When you’re using your oven, do you find yourself defaulting back to the same setting – no matter what you’re cooking?

You’re not alone, and it turns out many people don’t actually know what the symbols actually mean. But in reality, each symbol on the dial of an oven changes the setting, and should be tailored to what you’re cooking.

Consumer experts at Which? recently took to TikTok to explain that a lot of people are using their oven incorrectly. They asked: “Are you using your oven wrong?” and continued in the caption: “Oven symbols can be tricky to decipher, and without understanding them, your cooking might suffer.

@whichuk Oven symbols can be tricky to decipher, and without understanding them, your cooking might suffer. But most ovens tend to use similar symbols, so once you’ve learned what to look for, you should be able to navigate your way around most you come across. How many of these symbols did you already know and use?#food#cooking#tips#baking♬ original sound – Which?

But most ovens tend to use similar symbols, so once you’ve learned what to look for, you should be able to navigate your way around most you come across.”

First they shared the ‘classic oven fan symbol’, which has the picture of a fan with a circle around it, and is “good for most types of cooking, especially if you use more than one shelf”. Next, there is the the symbol which has a line across the bottom of it, which is because “heat only comes from the bottom”. This is good for “gently cooking stews and casseroles and crisping up the base of a pizza or pastry”.

There is also a symbol which has a line at the top and bottom, which. means heat comes from above and below. According to the experts, this is “good for single shelf cooking of pastries or scones, or something substantial like a large cake”. You can also use it if you’re roasting meat.

Next there’s a symbol with zig-zag lines at the top, which the experts explained is the grill symbol. “Some should be used with the door open, some closed, so always check your oven’s manual,” they warned.

They continued: “The grill is great for anything that sizzles, like sausages and bacon. Also handy for browning off meat or a the top of a lasagne. There’s also a symbol for grilling with a fan on, which is “good for cooking through thicker pieces of meat or fish without heating the whole oven, or burning the top”.

There’s also a symbol that mixes the grill and the lower heating element, which is “a good option for pies, tarts or pizzas that need a crispy base and a brown top”. Another symbol, the “half grill setting”, lets you use only one section of the grill element – so you’ll want to make sure your food is directly under.

It turns out several people had been confused by the symbols, with one person saying: “*cries in rental where the symbols have worn off and the manual long gone*,” and another simply said: “Good info”, and a third said: “I just whack it on fan 200c for anything and everything.”