The Perfection of Convection
The Perfection of Convection – Expand Your Menu Options!
My clients often ask me about convection ovens. Sometimes, they have had a convection oven for years but never even tried the convection setting. Here is a quick tutorial about how these ovens can make your life easier.
Science snapshot: convection ovens have a third heating element that is wrapped around a fan at the back. Heat flows evenly over all the racks (unlike traditional electric or gas radiant ovens with heating elements just on top and bottom.)
Advantages:
- You can use ALL the racks simultaneously
- You never need to change position of the racks to ensure even cooking
- You can cook a pan of fish, a casserole of brussell sprouts, and a tray of cookies at the same time (as long as all items require the same temperature)
- The aromas and flavors will not mingle because the direction of the airflow is from the front of the oven to the back
- Reduced cooking time or temperature saves energy
Don’t worry about converting a recipe written for a conventional oven. It’s easy! Simply reduce the temperature by 50 degrees or reduce cooking time by 25%. When baking, use the lower temperature option so the dough has time to rise. That’s it, no formula necessary.
Imagine Thanksgiving – green beans, extra stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pies cooking at the same time on all the oven racks. You can add dishes sequentially for the right cooking time and have everything piping hot an ready at once. The convenience, time savings, and lower energy use is well worth the higher price!
To learn more, order Kitchen Appliances 101 at Amazon.com
How to Choose the Right Appliances:
Consider your maximum (not minimum) requirements. Ask yourself, “What is the maximum number of guests I would like to cook for? How many and what kinds of dishes would I like to make? Picture yourself making a celebration dinner with your favorite menu, easily, with minimum time required. This will help you decide key features:
+ How many burners will you need?
+ How close are the burners – do they accommodate your widest saute pan and your largest pot?
+ Do you need more than one oven – what size will work for what that perfect menu?
+ What about options like warming drawers, grills, steamers, or wok burners?
+ Would a convection oven expand your menu options?
To learn more, order Kitchen Appliances 101 at Amazon.com
Does your kitchen need a second sink?
Many kitchens today, especially large ones, are being designed with a secondary sink station. But it’s not enough just to have a second sink, where you place it is just as important. When placed correctly, a food preparation sink is incredibly beneficial. It literally doubles the functionality of a kitchen without adding to the square footage. It also allows multiple cooks to work in comfort simultaneously. And it prevents dirty dishes from getting in the cook’s way or forcing him/her to stop in the middle of a task in order to clean out the sink so it can be used.
Read More»Great Design at Affordable Prices
Most of us have always made purchasing decisions—especially big ones—with a careful eye on getting value for our money. Intrinsic in the idea of value is the intersection between what something costs and what it is actually worth.
It used to be that design was only for the high end of the construction market. Affluent homeowners were clients, modest homeowners were consumers (with all the distinctions between service and product that that implies).
Read More»Welcome
Welcome to my kitchen design blog. As a cook (since age 7) and kitchen designer (since 2002), I believe that kitchens should be both functional and beautiful. For others who like to cook and entertain in a space that works well and accomodates friends, I offer advice, tips, inspiration, and perhaps the occasional rant.
Thank you, Moorea Hoffman