe appliance technician to inspect the gas valve and safety systems.
Troubleshooting your oven takes about an hour, mostly consisting of waiting for the oven to preheat and stabilize.
An oven that won't heat correctly usually stems from an inaccurate internal sensor, a leaky door gasket, or a single failing heating component. By testing the actual temperature with an external thermometer and observing how the bake and broil modes behave, you can easily figure out whether you just need to adjust a setting or call a technician to replace a part.
Staying on top of appliance maintenance doesn't have to be stressful. For more guidance on managing your home, troubleshooting issues, and keeping your maintenance records organized, download the Casa app today.
