Knowledge Base › Fran Costigan - Your Oven Is Lying to You

My over is broken, I have to chose a mode for top and a mode for bottom. I can’t do a thermal bake in the whole oven. Any ideas?

Your Oven Is Lying to You

Fran Costigan - Your Oven Is Lying to You

Recorded

This event was on June 2, 2026

When your oven dings to say it’s ready, Chef Fran Costigan, Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry has one response: not so fast. That cheerful beep does not signal a fully heated oven. Your cakes, cookies, and pastries will be at a disadvantage before they even go in. Learn the fixes and why oven rack placement matters and the difference between standard bake and convection modes. These are the kinds of insights that transform your baking from guesswork into intention. In this month’s Essential Vegan Desserts Live Event, you’ll learn the what, whys and tips so every bake becomes more consistent.

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Question

Cathy Chapman

My over is broken, I have to chose a mode for top and a mode for bottom. I can’t do a thermal bake in the whole oven. Any ideas?

Answer

I just don't know what to say because it's really interesting, and I'm so curious about how you discovered this. I've seen ovens. When I was doing my renovation, I looked at a lot of appliances, and I don't remember who it is, but a very well-known brand is doing a double oven, but in the space of a slide-in oven, and I thought, "Well, that could be cool." But only you have to sit on the floor, was the way I felt about getting things out of the bottom oven, so I chose a standard size slide-in and my Breville. But I have never heard about that. Kathy, if you're baking a lot, maybe get yourself one of these countertop ovens. Something has to be really good to get real estate in, what I mean is a space in my kitchen. So I find this invaluable, and you can bake in it.

Fran Costigan

Director of Vegan Pastry

FranCostigan.com

Fran Costigan is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Trained at the New York Restaurant School and Natural Gourmet Institute, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching over 20 years ago. A lifelong chocoholic and long time vegan, Fran’s latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts, (Running Press 2013) is for all who madly, deeply love chocolate desserts, whether or not dietary considerations are an issue. Her previous cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Company 2006) is the basis of the Costigan Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®. For more information, www.francostigan.com.