How to change the time on your oven – Bosch, Electrolux, AEG, Smeg and LG

Whether it's daylight savings, a power cut, or even a shiny new appliance, knowing how to change the time on an oven means you'll never have to deal with irritating flashing numbers when you walk into the kitchen – or a clock that constantly shows the wrong time.

Despite the fact the time changes twice every year, it still catches us out, especially with our modern devices resetting automatically. Our ovens are one of the few things that we have to change manually.

Here's how to change the time on your oven, with step-by-step instructions for some of the most popular brands.

How to change the time on an oven

Changing the time on an oven is something we only ever do now and then, compared to cleaning an oven, which we should be doing more often. So it's easy to forget how to do it, but a good job done as part of a spring cleaning and home maintenance checklist. 

It depends on how old the oven is and whether the clock is analog or digital, but most ovens have a clock button that can you press once or hold down to edit the time. Most ovens also indicate that the time is in edit mode by having the numbers blink.

Bosch

1. Press the 'Menu' button
2. Select 'Basic settings' from the options.
3. Click on 'Time' to access the time settings.
4. Use the control ring or dial (depending on what oven you have) to adjust the time
5. Save your changes by pressing the 'Menu' button and selecting 'Save'

'Armed with the following five tips, you should be able to set the clock on your Bosch oven with ease!' says Lucy Bye from Bosch. 'It's important to note that your Bosch oven must be switched on for you to set the clock. If the oven isn't turned on, the clock won't have power and you won't be able to set the time.

'Also, if your oven has been switched off at the mains due to a power cut or to save energy, the clock will need to be reset,' Lucy adds. 'If you have trouble setting the clock, you can refer to your Bosch oven's manual for guidance. Alternatively, you can contact the Bosch customer service hotline for assistance.

'Happy cooking!'

Electrolux

I have an Electrolux oven with three circular buttons, and changing the time took me a matter of seconds. The button on the left turns the clock backward, and the button on the right turns it forward, while the middle button allows you to change the function.

First, press the middle button until a clock icon appears, and then set the clock to the correct time. If the time was correct before, you'll just need to hold down the button on the right to 'spring forward' an hour.

Millie Hurst

Millie Hurst the section editor of Homes & Gardens, oversees the Solved section, which provides readers with practical advice for their homes. Millie has written about and tried out countless cleaning and DIY hacks in the six years since she became a journalist, and has worked in both London and New York. She is currently completing a diploma in interior design with the Interior Design Institute.

AEG

'If you have one of our 9000 Series SteamPro Ovens, simply turn the oven on, use the Command Wheel to scroll to the "Menu" and then press the Command Wheel to confirm your choice,' says Natasha Sweet, Product Specialist at AEG.

'You can then use the wheel to select "Basic Settings" followed by "Time of Day" and then update to the correct time. Once the oven has been turned off, the correct time will then display on the screen. On our touch control pads, like the 7000 Series Steamcrisp Oven with Pyrolytic Cleaning, use the up and down arrow buttons to select "Settings" followed by "Time of Day." You can then select the correct hour/ minute to reset.'

For AEG ovens with rotary dials, press the clock function button until the clock symbol appears. Then, use either the + and - buttons or the dial to adjust to the correct time. 

'Make sure that you click the clock button to switch between hour and minutes! If you have our touchscreen model, you can leave it for a few minutes and the timer will set itself, otherwise press the clock button to set,' says Natasha.

'Finally, with our free-standing cookers, all you need to do is press the clock function button until the clock symbol appears and then use the + and – buttons to set the time and using the clock function button to switch between hours and minutes. Wait for a few seconds and the timer will set itself.'

Smeg

'For range cookers with manual controls, you’ll see five keys at the front of the appliance. These consist of the minute miner key, the cooking duration key, the end of cooking key, the decrease and increase key,' says Alice Snow, home economist at Smeg UK. 'The time needs to be set in order for the oven to turn on. On first use, the screen will show 0:00 digits. 

'Press the cooking duration key and the end of cooking key at the same time. Once the dot in the display flashes, it’s then possible to set the time using the increase and decrease keys. Wait for the flashing dot to go idle. The cooking duration key illuminators will indicate that the oven is ready to be used.'

To adjust the time on a Smeg Victoria oven, Alice recommends holding the left control to the right for three seconds, flicking the dial to set the hour and pressing in to select. Flick the dial to select the minutes and then press in once again to set the clock.

Those with a Smeg dialed oven should hold the dial to the right for three seconds. Flick the dial to set the hour and press in to select, then flick the dial to select the minutes, and then press in once again to set the clock.

Last of all, for changing the time on a Smeg VIVO oven, lightly touch the time in the top right-hand corner of the display screen, this will bring up the time adjustment settings. Scroll for the desired hour then scroll to the desired minute. Press the tick in the bottom right hand corner to confirm your choice.

LG

The LG team shared the following instructions:

• Press the 'clock' button on the control panel
• Enter the time
• Press 'start' to accept the change
• The default clock is in 12-hour format. To select 24-hour format, go into the oven's 'Setting' menu and toggle through until 'CLO 12' comes up on the display
• Press '1' to toggle between the 12- or 24-hour format and then press 'Start' to accept the change

FAQs

It may seem a small detail, but ensuring the clock tells the right time means it's actually useful, while setting an orderly tone for cool, calm, and collected thoughts while preparing dinner.