Using a Convection Oven to Bake Your Polymer Clay

Congratulations on your new addition to the family! LOL

Mari

Fran, I looked at that oven and really liked it also. I had a hard time deciding on that one or the Kitchenaide. I didn’t know they had refurbished ones. That is good to know.

Love your new oven Cindy! Would love to add it to my wish list for this year. This Christmas i got a tablet; so handy for me.

Hurray, Cindy got my favorite oven. You know I am a great researcher of products especially when buying for myself. This oven came out at the top of my list almost 2 yrs ago and I have never looked back. It’s amazing how well it holds the temp and never spikes. I too use the broiling pan for most items and also use layers of quilt batting for my delicate pieces. I have found I can eliminate corn starch this way in some instances. I still tent some items especially if they are light colored clay. I can’t say enough good things about this oven so if anyone is in the process of looking to buy a new oven, you should seriously consider this one. It is a little pricey, but if you live by a Bed, Bath and Beyond and can wait for their 20% off coupon, you can save some bucks. They also have it online and shipping is free at certain times or it’s very reasonable. I think we had a really good indepth discussion on ovens here in the blog awhile back so it might help newer members to search the archives and read about them. I am so happy for you Cindy, what a wonderful gift.

Hi Lorri, I don’t have the packaging anymore so it would take me some research to figure out the model number. As far as the smell goes, it is not that the oven gives off fumes… its that the fan blows it around. If it bothers you, try moving it close to a window, or sealing your pieces inside two foil pans with a bulldog clip. I think I show this in a video where I’m baking in cornstarch, if you want to go search for that. Hope that helps.

Hi Barbara,
I only have my normal kitchen convection oven and I bake my polymer clay in. I usually try and do cooking first then bake clay, but sometimes it’s other way round like yesterday, after it had finished baking the clay I just left oven door slightly open just to let air circulate around. I’ve never notice any weid smells or taste to the food.
Hope this helps.
Marie

Lorri, here is the link to the oven I believe Cindy purchased. If you have a Bed, Bath and Beyond you can get 20% off with their coupon. Kohl’s also has it on sale now too. It is a little pricey but believe me it will outlast 3 of the other ovens and is well worth the investment. Good luck.

Laura H – I got my refurbished Breville oven on ebay. New ones are very pricey and refurbished ones are not cheap, but still much less. I imagine you could also google Breville convection toaster ovens and come up with some other sites where they might be available.

Mine looked like new and has not had any problems. I know they say to have a dedicated clay oven, but I also use mine to make toast and have also fixed pizzas in it. It works beautifully with clay – I have never had any problems – I didn’t have an oven thermometer so have never checked it for spikes. I put most objects on a tile and have never tented them. I bake at 270 degrees for 1 hour and have baked hundreds of items that way. Every one has come out perfect so I don’t have a single negative comment to make about this oven.

Hi Ken – l had a Nu-Wave infra-red/halogen oven – don’t know if it’s the same as what you’re looking at. Mine had a lift-off plastic dome. It worked very well, though it was hard to keep a stable temperature at times, but after about 9 months the plastic was cracking. I think this was caused by all the oily residue that is given off during the baking of polymer clay which must have reacted with the hard plastic. That type of oven has one heating element in the top and a very powerful fan that cycles on and off. I have another Halogen one now which has a glass bowl and have no problems.
An oven like Cindy’s is a lot easier to use though!

I had one of those glass ‘turbo’ oven years before I worked with polymer clay, so I can’t tell you if they would work as well as my new Kitchenaid, but I do remember that the fan blew quite hard and went in kind of a cyclone. I have heard that others have problems with thin sheets and light clay pieces, blowing around in those types of ovens. My oven does have a fan, but it just blows lighting around. The only problem I have heard of is with the powders like cornstarch, getting lifted and blown around. Not the actual clay pieces. Like Carrie said, the regular convection oven may be a lot easier to use.

Cindy, congratulation on your new machine!
For a year I used Amaco oven… what a waste of money: ages for preheating, very small, and hot spots, etc.
Three month ago I bought Hamilton Beach 31100 Countertop Oven with Convection and Rotisserie on Amazon. I read that this Hamilton Beach ‘toaster oven’ workhorse has been very popular for a long time among polymer clay artists. The San Diego Polymer Clay Guild has purchased these for use at their annual Fall retreats. For 4 days these ovens are used from dawn to almost midnight and there were no issues with the ovens.

I like my 31100 :) because it’s BIG . I can put 3 shelves. The dials are easy to set. 10 min preheat and I’m ready to cure my pieces. Temp is consistent 275 :) (have thermometer inside). I use Convection mode and both the top and the bottom elements heating. It works for me and I absolutely love it.

PolyCat

I have had a Hamilton Beach convection oven for about 6 years and just love it. I always preheat it before putting my clay in to bake. Once preheated, it holds temp very well! I would get another one if this one ever stops working. Now that I know about the KitchenAid one, it gives me another option when the time comes.

Cindy – enjoy your oven!

Hi Deni,

Thanks for the great tip about the baking (Turkey) bags it is so helpful when guys n gals share their tips. I just love this site as everyone is so helpful and generous in sharing their secrets. So that’s one item to go on my shopping list…..cheers xx……

Hi Fran, those are excellent questions that I have no answer to since I haven’t tried baking in a baking bag before. I am guessing that if the bag went into the oven when it was partially inflated, that it probably would not explode if you didn’t puncture it. The reason I say this is that there isn’t a lot of moisture in the clay to expand the bag as the air heats… not like there is in a turkey or roast. Plus the temp is pretty low so the air shouldn’t expand that much as it bakes, either. Of course it is always best to test this out for yourself. I know there are many people who use the oven bags for baking polymer clay, so there must be a way of doing it that is simple. Hopefully someone else will pop in with some advice for you here. Good luck! Let us know how it goes…

My convection oven is a German one named “Steba” — same dimensions as yours, and I love it. We live in Germany, so that’s the reason. It cost about 125 euros, which would be about $170. The hardest part was finding the most reliable oven thermometer. Turns out that early on I was using an old one that was no longer accurate and all my early clay items weren’t baked hard enough!

Congrats on the move up. Purchased the same oven and waiting on receipt. So excited because it will really help making more pieces.

Hi Cindy, I need to buy a new oven for my polymer, I bought a cheap table top oven and it kept its temperature until I opened the door to put my pieces in and then the temperature dropped big time!! It took nearly 30 mins to get back up to temperature. What do u think about halogen ovens? Have been getting mixed opinions about them and now I don’t know what to do HELP!! Many thanks xx

Hi Cindy,

I’m so excited I had to share. I just ordered a manufactured refurbished convection oven like yours. I can’t wait till it gets here:) I have been using my little craft oven that I bought a few years ago when I started with clay. It was ok but the temp never stayed the same so I had to watch it like a hawk, and I did scorch some projects :(.

Have a nice remainder of the weekend :)

Ginny

Hi,
Well I received my oven,it is beautiful , looks brand new…..but there is something wrong with it :( I guess it is the thermostat, it just keeps getting hotter and hotter, all the way to 450…. I have been trying to contact the seller but as of yet he hasn’t responded. I’m sad. I purchased it from ebay.

Ginny

What is the model of your oven Cindy? Is it the 12 inch?

Hi Cindy,
Does your new oven work just as well if you load up 2 shelves? Or does the top risk scorching and the bottom one not cooked as well?
Cheers
Veronica

There is a KitchenAid Countertop Convection Oven on sale at Costco until 11/26. Around $65 US. I think it is the same (or very similar) to the one Cindy has. I am very tempted to get myself an early Christmas present!

I have been traveling for business so much the past 3 months and really need to get my claying & jewellery-making mojo back. Fortunately I get to go to my PC guild tomorrow and can play with clay. They have convection ovens that work beautifully, while I have just a toaster oven or my kitchen oven (with aluminum pan covers ;-) ). A new convection oven should come with quite a bit of mojo!

Hi Cindy,
I have a convection oven. The description says “baking temperature” and “baking time” are 10% less than in a conventional oven.
Time is not the problem but temperature?
10% less is a lot difference.
I do not want to overheat the clay.
What do you think about?
Kind regards
Pia

I finally had to buy a convection oven. I’m on my 3rd toaster oven and my 3rd thermometer. I am tired of burning my projects. My new oven is not here yet, but how can I know my thermometer is correct? The last oven was a craft oven I got at Joanns. It’s going back. The thermometers were from different stores, but not reliable at all. It never went higher than 250, but it burnt all of the molds I was making and one very nice pendant became soft like rubber and got huge bubbles on the top. And it was tented. HELP!!!

Thanks, Dixie Ann. I’ve actually got a trip planned this next week to use my 20% off coupon on a new thermometer. I could just buy 2.

Hi Chrissie, sorry for the slow response. We travel in an RV as well so I understand the space issue. If you can find a convection / microwave combo unit, I would go with that. As long as the microwave feature is turned off during the baking process, it should work very well to save space. I use an old Black and Decker toaster oven when I bake polymer clay while traveling, but we have only traveled for a couple weeks at a time, so we don’t have to worry about bringing everything with us, just the basics… so space isn’t as big of a deal. Good luck! Maybe we can meet up on the road sometime? That would be fun!

Hi Chrissie, thanks so much for reporting back about the oven situation… that is good to know! On meeting up sometime, that would be great. Have a wonderful Summer in Yellowstone!

Hello! I do figures (8-12 inches tall). I recently bought a OSTER convection toaster oven.

I heard some manufacturers do not recommend using aluminium foil in convection ovens. Have you use foil with yours? Is it safe if I use aluminium foil for my armature?

What other materials are safe to use with convection ovens? Wire? File folders/cardboard sheets to ‘insulate’ the pan? What if I use an armature and have my figure in a wood base? Will it burn? Is it safe?

These are the questions I have for now. Hope I can get an answer soon.

Thanks and God bless!

Wow! Something I can answer. Yes, use foil, wood, wires, folders, etc in your convection oven. It’s just like a regular oven except there is a fan to blow around inside. Also, the temp is low enough that nothing you mentioned will catch fire. I would place an aluminum cover loosely over the top of your clay work, per Cindy’s instructions. I love my convection oven. Temp is always correct, after adjustments. Have fun!

Hi Laurie, I have the same Kitchenaid, all toaster ovens whatever brand get HOT on the exterior. The dials on mine are easy to read, it is very quiet, the fan never makes any noise, If it were not for the light I would not know it was on. I have had 3 other brands and this one is by far the best one yet. I love the fact that it holds the temp evenly once it reaches the PC temp of 275, it stays there. Mine is close to 3.5 yrs old and I use it all the time. I love it.

Cindy and Dixie Ann,
Thank you for the info and for your quick responses! They helped me make my decision. Bed, Bath, and Beyond here I come.

Hi,
I just bought the same model oven that you have. I put 3 thermometers inside (2 round ones and mt Polder probe. After an hour the temp still isn’t up to 275!! This happened with my last oven, so I thought I needed a new one. The manufacturer says it only takes 10 minutes to preheat and to trust that. Help? What am I doing wrong?

PS: I have a tile on the wire rack and a tile on the bottom.

Hello Dixie Ann,
Thank you so much for responding; it relieves the stress knowing that someone out there can offer advice.

I bought a new thermometer last night, started the day with enthusiasm. Same thing. Oven doesn’t want to preheat to 275 F. Then I tested the new thermometer in my 5 year old Breville- perfect temp in 4.5 minutes.

No help from KitchenAid at all, they say the thermometer has to be wrong and we shouldn’t use them anyway. Won’t take it back.

I read somewhere that you have to calibrate your oven, so now that I know my thermometer is accurate, I am trying various dial settings and will mark the spot that gives me 275 in 5 minutes. Probably the degree mark on 300.

And saving up for another Breville.

Thanks again for your help!

Melissa, I bought a new convection toaster oven a couple of years ago. I have to set mine at 310° and it’s a perfect 275°. I wrote 310 on the glass door so I don’t forget. The temperature in my oven stays steady and I don’t worry about it now.

I haven’t used one, but I believe others have. As long as it holds the correct temperature evenly, it should work for baking polymer clay.

Hi Melody, what a nice mom you are! I am not familiar with that oven, so I can’t guarantee that it is a good one for clay or not, but the size looks good and as long as it holds the heat quite evenly, then it should be a good oven for your daughter.

If you buy it, I would test the oven with an oven thermometer first before you bake in it, to see if the temp is even and if it spikes badly or not. (I’m guessing it would be fine, since it is from a reputable brand, it isn’t too small on the inside and you can adjust the temp.)

I have lots of info on baking that your daughter should watch that will help her no matter which oven she uses. Let us know if you end up getting this machine and how it works out for you. It is always nice to know which brands you can count on and which ones you can not. :)

Hi Cindie, I don’t know what you mean by this oven being off the market. I found several of them on Amazon.

It doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as the oven thermometer reads consistently at 265F-275F (if you’re working with Premo and the other Sculpey Brands). Most oven dials are off by a bit. Some by a lot. By the sounds of it, you have found your sweet spot as far as where to set the dial. Keep doing what you’re doing and readjust when you need to.

Hi Sam, I still love using my Kitchen Oven and it has been used for many hours. As far as an oven thermometer, I just use a standard cheap oven thermometer from the grocery store. If I feel it is getting old and may not be reading correctly anymore (piece are brittle or burning) than I pop another one in the oven along side it to check.

Hi Bev, I really love the Kitchen Aid Oven I showed in this video. It is still going strong after 5 years. You don’t have to have a convection oven, but they are definitely more even since they move the heat around. You might want to Google the British Polymer Clay Guild. Many of my members are from the UK and they might be able to advise you on the best brand available in your area. Thanks for commenting!

Yes this oven is perfect for baking polymer clay. You just use the bake setting and use a separate oven thermometer to make sure the temp is correct. Then bake as you usually do.

Hi Myrna, thank you for the kind comments!

In regard to the oven, sometimes I see this Kitchenaid Oven on the American Amazon, but I haven’t seen it in Canada lately. I don’t have another oven to recommend to you, however, I would look for the following features in a new oven: Countertop Convection rather than toaster oven, 12″ or larger inside width, 6″ or larger interior height, single door rather than double doors (apparently they leak out a lot of heat), Oven temp dial, timer that goes 1 hour or more, and a 4 star or higher rating.

For wholesale clay suppliers in Canada, I don’t know of any. You can get good prices on clay and shipping from Shades of Clay and Polymer Clay Canada websites. As well, you may want to consider buying Cosclay which is an excellent clay with excellent prices and is available in Canada in several locations. Just go to Cosclay’s site, and you will see a list of their international distributors.

Hope that helps!

Hi Cindy – I’ve read this review and comments many times and finally found myself in the position of needing a new oven. I purchased the same model as you. I put four thermometers in and three of them read 275° when the dial was just at 300. I love that it heats up quickly and that there is a timer. It is quieter than I expected which is great. There was a strong plastic smell the first time I turned it on but by the second time that was gone. But here’s the thing… I had a white piece get scorched. I’m going to color it so I’m not to worry about it this time. But I am concerned about future curing problems. I did put it on a ceramic tile because I don’t like to transfer the clay once the work is finished and run the risk of having air bubbles underneath. Do you think being on the ceramic tile conducted too much heat and that’s why it’s scorched? It browned on about 1/2 of the bottom and the top of the piece. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you again for all you do for the community. I have learned so much from you and it is truly appreciated. You are the best! Whenever I am doing sales and come across someone who also works with polymer clay, especially new to it, I always direct them to you :-).

What is your thought on using a conventional convection oven like you have vs one that uses halogen bulbs in the back to heat….I have heard that the halogen keeps the heat better maintained? Also I saw your video but, its 8 years old…have you revisited this question in a newer video?