Food is dried out or burnt

Be sure to check that you are following the recommended temperature guidelines displayed in the user manual. This will ensure that your food is prepared in the most appropriate way and will prevent it from drying out or burning because of the possible exposure to high heat unsuited for your meal. Ensure that you are also heating your oven at the correct levels and if you are using two temperature variants for the same meal, that you use the timer to remind yourself to reduce or increase the temperature accordingly. With CircoTherm pre-heating is not required if food is to be cooked for more than 25 minutes. The airflow technology rapidly seals food and prevents moisture from escaping so your food does not look and taste dried out.

Ensure that you are sticking to the correct duration of cooking as advised per the instructions stated in your recipe. Using the oven timer is an effective way of maintaining the right cooking duration and ultimately, avoiding overcooking.

If your oven is a VarioSteam model then you can add steam to most oven cooking functions which will assist browning, reduce shrinkage and add moisture to your cooking.

Braising is another technique, which is usually used for thicker meats which need to be cooked longer. Traditionally meat is sealed on the hob and transferred to a lidded dish with a small quantity of liquid. A bed of chunky vegetables lifts the meat out of liquid so the meat is cooked in the steam rather than by immersing in liquid. This is ideal for joints and thicker slices of meat including chicken portions.

Grilling is especially suitable for quick cooking of steaks and small cuts of meat, as rapid cooking can prevent dryness. Make small vertical cuts through the edges to prevent the steak from curling up because of the high heat. When cooking chicken, we suggest that you brush on a little oil or marinade before you grill. Place the food on the rack over the universal pan, then insert it in the oven at approximately 3-5 inches away from the heat source. Do not pre-heat the grill for more than 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to turn food over rather than stabbing with a fork as this releases juices. Try to only turn once to achieve a good seal.

If you have followed all of the instructions above and the problem still remains, we would advise you to book a NEFF engineer to inspect and repair your oven. You can book a repair online quickly and easily by using our online booking system, click the link below to get started.

Food is not cooked

Food is cooked slowly

Oven won't start self-cleaning

Food is cooked unevenly