I’ve written about baking polymer clay earlier than (go right here if that is new to you) and I also have a nifty quick course on baking polymer clay. In these articles and my course, you’ll study that temperature management is important for correctly cured polymer clay initiatives. You’ll additionally study that the majority ovens lie. Sure, they’re inaccurate. However we have to bake our polymer clay! So, when it comes proper all the way down to it, which polymer clay oven must you select?
Polymer Clay Ovens Lie
One of many first issues a beginner learns is that the temperature you set on the dial is merely seen as a basic advice by most ovens. Some bake too scorching, some too cool, and a few ignore your needs utterly. It’s because tabletop ovens aren’t precision devices. They’re made for warming up pizza, toasting bagels, or making cheese toasties. Exact temperatures aren’t essential for yummy, bubbly cheese.
We don’t need brown or bubbly polymer clay, after all! You have to a thermometer so you may mess with the dial to compensate. In the end, the dearth of precision for such a oven comes all the way down to the type of temperature management they’ve.
The Sort of Warmth Controller Issues
Most cheap tabletop ovens used for baking polymer clay have a non-specific temperature management. Even when the readout is digital, most of those ovens have a easy “spring swap” mechanism. There isn’t a temperature sensor! As an alternative, the comparatively primitive swap turns “all-on” when the dial’s setting is reached or “all-off” till it cools down sufficient to activate once more. It’s a heavy-handed strategy. The sensitivity and accuracy additionally range considerably by mannequin, oven age, room temperature, and even you probably have moved the oven lately.
There’s one other sort of warmth controller, nonetheless. A PID temperature controller is utilized in purposes requiring exact temperature management (resembling industrially). This stands for Proportional Integrative By-product and is a elaborate manner of claiming that it makes use of a proportional response and suggestions mechanism to maintain the temperature comparatively fixed. Like cruise management in your automobile. It turns the component on simply sufficient to carry the temperature to the right level. But it surely doesn’t “ground it” like your common oven does (which, after all, results in browning).
Oddly sufficient, consumer-level ovens with a PID temperature controller are fairly uncommon.
If you understand somebody tremendous useful with electronics, an everyday tabletop oven might be modified to make use of a PID warmth controller. This isn’t a DIY job, nonetheless. However you probably have certainly one of these uncommon of us in your life…fortunate you. Present them this text and set them off operating. Discovering an oven with a PID is the answer for the remainder of us.
Right here’s My Polymer Clay Oven
The one consumer-level oven I may discover with a PID warmth controller is the Breville Sensible Oven Professional. I’ve this one precisely (Affiliate Hyperlink – study extra right here). It appears to be the medium dimension as a result of there’s a bigger one right here and a smaller one right here.
I’ve used this oven for 3 years now and haven’t any complaints. The temperature shouldn’t be completely correct, however it is vitally secure. I set the temp to 265°F (130°C) to attain 275°F (135°C). It’s best to at all times take a look at any new oven to confirm the precise temperature inside, nonetheless, as a result of particular person models will range! The heating components are shielded and don’t toast my clay initiatives (although I do nonetheless cowl my work).
I’ve advisable this oven to lots of my Blue Bottle Insiders neighborhood members, and I’ve heard nice suggestions. It appears to be an excellent, stable, well-made, reliable oven. I like to recommend it, however as with each product, your mileage varies. My stamp of approval shouldn’t be a assure! Be sure you can return it in the event you’re not proud of it.
You may discover that is additionally an air fryer. Properly, it has an air fryer setting and a basket (that I don’t use). However I apply it to the convection oven setting. (Convection simply means there’s a fan blowing to flow into the warmth higher.) You can additionally use the common bake setting.
What About Cheaper Ovens?
There’s no getting round it; that’s an costly polymer clay oven. What about cheaper alternate options? As I discussed earlier, the same old cheap ovens all have the old style “guess-the-temperature” sort controls. Generally they work properly. Generally they don’t. The Hamilton-Seashore model is commonly advisable on Fb teams, however that’s only a model identify with dozens of variations or fashions. I had one; it was the worst oven I’d ever used. Others have nice outcomes, even with the identical mannequin. I believe high quality management isn’t very tightly managed with these ovens.
There are some issues you need to search for in a polymer clay oven. It ought to have high quality sufficient temperature management to attain the right temperature. It ought to have sufficient consistency to keep up the right temperature for so long as you want. It ought to be massive sufficient to carry the biggest merchandise you propose to remedy. When you select to purchase one of many cheaper ovens, I like to recommend shopping for it from a supply the place you may return it if it doesn’t work.
I additionally advocate that you simply do some exams to test the temperature and confirm that it does stay secure. I additionally advocate that you simply don’t transfer it when you discover a dwelling for it in your studio.
When You’re Prepared…
I at all times advocate that newbies use their dwelling oven. There’s no sense in racking up bills. And the cheapie tabletop ovens will work properly sufficient in the event you spend the time adjusting and fussing with them. Or in the event you get fortunate and have one which’s correct and constant. However in the event you’re able to spend money on a device that does what it’s alleged to do, think about getting one of many Breville Sensible Professional ovens. I’m glad I purchased mine. Get pleasure from!