Oven appliance and a method for operating an oven appliance

A method for operating an oven appliance, the oven appliance including a cooking chamber for receipt of food items for cooking, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a cook mode of the oven appliance;
• measuring a temperature Tinitial;
• initiating a preheat cycle of the oven appliance;
• counting a time tpre;
• measuring a temperature Tpre;
• determining whether the difference between temperature Tpre and temperature Tinitial is at least a value Tbase and, if so, then
• recording a time tthr;
• determining whether the cooking chamber of the oven appliance is heavily loaded and, if so, then
• notifying a user of the oven appliance.

An oven appliance, comprising:

• a cabinet, the cabinet defining a cooking chamber configured for receipt of food items for cooking;
• a heating element configured to heat the cooking chamber;
• a fan;
• and
• a controller in operative communication with the heating element and the fan, the controller configured for
• establishing a cook mode of the oven appliance;
• measuring a temperature Tinitial;
• initiating a preheat cycle of the oven appliance;
• counting a time tpre;
• determining whether time tpre has reached a threshold time tthr and, if so, then
• measuring a temperature Tthr;
• determining whether the cooking chamber of the oven appliance is heavily loaded and, if so, then
• notifying a user of the oven appliance.