Oven
"An oven is a highly heated iron box used for cooking." This definition is given by the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language" by SI Ozhegov and N. Yu. Shvetsova in the 2002 edition. We hope that after reading this chapter, you will no longer consider the oven to be a simple iron box. A modern oven is a device full of high-tech elements. An electronic control system that allows you to keep in memory dozens of recipes for dishes, materials that ensure the concentration of heat in a limited volume of the cavity, coatings of the inner walls that guarantee not only a long service life of the cabinet under "hot" operating conditions, but also the ability to self-clean the walls ... All this makes the oven a real gem of the home collection of household appliances.
Oven Anatomy
To get a better look at what's inside the oven, we will use its training model, in which glowing tubes are laid along the heating elements. Due to the fact that half of the rear wall is removed, we can see the annular heating element and the fan impeller located behind it. And one more visual result of the preparation of the oven: the thermal insulation of the oven became clearly visible in the cut of the side wall. This is one of the elements that serve to preserve heat in its cavity: the heat will not go outside - and the pies will be fluffy, and the furniture around the oven will not suffer. Fiberglass and reflective aluminum foil prevent heat from escaping. And so that it does not slip through the metal elements of the structure, many tricks have been invented: for example, the inner chamber of Zanussi ovens is in contact with the supporting frame only at four points.
The lower and upper heating elements (or, as they are sometimes called by manufacturers, the lower and upper heat) are needed to warm up the oven cavity. Ovens in which there are only these heating elements are called static. The air in such an oven moves under the action of natural convection: heated - up, cold - down. Unfortunately, this unhurried movement is sometimes not enough for uniform heating of the cavity.Therefore, behind the rear wall of the oven, an annular heating element with a fan is placed, which sets in motion hot air, driving it into the most secluded corners of the cavity. Uniform heating and excellent baking results are guaranteed! An oven with such a heating element is called ventilated.
A number of manufacturers offer their exclusive solutions for ventilation of the oven cavity. For example, Neff ovens have the original CircoTherm system, which, thanks to special ventilation holes in the walls of the cavity, provides a directed circulation of hot air. The result: the pores in food close faster, which means meat and other foods remain juicy, and the smells of different foods do not mix. The CircoTherm mode is ideal for preparing several dishes at different levels.
Light for every level
Since we are talking about the electrical equipment of the oven, let's not forget, for example, the backlight lamp. Good lighting is especially important when several dishes are being cooked at different levels at the same time, and you need to keep an eye on each one. For example, the Bosch Comfort series ovens have two lamps so that nothing escapes the hostess's field of vision. In this case, the SoftLight function allows you to intensify or dim the glow of halogen lamps.
Even more interesting is the solution to the problem of illumination of all levels in Neff ovens: the exclusive NeffLight system directs the light of the illumination lamps into the cavity using a mirror system mounted in the door. In such an oven, no corner of the cavity will remain in the shade.
Hot inside, cold outside
The cooling system of the outer glass of the oven door deserves a special talk. To retain heat in the cavity, the door glazing is made multi-layer. Today you won't surprise anyone with two glasses. Three or even four glasses - this is a set worthy of an extra-class oven.
Multi-layer glazing of the door solves the problem of its cooling. The fan located in the upper part of the case draws in cold air from the kitchen, which, firstly, passes between the glass of the door, and secondly, flows around the outside of the lower and rear walls of the cavity. Air escapes through the gap between the control panel and the door.
The flat air flow seems to slide tangentially over the upper plane of the cooled oven; therefore, this cooling is often called tangential. Systems for tangential cooling of ovens from different manufacturers have their own "proprietary" features. For example, in Zanussi ovens, a new cooling method “Double circulation” is applied, when hot and cold air inside the fan is separated. Thanks to this, both the energy consumption and the temperature on the front panels of the oven have decreased, and the fan noise level, which now does not exceed 47 dB.
The advanced DCS + cooling system of Gorenje ovens also significantly reduces the temperature of the side walls and door. By the way, don't be surprised if the cooling fan continues to run even after the oven has been turned off. The heat sensor with the "Cool down" function is activated after the end of the cooking process and does not allow the fan to stop until the temperature in the oven cavity has dropped to 75 ° C.
How much will the counter wind up?What power do all these heating elements and light bulbs consume? A summary of the energy consumption of the various components of the oven, made by the specialists of the Electrolux concern, is given in table. one.
Table 1
Oven element Power, W
Grill heating element 1900
Upper heating element 1000
Lower heating element 1000
Ring heating element 2400
Convection fan 40
Cooling fan 25
Backlight 40
Side illumination lamp 25
Total 6430
It turned out a lot. But the list is not complete: many models have an electric motor for rotating the spit, there are ovens with a built-in microwave source.Of course, all the heating elements do not turn on at the same time, but the kitchen also has a hob, an extractor hood, a refrigerator, and a dishwasher ... It is not surprising that, as service specialists say, on New Year's Eve in areas of elite buildings with a high concentration household appliances (add saunas and jacuzzis to the list), like Rublevka near Moscow, electric wires literally "boil". In European countries, the use of special switching devices has recently become the norm, which make sure that the load on the power supply does not approach the peak and do not allow the washing machine to be turned on if the oven is running. Let's hope that such “smart” systems will appear in our homes as well.
From roast beef to pizza
The presence in modern ovens of as many as four heating elements, a fan, and sometimes a built-in microwave source, give the home cook such a set of tools with which to realize the most exquisite culinary fantasies.
Let's start our acquaintance with the operating modes of the oven from the classic: static mode, when the upper and lower heating elements are involved. At the same time, baking and frying are carried out on the first level (for those who do not know: the levels on which trays or grates with food are located in the oven are counted from the bottom up). You can make a variety of pastries, lasagne, fish casseroles, and stuffed vegetables.
The small grill mode is intended for cooking flat food (toast, schnitzels, steaks, fish, etc.) in the center of the rack on the 4th level. When grilling flat food, turn it over after about half the cooking time. For example, bread toasts must be fried for 2-3 minutes on each side, toast-sandwiches - for 6-8 minutes on each side, and pork fillet - for 10-12 minutes on both sides.
If we use the upper heating element together with the grill, we get the "large grill" mode, which will allow you to fry more food than the "small grill". Here you cannot do without a baking sheet for collecting fat, which must be placed under the wire shelf with the food to be fried.
Further more. In addition to the two upper heating elements, we turn on the ring heating element with a fan. This mode is called "infra-grill" (or "infra-grill") and is good for cooking large cuts of meat, poultry, breaded products, casseroles. Thanks to the fan operation, there is no need to turn flat food, but once you start cooking french fries, you will not be able to leave the kitchen: you will have to turn the potatoes 2-3 times.
Unlike the static mode, which is ideal for lean meats and fish, the infrarill is intended for all other meats, including those that are quite fatty. Here is an example of cooking: roast beef with blood is cooked in this mode for 5-7 minutes at a temperature of 190-200 ° C (and using the static mode would require warming up to 250-270 ° C).
The "ventilated oven" mode, when three heating elements work - upper, lower and ring - plus the fan, perhaps, has the richest capabilities. It is no coincidence that in ovens of some brands (for example, AEG-Electrolux) it is called the Profi mode. Goulash and biscuits, pizza and chicken - the list of dishes that can be prepared in this mode will make up the menu of a decent restaurant. Set the baking tray or wire shelf on the 2nd or 3rd level, depending on the height of the products that are placed on them.
And if you also start the microwaves in the oven? Such oven models are available, for example, Siemens HB 89E.5. The list of dishes will become even more extensive: here there is a loin on the bone, and meatloaf, and fish fillets, and grain meal ... At the same time, depending on the operating mode, the built-in microwave oven saves up to 80% of time and up to 50% of energy. The automation of such an oven has 51 programs, of which there are as many as 26 baking modes alone.
But even without microwaves, an electric oven has a lot of useful modes. Gourmet mode of AEG-Electrolux ovens (Fig.9), in which the lower and circular heating elements with a fan are involved, allows you to achieve an appetizing crisp crust, fry well, bake the dish, and at the same time, due to convection, reduce the cooking time by 20-25%.
Another interesting mode: “multi? hot air". It is designed for baking on several levels of the oven at once, while only the most powerful, ring, heating element and fan (convector) are involved. In this mode, you can bake butter cookies at 140–160 ° C in just 20–40 minutes.
Solo? hot air "differs in that the upper and lower heating elements and the fan work, but the ring heating element does not. Is this the best setting for crispy pies, pizza, cheesecakes, etc.? e. Products are placed only on one level, for example, a puff pastry fruit pie is baked on the third “floor”, and at a temperature of 160-170 ° C it will be ready in 40 minutes.
The reduced power modes allow you not to cook in the oven, but to defrost or reheat food or just the dishes before serving. For example, in defrosting mode, only the fan works, and the temperature does not exceed 30 ° C.
The heating mode allows you to maintain a temperature of 60 ° C in the oven. In this case, the upper and lower heating elements work alternately. In Candy ovens, this function is called "Bain Marie".
In order to bring the products to readiness, which should have a crispy crust, you can use only the lower heating element of the oven.
Low-temperature modes include such an exclusive from Neff as the "Fermentation" mode. In the cavity of the oven, ideal conditions are created for the fermentation of yeast dough, which turns out to be elastic, not aerated and easy to process. This mode is also great for making yoghurt at home.
Autopilot for oven
The main advantage of modern ovens is the presence of pre-entered modes in their electronic memory that ensure optimal cooking of a certain dish. The user can enter the necessary adjustments in them, and in a number of models create his own program. For example, AEG-Electrolux ovens have the Pizza, Baking and Poultry programs. In the first two programs, the user is offered the cooking temperature, which, if desired, can be changed within ± 10 ° C. If you have chosen the "Poultry" program, the oven will ask you to set not the temperature, but the weight of the product: say, 1.3 kg, which you can change in the range from 0.5 to 2.9 kg.
The Ariston Experience ovens feature the new “8 Chef fast” function, which cooks food in record time. Ovens with the "8 Chef fast" function also offer standard cooking programs: "Traditional", "3-level Multi Cooking" (simultaneous cooking of several dishes on 3 levels), "Barbecue" ("Shish kebab"), "Gratin" (Ventilated Grill), Pastries (Pastry Oven), Pizza and the new Rising function for raising yeast dough.
Steam power
Our story about the capabilities of modern ovens would be incomplete without mentioning the recent steam cooking functions.
In fact, the steam generated during cooking has always caused trouble for oven designers. After all, he went out into the kitchen space, which increased the humidity of the air in it. Elegant solutions have been found to "intercept" this vapor. So, under the "ceiling" of the cavity of the Zanussi ovens of the Access family, a special condensation chamber is made in which moisture is collected. Having got rid of it, dry air returns to the cavity, due to which a constant humidity level is maintained in the oven. Products do not lose moisture, which has a beneficial effect on their taste.
Another thing is that steam can be made to work in the oven. Dietary methods of steam cooking are becoming more and more popular these days.With this method of heat treatment, heating occurs delicately, at a temperature of 95-98 ° C, more nutrients, vitamins and minerals are retained in the products, they do not dry out, you can cook without fats and besides, several dishes at once, since they do not exchange odors.
In short, the appearance of the "Steam" function in the list of oven modes was only a matter of time. For example, in the Electrolux EOB 998 Steam oven, at the control panel level, there is a container into which 0.7 liters of water is poured (Fig. 14). Through the tube, water flows to a steam generator located in the lower part of the cavity. After about 2 minutes, the 1800 W generator heats the water to 96 ° C and vaporization begins. This temperature is automatically maintained in the cavity. The steam removal process takes place 5 minutes before the end of cooking. This is necessary so that a cloud of steam does not escape from the appliance when the door is opened.
Neff ovens are equipped with the Mega System for steam cooking. With this set, you can cook up to eight portions or different dishes at the same time. It is very easy to do this: just place the Mega baking tray on the lower level, pour in some water and place a perforated baking tray with food on top. It remains only to close the glass cover and turn on the lower heating element at a temperature of 150 ° C. The steam circulating in a closed loop ensures gentle cooking.
The rich have their own ovensSeveral models of combined oven-steamers are produced under the elite brand Gaggenau. An interesting function of these devices is the "steam boost", when a metered portion of moisture is supplied to the products. This is useful for reheating frozen or dried baked goods and bread. The presence of such a function pleases, there remains only one question: how often stale bread is steamed in families whose wealth allows them to purchase a household appliance worth several thousand euros?
But another built-in product from Gaggenau will certainly be needed in such families: this is a wardrobe for warming dishes WS 260, in which you can prepare at least six sets of deep and shallow plates for serving at a temperature of 30 to 80 ° C.
Imagine having a dinner party in your home with many guests. It is difficult to serve hot to everyone at the same time, and for those who were served first, the dish may cool down by the end of serving. There is a way out: serve the table with heated empty plates that will keep the heat. None of the guests will be offended.
Pleasant amenitiesIt is estimated that the hostess spends up to 25% of her total time in the kitchen at the stove. Therefore, the ease and convenience of handling the stove will be very useful for her. The best designers of manufacturing firms carefully work out every bend of the oven handle or door hinge. There are no trifles here.
Here's an example: pulling trays out of the oven. There are very interesting findings in this area. The Vario CLOU runner system for Neff ovens opens up space for the hostess for individual creativity. New telescopic rails can be installed or removed in seconds. They are equipped with protective pads to prevent damage to the back wall and a device to prevent the trays from tipping over when you slide them forward. Thus, there is no need to stick your hand into the hot oven to check, for example, the degree of cooking of a pie or casserole.
Siemens ovens use a complete pull-out cart. Baking trays, grates and trays are hung on the door and when the oven is opened they move out with it. Both hands of the hostess remain free in order to pour the roast, and ready meals are conveniently removed from above. Some oven models have a side pull-out baking sheet as an optional accessory.
The pull-out trolley was invented back in 1977, and today, in ovens with the softMatic function, it has learned to slide out by itself. Just press the button and the cart will gently slide forward. Pressing the second key - and it slides back just as smoothly.
Speaking of buttons, they are beginning to give way to sensors. Until recently, touch control systems were the privilege of glass ceramic hobs. Today they also appear on ovens. The Ariston Experience ovens, which we have already mentioned, and the new models of Gorenje ovens, for example, the B50EP oven, are equipped with such touch panels.
As for the liquid crystal displays, these days, such an indication system on the oven control panel is no longer surprising. Today it is difficult to find another parameter that would not be reflected on the LCD. The design of the symbols that appear on such a display is developed with the participation of psychologists, so they are easy for the user to remember. As computer scientists say, the device interface is intuitive.
Among the numerous parameters displayed on the display, there may be the temperature inside the piece of meat that is baked in the oven. This is possible if your oven is equipped with a temperature probe. Why, in fact, climb inside the piece? It turns out that the temperature difference in the oven cavity and inside a piece of meat can reach 50 ° C. Accurate measurement of this temperature allows you to cook a meat dish with exactly the degree of roast that the hostess wants. Errors will be excluded.
(a source
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