Ovens: the workhorse and backbone of every kitchen

Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 16, 2000 by Gary Bensky

The oven comes in more sizes, shapes and capacities and has been reinvented more times over the last three and a half centuries than any other single piece of cooking equipment. Its origin undoubtedly can be traced back to man's first loaf of bread.

During the 17th century the first iron stoves, stoked with coal, were built. They became the cooking battery centerpiece for the next 200-plus years. Then gas came into popular use after the turn of the 20th century. An apprentice cook in those days spent a good portion of the day shoveling coal and removing ashes.

From the Indian tandoor to Chinese barbecue ovens to massive rotisseries, ovens remain the most rudimentary piece of equipment required in every kitchen around the world. For chefs the size and shape are critical. We need the box, and we need indirect heat through a wide range of temperature. How else could we roast our whole meats, fish and fowl?

The great chef Georges-Auguste Escoffier claimed that true roasting could not be achieved inside of the typical cabinet-style oven because the moisture being emitted from the food created a steaming effect. He claimed that only spit-roasted meats and fowl truly received the purely hot-air cooking action required to produce the taste and surface texture of roasted meats.

Proof of that fact is most evident to anyone who ever cooked a 90-pound cut of beef in a conventional oven. The shank portion practically falls off the bone. That melt-in-your-mouth texture and super-intense flavor is a result of moist heat and the prolonged cooking time.

Other than size, the single most important innovation in oven technology is the development of the convection oven. The high-speed fans employed reduce cooking time by about one-third the time required by conventional ovens. That speed enables the a la carte cooking line to give center-stage status to the convection oven for all types of casserole items. They include short-roasted fish and seafood as well as racks of lamb, beef filets, all kinds of poultry and baked dishes, such as shepherd's pie, cassoulet, baked ziti, lasagna and enchiladas.

Low-temperature cook-and-hold ovens provide operators with the opportunity to save money by reducing cooking losses through the high shrinkage caused by roasting at high temperatures. The ovens are available in two basic types: The first produces no additional air movement other than the naturally occurring convection and operates at 90-percent to 95-percent humidity; the second uses a slow-air current at a slightly lower temperature and operates in the 30- to 60-percent humidity level.

Roasting between 170 Fahrenheit and 210 Fahrenheit will save a full 10-percent roasting shrinkage. Naturally, when the low temperature is used, cooking time will be almost doubled, which is one reason why slow roasting is not always practiced.

The reality is that many times convenience is the controlling factor. The line cook comes in at 3 p.m., puts his 22- to 24-pound prime ribs in the oven at 375 Fahrenheit for three hours, and, at 6 p.m., viola! The ribs are a perfect medium-rare and ready for serving. Besides the fact that low temperature has been proved the best way to roast meats, the reduced shrinkage represents dollar savings. Consider also the fewer numbers of prime ribs that have to be purchased, delivered, stored, trimmed and cooked.

For large production of individual food items, mechanical ovens that rotate the food either in a merry-go-round or ferris-wheel fashion are common. When large production is required but space is critical, rack ovens provide high capacity in a relatively small footprint. Whole mobile racks are simply rolled directly into the oven and rotate during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.

Bakers Aid in Syosset, N.Y., offers a neat counter-top unit, model BAUA-E, UltraAir, which can be purchased with a proofer underneath. The oven alone measures just 42 inches by 41 inches by 39 inches, and it has a capacity of six 18-inch by 26-inch sheet pans at 4-inch spacing and a self-contained steam system.

Other than the typical gas or electric convection and conduction deck and range ovens, one should consider other options particularly if speed is the issue. Impinger conveyor ovens employ the use of hot air jets that blow from above and below and through panels with different numbers of holes, depending on the types of food and their cooking times. The food moves along a conveyor belt, which can be adjusted to the speed required for that particular product and produces outstanding, consistent results.

The most versatile of all ovens, however, remains the "combi" oven. As the ability to change menu items and concepts continues to be a hallmark of successful operators, the combi oven enables kitchen staff to poach, roast, grill and steam from just 10 square feet of floor space.

If you thought that standard convection ovens were your only choice, it may be time to reassess your production requirements and the potential flexibility of new gear before making your next choice.