 |
 |
|||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
| Cooking is likely to be a major preoccupation in millions of U.S.
households this week as Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving by
consuming vast quantities of turkey, sweet potatoes, and other traditional
holiday foods. In some of those households, new high-technology ovens,
such as the GE Advantium pictured above, have replaced conventional ovens
in the kitchen. The new ovens, which are also made by several other
manufacturers (see below) were introduced several years ago. They
cook foods as fast or faster than microwave ovens, while crisping and browning
in ways that microwaves cannot match. Microwave ovens are great for
reheating left-overs or heating prepared foods quickly, but as anyone who
has used one knows, they cannot replace conventional (gas or electric)
ovens for most baking and cooking tasks.
The new ovens combine high-intensity halogen lights or jets of super-hot air with microwaves, in microprocessor controlled systems to produce results as good or better than conventional ovens in a fraction of the time. These ovens don't require preheating. They use timed bursts of energy to heat evenly while forming crusts on the outside of the food to seal in flavors. While the advantages of this technology are substantial, consumers, so far, have not rushed to replace their old conventional or microwave ovens with the new devices. In fact, at least one upscale manufacturer, Jenn-Air, appears to have dropped out of the field (as suggested by the fact that its "Accelis" oven is no longer on the company's web site). The reason, it seems, is economics. The new ovens cost considerably more than conventional ovens or microwaves. So far, at least, the time saved and other advantages do not seem to justify the extra cost. |
|
 = highly recommended
"Now You're Cooking: The New Generation of Super-Hot Ovens," by Colleen Anderson, Technocopia (November 25, 1999). Reviews several types of new high-tech ovens; includes a companion article describing how the technologies work. "High Tech Kitchens," by Christine Arpe Gang, The Corpus Christie [Texas] Caller-Times (March 3, 2001). Includes a discussion of fast-cook ovens among various other innovations. "Cooking at the Speed of Light," product advice from ImproveNet.com (undated).
General Electric Company's Advantium home page. Information about the technology for the potential customer, recipes, and more. The JIM (Jet Impingement Microwave) Oven from KRh Thermal Systems, LLC. Capable of "baking, browning, crisping, and rethermalizing [sic] a full range of food products," this oven is evidently aimed at restaurants and other commercial food service organizations. The Thermador CM Oven. Combines convection, microwave, and radiant heat to reduce cooking time by 50 percent. Flashbake Ovens. These ovens use a computer-controlled combination of visible and infrared technology to direct energy both into and onto the food. |
E-mail your tidbit suggestions to ateich@aaas.org.Search for more information about super-fast ovens on:
Site Map Tech & Future, 8e Resources Bookstore Al's Homepage Tidbit Archive Home What's New Policy News Teichs on the Web
