More than likely, you won't have a problem with the interior of the F&P's current models.

Seems like many of the manufacturers that had the cobalt interior all had problems at about the same time---IE,
Wolf, F&P and Electrolux. I have not see any posts in the last year or 2 (On GW), that anybody has experienced any problems with the cobalt interiors now.

As with any oven, (particularly double ovens), the less you run the "Self clean mode IE Oven heat cleans oven" the less likely you are to have problems with the interior or the Electronics (as far as that goes).

I've read on here that there are cleaners that are "recommended" for self cleaning ovens, alto sorry, I can't recall the brand of cleaner, but maybe others will
"Jump in here"!

Good luck with it!

Gary

I really did like that oven. A superb baker. I do think I prefer the convection in my Wolf, but for the money I originally paid ($2200), and the money you spent, it's a GREAT oven.

Gary, if hers has a blue interior, it isn't a current model, as their current model has gray or black interior. I had both.

I am extremely sorry to say that my Wolf oven now has its cobalt interior flaking and I ended up with a blue sliver in my hand last week that was no fun at all. At least the F&P only pitted and chipped without really leaving pieces that got into my skin. But I'm definitely beginning to think this may have to do with our weekly pizza baking, since it's happened with 2 F&Ps and now the Wolf.

I don't know about using oven cleaner on it, but imagine the no-fumes, milder kind might be OK. Those who have the non-self-clean MIeles may be of the most help with suggestions... I know Trailrunner advocates the use of baking soda to help soak off bad spills.

Thank you Gary! Yes, my F&P is discontinued as Rhome mentioned. It is model OD302SS. I will do some googling about the cleaners that are made for self cleaning ovens. My SIL has the electrolux...she got is a few years ago, so I will see if she has had any issues.

Rhome-Thanks for the response! I saw on your previous post that you do once a week pizza baking and you use aero pastry so I will have to try that, I am very excited! I will look into the baking soda...both here and I will google. I cannot believe what a mess I have on my oven floor already (top oven only...most used of course.) Oh well, at least you can tell my oven gets *used.* I have friends with incredible kitchens and everything is pristine...because they don't cook!

I think I saw in the manual I found online that you should not put ANYTHING on the oven floor. DH suggested we put foil on there but since I recalled reading that, I told him no way. Today I bought a "non stick oven liner" by "Chef's Planet" at Bed Bath and Beyond. I will link it below. Not sure if this is ok, I will do some research first.

Again, I appreciate the response. I have been lurking around this forum for well over two years and I always love your wisdom in your posts. Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: oven liner

Funny, I just saw the thread about oven cleaning and trailrunners suggestion about using baking soda. I see someone else asked about the liners I linked, but so far no one has responded. It says this in the F&P manual

"Do not use oven cleaners. No commercial oven cleaner or oven liner protective coating of any
kind should be used in or around any part of the oven."

Is there something different about the F&P oven that makes using a liner bad? Or do all oven manuals say the same thing, just to cover their butts in case something happens? Hmmm...think I will pop over to the appliance forum and poke around a bit. Will check here later to see if anyone has input on this topic. Thanks!

Saw your post and can honestly say that we own a single oven from F&P that has never worked properly. To be fair, when those ovens work they are great, but say a prayer if you need a repair. With both our F & P refrigerator and the oven the service was horrendous. Essentially you end up calling a company whose employees have zero training on F & P and try to wing it. Worst of all, the pleasant F & P phone rep will tell you that they are sending 'the white glove service' because you are so special. Anyways, follow up service is something to think about when you buy a New Zealand applicance...

We've had a F&P single wall oven for about 5 years and it's been great. At the time $2k seemed like so very much, but the reviews were quite good -- though I don't read as much about them now. And it was true convection. It also had those other settings, like Aero Pastry, that we often use.

Having read about problems with the self-cleaning mode, I have never used it and just tried to stay ahead of spills. We bake a lot -- and before the outdoor pizza oven, made pizza once a week for probably three of those five years. We still make pizza indoors when there's too much snow to trudge out to the wood-fired oven.

Perhaps because of all the pizza and other baking, I just leave my pizza stone on the rack on the lowest rung -- mine came with three racks, so that's easy to do. That way, most spills end up on the pizza stone and pretty readily clean off. It's a nice big 16" round stone, so it catches most drips. If I'm making something likely to spill, I'll put a sheet of parchment paper over the stone (we buy that stuff by the case from our local restaurant supply).

Bottom line, you'll love your new ovens. I'm always amazed by how well they hold the heat (aided, perhaps, by the pizza stone) and how well they cook and bake.

Congrats on your good find and your husband who was thinking as he was shopping!

Do not put any kind of liner on the oven floor.

For any kind of concealed element oven this can lead to warping and worse. If you want to use the liner, put it on a rack in the bottom position.

I've been trying to find out what has caused Rhome's trouble with the enamel, and so far have only found vague references to acids being potentially harmful and causing pitting. It might be the acid from tomatoes in the pizzas...or not.

You should always wipe out your self-cleaning oven after use, to get any loose juices and crumbs, and to prevent too thick of a build-up. The self-clean cycle is for the hard to get off stuff, not the general crud. Trailrunner's baking soda sprinkled on, covered and moistened with boiling water, then left overnight, really does work on charry messes. It's a chemical reaction. It works best with a liberal application of soda. Don't use the soda to scrub with when you clean it up--you don't want to clean your oven with an abrasive. Just pick it all up with a rag or sponge and use a wet sponge to get up the last bits. Don't scrub.

Very few people use their ovens as heavily as Rhome410. Dirtymartini, it sounds like you've gotten a fabulous deal on a good oven.

My pizzas don't spill and if anything spatters it'd be grease from the cheese, which I don't think is an issue either. Grease doesn't seem to be a problem, anyway, as I've covered the inside of the oven with it when roasting chicken and self-clean takes care of it beautifully with no damage or residue... I have wondered about sugar from pies and things...Maybe acids in fruit...

I have had pitting in 3 of 4 ovens. I will freely take on some of the responsibility for that, but one would think ovens should stand up to spills.

The 1st oven had some chipping, also, and I'm not sure that is the same as the pitting, nor is the splintering I have now with my Wolf. It's just frustrating, all in all. That part makes me wonder about the contribution of 3 or so hours of 525 temperatures for once a week pizza baking.

One thing I'm sure of... as Plllog already said, but bears repeating... NO LINERS in ANY hidden element oven. And I believe most oven manuals also advise against oven cleaner sprays, so F&P's approach in that regard would not make me wary.

Boy, Im sorry to here this Rhome. I would certainly contact Wolf. Please ESPECIALLY check your pizzas as I would be worried about something dropping into them, Hopefully the chipping is at the bottom of the oven/oven.

I gonna do some more research on "Oven Porcelain interior problems", and I will report back here what I find.

Gary

Glad you got such a great deal . You shouldn't have a mess in your oven already. You should wipe up spills after every use. Just use your soapy dish cloth . There will rarely be a need to use the baking soda and towel with boiling water. A few minutes after each use is worth everything. If you use high heat cooking it really is imperative to clean up immediately after as the baked on residue gets harder and harder to remove. I have used my ovens very hard for 6 yrs and they are almost new inside. I clean them quickly and easily.

My Mom's ovens looked new after 22 yrs of heavy use...lots of roasts etc and grease splatter. She never used her self clean...just wiped out after each use. Maintenance is the key. c

Trailrunner has it right about cleaning right away. In fact I may have just "Saved" our Elux oven, after the Thanksgiving Turkey "leaked" a bit onto the bottom of the oven.

Wife saw it, & said "I gonna run the Self-clean". There was only one lil spot on the bottom of the oven, but if you read Wolf's
care manual for the cobalt oven, You will see
that's a "No NO" to just run the self clean for such deposits.

I told her I would clean it for her, she said "No Biggie" and She did it herself,--that saved a lotta electricity and
"Fate tempting"

Anyway without "Further Ado" here is the wolf info, You should probably get that info for your oven manufacturer's
cleaning recommendations, sooooo U will have to decide how or whether to use this info on your particular oven!

As this will make my post pretty long, I will add more later in another post.

"Wolf Info"
"Oven Interior (Blue)
Before utilizing the self-clean feature, use a razor blade to gently lift baked on foods from oven cavity
and window. For stubborn stains,spray with a mild abrasive cleaner or spray degreaser
and scrub with a no-scratch Scotch-Brite� pad (pink or blue).
If stain persists, use Easy-Off� Fume Free Oven Cleaner or a S.O.S.� Steel Wool Soap Pad.
The S.O.S.� pad should be used lightly at first and with more force if the stain remains.
Wash the entire oven cavity with soap and water to remove all cleaning chemicals
before entering self clean mode. If the residue is not cleaned from the cavity,
etching of the porcelain may occur. Once self clean cycle is complete,
allow the oven to cool completely and wipe out ash with a damp cloth.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not allow food with a high sugar or acid content
(i.e. milk, tomatoes, fruit juices) to remain on any porcelain enamel surface.
Failure to remove these foods may cause a permanent dull spot.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Never wipe a warm or hot porcelain surface with a damp cloth or sponge
as this may cause chipping or crazing (hairline cracks)."

Gary

My splintered porcelain is on the bottom, front corners, and definitely not from spills. I contacted Wolf a couple weeks ago and sent pics. A new oven is on it's way.

I don't know about what you've found, Gary, but it's not what my Wolf manual says.

1) My manual does say to wipe up high sugar or high acid content spills with a dry cloth, and that failure to do so "may cause a permanent dull spot." That's a long ways from the porcelain dissolving to bare metal...?
(If you've overrun a pie onto the bottom of a hot oven, wiping with a dry cloth would not result in anything, but possible burns, as it immediately bubbles and burns.)

2) Info in my manual that opposes what you posted:
"IMPORTANT NOTE: Never use oven cleaners."
This is repeated in different wording later on the same page in red under a CAUTION heading:
"Do not use any commercial oven cleaners or oven liner protective coatings on or around any part of the oven."

3) It also says I should remove "any moist food or grease" before running self-clean. Of course, I do that. It says some flame-up may happen and is considered normal, which would indicate they expect something to be remaining on the oven surface when it's self-cleaned. There is nothing about using razor blades or degreasers.

I hope I didn't come off argumentative, or too short. My dd was waiting to regain the computer, so I had to write fast! ;-) Seems funny you found Wolf info that says one thing, Gary, and mine says, in some cases, the opposite. I just never expected to have to clean my oven in order to run self clean. I never did with my older appliances. The price of a hidden element? I think Dacor may have the answer with the removable glass over theirs?

Here ya go Rhome, I had a notion just to post the URL which is
the Wolf site, as you'll see when you click the link I supplied below. It would have made my post a lot shorter, but not wanting to see anybody go thru what you have, I decided to "Take the Longer Approach"!

Anyway click below to see where I got that info.

Gary

Here is a link that might be useful: Cleaning instructions for various Wolf Ovens

I would not use a razor blade on porcelain enamel. It would be too easy to score it and create a weak spot.

Rhome, If your self clean cycle is like mine, and if it goes over 900 degrees, I don't see how it can be the heat from the pizzas. The pitting could come from fruit acids from what I've been able to find out, and the pitting could lead to weakening of the enamel, but that's all speculation. You're absolutely right--the oven should hold up to actual use.

I agree with Trailrunner about the general cleaning, but I've had things unexpectedly bubble over and create a horrible, intractable burnt on mess. I've used the baking soda to loosen the thick crud before using the self-clean to get the rest. I've also had spots that didn't want to come off adhere to my stainless interior ovens and have found a steam cleaner to be very useful for restoring them to pristine. :)

My mother is talking about getting a small F&P for her second oven. I'm hoping it'll be as good.

plllog. I have seen you mention a steam cleaner before. What kind/model piece of equipment are you referring to ? I only know about steam carpet cleaners LOL. Just curious. c

Thanks, Gary... I guess I need to ask Wolf about the discrepancy between that document and my manual. But I'm not inclined to start taking a razor blade to my oven surface, regardless, for the reasons Plllog gave.

Plllog, I agree about pizza heat vs cleaning heat. But I just am trying to come up with a reason for the splintering on those curved areas...Was thinking it might have to do with higher heating and cooling on a place that, because of its shape, might get more stress. And most people don't self-clean once a week, so maybe the pizza baking is just more than it was planned for? Who knows.

There are all kinds of steam cleaners. My friend has a Ladybug that she says sucked all of the sealer out of her grout. I figured to start with a cheapie that I couldn't regret. I think it's labelled Wagner, but the same unit is sold by a few companies, mostly for removing wallpaper. :) I've found it excellent for loosening crud that gets into the texture of my floor tile, and for getting spots out of the ovens. I'm sure a better steamer would do the same job faster and better, but the cheapie, with a little patience, is turning out to be an excellent investment.

Mine came with a steam plate for wallpaper, a brush plate that looks a bit like the one for a canister vacuum, a squeegee end for windows, and some little round brushes for general cleaning, which includes a wire one, presumably for barbecue grates.

I still haven't gotten all of the spots out of the Advantium--they've been making me nuts. They're the kind that don't come off with elbow grease--not actual gunk, but memory of spatter--and they're too near the holes to use anything but damp. The steamer is the only thing that has worked, and I'm sure that with continued usage and determination I should be able to restore the oven to its shiny goodness. ;)

I had some drip-pattern discoloration of the enamel in my big oven after the self-clean following the crusty mess I mentioned above. There were no warnings about whitish spots in my manual, so I assumed I could get them off. With the steamer, I did. My hypothesis is that it's ash caught in the microtexture of the enamel, but that could be very wrong.

I agree about the razor, I actually did manage to scratch the surfact on that piece of junk smooth top I bought before getting induction, but I went ahead and posted the info,
"As is" from that pdf file.

I do think the part about not using a wet rag on a warm or hot surface , might have some "Merit" thou.
Reading up on these oven coatings, one site said they add glass to the porcelain, because regular porcelain can only withstand temps to about 450F, adding the glass brings it
up so it can withstand higher temps and infact to coat the oven cavity takes a temp of around 1150 F (or so the info claimed) that I found on the web. If you think about it, I would not put a cool rag up against anything made of glass that was hot, good chance you would "Shatter it", ya thinks?
sooooo Wolf's warning there could be important.

Anyway I post this info for the OP here, In the hopes She and her new P&K have a long happy life together, and she should refer to her Operator's manual as far as "F & P care and feeding go"!

Gary