1. Select and make the proper rack arrangement for the product to be cooked. 2. Turn or push the main power switch on (gas oven—turn burner valve on). Set the thermostat to the recommended  temperature.  The  thermostat  signal  light will light when the power goes on. If possible, adjust the fan speed on the two-speed blower. 3. Preheat oven until the thermostat signal light goes out indicating that the oven has reached the desired temperature. The oven should preheat to 350°F within 10 to 15 minutes.  (NOTE: To  conserve  energy,  do  not turn   on   the   oven   until   absolutely   necessary— approximately 15 minutes before actual cooking is to start.) 4.  Open  the  oven  doors  and  load  the  oven  quickly to prevent excessive loss of heat. Load the oven from the top, centering the pans on the rack toward the front of the oven. Place partial loads in the center of the oven. Allow 1 to 2 inches of space between the pans and along the   oven   sides   to   permit   good   air   circulation. Remember—overloading   is   the   major   cause   of nonuniform  baking  and  roasting. 5. Close the oven doors and set the timer for the desired cooking time. Check periodically until the product is ready for removal. TEMPERATURE  SETTINGS.—  Follow  the recommended  temperature  guidelines  provided  either  in the manufacturer’s operating manual or those furnished in  the  AFRS,  NAVSUP  P-7,  or  reduce  the  temperatures specified on the recipe cards by 50°F. If food is cooked around the edges, but the center is still raw or not thoroughly  cooked,  or  if  there  is  too  much  color variation (some is normal), reduce the heat by 15°F to 25°F and return food to the oven. If necessary, continue to reduce the heat on successive loads until the desired results  are  achieved. Record  the  most  successful temperature on the recipe card for future reference. TIME  SETTINGS.—  Follow  the  recommended times  provided  in  the  manufacturer’s  operating  manual, or follow the guidelines in the AFRS. Check progress halfway through the cooking cycle since time will vary with the quality of food loaded, the temperature, and the type  of  pan  used. Remember,   the   use   of   meat thermometers for roasting and the visual examination of baked  products  are  the  most  accurate  methods  of determining  the  desired  cooking  times,  both  in convection  and  conventional  ovens. VENT DAMPER CONTROL SETTING.— The vent damper control is located on or near the control panel.  The  damper  should  be  kept  closed  for  most  foods of low moisture content such as roasts. Leaving the vent open during roasting will produce a dry meat and result in excessive shrinkage. The damper should be kept open when baking items with high moisture content (cakes, muffins, yeast bread, and so forth). Leaving the damper closed throughout a baking cycle will produce cakes that are too moist and ones that will not rise. A “cloud” of water droplets on the  oven  window  indicates  excessive  moisture  that should be vented out of the oven through the open damper. INTERIOR  OVEN  LIGHTS.—  Turn on lights only when loading, unloading, or checking the product. The continual burning of lights will result in a shortened bulb life. TIMER.—   The  oven  timer  will  ring  only  as  a reminder; it has no control over the functioning of the oven. To assure proper operation, you should wind the timer to the maximum setting, then turn it back to the setting desired for the particular product. Care  and  Cleaning Keep the inside of the oven and racks clean. If food particles or carbon accumulates so that doors cannot be tightly closed, heat is wasted and the oven will not operate properly. Poorly closed doors permit a constant escape of steam and vapor around the door. The vapor will condense and deteriorate the finish around the oven front  and  door  lining. The rule for all electrical appliances is to make sure the proper tag-out procedures have been followed. When  cleaning  the  interior  of  the  oven,  it  is important to bear in mind that the aluminum coating, though tightly adherent, is still a coating. To preserve the coating and to make maintenance easier, clean the interior daily when the oven is cold with a mild detergent or soap and water. This will prevent food and dirt from “baking on” and will frequently be all the cleaning that is necessary. If soil resists soap and water cleaning, use a wooden tool  to  loosen  spillage  from  the  cold  oven.  Follow  with a  nonetching  cleaner  that  is  specifically  recommended for aluminized steel. Use clear water to rinse; dry with a soft clean cloth.  Avoid  using  wire  brushes  and  caustic solutions such as lye, soda ash, or ammonia. l   When the oven liner features stainless steel the following  rules  apply: 4-7