Best use for convection oven...cooking or baking?
nrtighe
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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Heat source for a wok & best oven for baking/baking stone use?
Comments (14)Judy, it's not so much the higher wattage on the medium burners that you need as on the big one. You should be able to use a flat bottomed wok on that and get plenty of power. I understand shy, but they really are there to help you. The Miele showroom in Beverly Hills is an especially friendly space, and considering its location I have to think that that's corporate policy! Hm... above statement was made without thinking through your way of cooking. The wattage on the mediums is important if you have a really big pan that you're transferring from the wok into, so want to wok on one of the smaller burners. If you're not ready to cook something yourself in the showroom, ask for a personal demonstration. Even boiling water should give you a good idea about the heat and responsiveness. Could you work up the courage to make an appointment and go watch the salesman or chef use the unit? Or get a pushy friend to come along and speak for you? It's important for you to be happy with your choices, and one of the best ways to do that is to actually see the appliances in action. Re gas, yes, you can use the wok burner with a grill plate, but there are single sided ones that you can easily use on induction. Also, some of the double sided ones with shallower edges work okay as well, at least on some cooktops. I have always roasted eggplants and peppers on the gas flame to get them charred on the outside and not overcooked on the inside (a distinction which may just show up my lacks as a cook in not being able to do this in an oven). I have a little barbecue grate that's made for the purpose. It's a trick that's not for the faint of cleaning, however. Nolamom, the magnet test is a great way to assess whether the pots you have will work with induction, but if you're buying new it's probably worth your while to get pots that are known to work particularly well. Since I already have a lot of Le Creuset (works great with '60's coils, gas and induction all and I love the enamel), I don't know the specifics. Do a search here and you'll find recommendations. Some steel cookware has different amounts of steel in the sides of the pan and the bottom, so it cooks a little differently than one that's all the same. Some have more steel than others. Etc. Cast iron is pretty much cast iron, though weight and thickness will effect the way a particular pan works in comparison to another. Enamel shouldn't matter (it's an insulator but I haven't heard that it impedes magnetism). I have a little Turkish coffee pot which is stainless but doesn't attract a magnet at all. I can't remember if I tested it on Mr. Induction (all this stuff is packed for demo), but I'm pretty sure it won't work. :) Anyway, what I'm trying to say is if you're buying something new, make sure it will work well rather than just work....See MoreTemperature difference for baking with convection?
Comments (10)I look at convection as a tool. It has the following effects. It is drying, superficially, which is beneficial in making things crispy or in dehydrating food. It moves air and heat around so that the oven and what is in it will have greater heat transfer so may cook faster and more evenly. Convection ovens are very different from each other, so I can't see following any blanket rules. It is trial and error to see how your oven will work. Some have convection elements that come on in different ways, dual fans, varying fan speeds and amount of time they are on, and baffling that directs the air differently. These effects in my view are most beneficial for things that you want accelerated browning and crispiness like meats, vegetables, pies/tarts, some pastries and some cookies. I don't use it for things that need to raise at least for the first part of cooking time because they need a little humidity to allow the best raise, so I feel that you want to avoid the drying effect of convection. This is also why it is thought that an electric oven is superior for baking cakes. It is more of a closed system so that the humidity builds a little more than with a gas oven. Due to the differences in these ovens, many people can bake with convection for items that need to raise and it can work but IMO is not optimum. Some ovens even have such air flow that a cake or muffins can be blown over. You can add the convection back after the item has raised if you want to to allow the item to brown a little better. As far as your oven I would get an oven thermometer and make sure that your oven is calibrated correctly. Baked beans might benefit from convection by heating quicker and they may reduce quicker. This will also be influenced by how much surface is open to the air and if you stir it. The fact that yours did not cook quicker makes me think your oven may need calibrating. With bacon on the top consider using the convection roast mode that will bring more heat from the top. I used a Profile convection this summer in a beach rental and was surprised that the temperature was automatically dropped in the oven. If I set a convection mode for 375, the number would drop to 350 immediately when set. The conventional bake did not do that. The fan seemed to come on and off more so may not be as drying....See MoreConvection Baking Pork Shank In Elux Oven
Comments (10)There is no difference in current American English between "bake" and "roast". People used to talk about baked meats all the time. England used to be famous for its roast meats, which were spit roasted and constantly basted. They cooked by baking. As John.com said, a lot of appliance manufacturers use "roast" for top heat and "bake" for bottom heat, but that doesn't have a lot of meaning outside of knowing the name of the function for setting your oven correctly. The biggest difference in actual cooking is that "roast" is applied to things that already exist as solid foods, like meats and vegetables, and which are getting caramelized in the cooking (hence the use of the word for the top heat, but top heat isn't necessary to "roast"). Bake applies to anything that cooks in the hot air inside an oven but is most often used for things that start as liquidy thing and use some chemistry to become something different, like bread, cake and casseroles, but it really can be anything....See MoreWolf Gas Range oven cooking too fast
Comments (3)Are you using the convection setting? The top element stays on all the time and a fan circulates air to speed up cooking. Regular bake is when the knob is set to the right. Convection is to the left....See Moreplllog
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