The Oven

An oven is a large box that cooks food with heat. It has a door on the front and shelves inside. People use ovens to bake cookies, cakes, and bread. They also roast chicken, pizza, and other yummy foods.

How Ovens Work

Most ovens today use gas or electricity to make heat. You set the temperature with a dial or buttons. The inside gets very hot, sometimes over 400 degrees. Hot air fills the space and cooks the food evenly. When the timer beeps, your food is ready to eat.

Ovens Long Ago

The first ovens were made thousands of years ago. Ancient people dug holes in the ground and built fires in them. Later, ovens were made of brick or clay. In the 1800s, iron stoves with ovens became popular in homes. The first electric oven was invented in 1892.

Fun Facts

• Some ovens clean themselves by heating up very hot to burn off food.
• A microwave oven cooks food using tiny invisible waves.
• Pizza ovens in Italy can get hotter than 800 degrees.

Did You Know?

The ancient Egyptians used ovens to bake bread more than 5,000 years ago.