Monthly Archives: November 2010

The Pluses of Convection Ovens for Roasting That Turkey and Doing Your Other Holiday Baking

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Whether it’s meats like golden, roast turkey, maple-glazed ham or crusty and juicy crown rib roast … roast vegetables like sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts or butternut squash … or pies, cookies, pastries and breads, many of your favorite roasted and/or baked holiday foods will benefit greatly from the use of a convection oven.

Convection ovens use a fan or fans to circulate hot air within the oven compartment which evens out the cooking temperature throughout the entire oven compartment, encourages more even browning, speeds cooking and allows the use of lower cooking temperatures. Some “true convection” or “European convection” ovens go one step further and an additional heating element specifically to heat the air being circulated in the oven, rather than relying solely on the heating elements in the oven floor to heat the air being circulated by the fan(s).

A general rule of thumb when using convection mode is to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and cut the cooking time by approximately 25 percent when adjusting recipes intended for convection ovens. However, you may need to experiment with some of your favorite recipes when baking/roasting in convection mode to get the cooking time and temperature adjusted perfectly. Roast meats, especially when crisp skin is desired as with holiday turkey, benefit from the even browning and dry heat provided by convection cooking. Roast vegetable also caramelize more evenly when prepared in a convection oven. Similarly, baked goods such as breads, rolls, pies, pastries, tarts and cookies benefit from the use of convection, with less risk of scorched bottoms and uneven browning. The increased baking speed and efficiency are also big pluses, when you are using the oven for extended periods, such as when you are baking multiple batches of holiday cookies.

Whether you need a wall oven, double wall oven, combination wall oven/microwave, or are looking for a range (including freestanding, slide-in or drop-in models), you can find a variety of models offering convection cooking.  Likewise, convection mode is available on gas and electric ovens, as well as gas, electric, induction and dual fuel ranges. If you’re hosting one or more holiday events this year, or you will be doing a lot of holiday baking for friends, family and coworkers, you might want to upgrade to the benefits for convection cooking this year.

Ranges and Cooktops: Five Burners Are Better Than Four, When You’re Cooking For The Holidays

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It doesn’t matter if you want a range or a cooktop, or if your preference is for a gas, electric, dual fuel or induction model. When it comes to holiday cooking, five burners are usually better than four burners. Similarly, if you’re in the market for a professional grade range or cooktop, six or even eight burner models give you more flexibility, but that versatility comes at a higher price.

It’s simple. The more burners a range or cooktop has, the more items can be cooked at the same time.  That’s a big plus when you’re preparing a large holiday meal for a large crowd. It’s even more important if you host more than one big holiday event for family and friends, or if you entertain big groups regularly throughout the year.

However, not all ranges and cooktops are created equal. Depending of the price range and the size of the cooktop/range, the layout and size of the burners in a five burner cooktop/range can vary greatly.  Some range and cooktop models may have a low output burner located in the center of the cooking surface that is suited to only slow simmering  with two high output and two standard burners surrounding it. Other models may have an oversized high output center burner that can be used with a wok ring for wok cooking and for use with the largest stock pots. Still other models may have an oval or specialty burner in the center of the cooking surface that can be interchanged with other accessory modules like optional grills or griddles.

Depending on the width of the range or cooktop and the burner layout, the size and capacity of the pots and pans that will fit may vary quite a bit. Two Dutch ovens, a 10-inch skillet and two sauce pans may comfortably fit on one 30-inch five-burner cooktop or range, but not on another. Larger 36-inch, 48-inch and even larger professional ranges with 5, 6 or 6+ burners are also available, but will usually require major kitchen renovations to accommodate their larger dimensions.

If you’re going to be hosting one or more holiday parties at your home this year, you may want to consider upgrading your range or cooktop. Selecting a model with one or more additional burners makes a lot of sense. Consider it a gift for yourself, and one that will make your life a little easier when you’ve got a house full of people to feed.