Cleaning Guides

Condensation Dripping From Oven Door: Why and How to Fix It

Fantastic Team
Published: Dec 30/2019
Last update: Jul 23/2024
5min read
Views: 21,746

Image source: Toibkk / Shutterstock.com

It’s quite the puzzling thing to see steam leaking from your oven after cooking. Condensation gathers inside the cooker, as well as between the glass panels of the door. Both integrated and freestanding ovens can have condensation drips from time to time. Don’t worry though, as it is quite normal and doesn’t necessarily mean the unit is faulty. It can happen in many cases:

If you have an oven that’s several years old
If you just recently bought a new unit
After you’ve replaced the door seal

Why is water dripping from the oven door?

New oven models features – New oven models have very good energy efficiency and insulation. This means moisture remains mainly inside the oven during the cooking process and doesn’t get blown out, like with older models. What this also means is less water is needed for the preparation of roasts.
Convection (fan-assisted) oven specifics – Convection ovens are designed to incorporate steam into the cooking process. The air is constantly being circulated inside and steam is being recycled. This makes the food crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Using steam in this way reduces both cooking time and energy consumption.
Temperature difference – When there’s a significant difference between the temperature of the oven and the air in the kitchen, the hot and cold air collide and produce steam. This leads to an increase in the condensation inside your oven. To prevent that, keep your kitchen’s temperature around 19°C.
Faulty internal window seal – Condensation in the oven glass door also can be due to a faulty internal window seal. Window seals are designed to keep your oven airtight and stop the steam and moisture from escaping your cooker. Take a look at the window seal of your oven, and if it looks worn out, make sure to replace it as soon as possible.
Tangential fan problem – If there is a lot of condensation in your oven, the problem could be in the tangential fan, whose purpose is to cool down the entire appliance, including the door, by evacuating the vapour. If the tangential fan is not working, the moisture will remain inside of the oven and will work its way between the window panels.
Type of cooked food – Cooking some types of food can also be the reason for condensation dripping and leaking from the oven door. For example, tomatoes can produce a tremendous amount of condensation as well as frozen foods. If your oven has condensation and leakage problems, make sure to put a lid when cooking such types of food.

How to stop the condensation leak from the oven

Defrost food before cooking.
Don’t add extra water when preparing food.
After the end of the preparation process, open the oven door.
Remove the food from the oven cavity and let it cool down near an open window. If it cools down inside, condensation will most likely build up.
Pre-heat, if possible. Sadly not all ovens have this option, so if you have it, use it. If you place cold food as it is, you can bet there will be plenty of condensation.
Wipe off the condensation after each cooking.
Use a pan with a lid. This utensil is most handy for cooking liquid dishes as it will prevent moisture from condensing on the door.
Manage the ambient temperature of your kitchen. The higher the temperature is, the better chances you have to prevent the oven from leaking water.
If you have water dripping down while the oven door is shut, this would probably mean your door seal needs to be replaced.

Condensation degree factors

Type of food – some food ingredients contain more water than others. Chicken is one such example. Frozen foods, as already mentioned, contain huge amounts of water. Condensation is perfectly normal in this case and may even develop inside the oven door.
Shape and size of oven cavity – it does matter how large the cavity is in relation to the oven’s output. When you cover your food with a microwave cling film you minimise condensation. However, always check the package for any instructions as some brands might have a set temperature limit before starting to melt.
Wiping the oven interior after cooking – after it cools down, wipe away the moisture to prevent any potential rust formation.

Hire a Fantastic professional cleaning team

If you still experience troubles, you can contact Fantastic Services, have a technician take a look and complete an oven repair. It’s quite possible there might be a problem that you are not aware of.

We don’t want to sound too salesy, but a clean oven always works much better than a dirty one. We would advise you to book an oven cleaning as well, for that reason.

Is oven cleaning hogging too much of your time?

Why not leave it in the hand of oven cleaning specialists.

Takeaways

Always defrost food before starting the cooking process
Do not add extra water while cooking
Always wipe the condensation away after the meal is done
Never leave your food to cool down inside the oven
The door seal might need replacing if there’s moisture dripping on the floor while cooking

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Do you have condensation in your oven? Let us know in the comment section, so we can start a discussion.