Special modes oven

The modern electric oven is a very interesting device, it can do a lot, and sometimes it can puzzle the inexperienced buyer: why so many modes, how they differ from each other, and, most importantly, whether they are needed?? That’s why we decided to take a closer look at these very modes, to understand the logic of their influence on the products, so that anyone reading this article could firmly decide what he needs and what he does not.

Advice: Andrey Rydzevsky, chef Electrolux

Use the same language as your ovens

When a hostess gets acquainted with a new oven, the first thing she encounters is the need to translate the. And not from one language to another, but more often from each company’s specific name to the most common terms.

Why you need it? It’s simple, you can compare one oven with another only when the object of comparison is clear. Therefore we avoid superficial, and more importantly incomprehensible expressions such as “turbo fan”, “maxi grill”, “intensive hot air”, “thermocirculation” or “3-0 convection”. And if the description says something like “slow bake” or “gratin”, try to get the whole truth about how it works from the brand department.

That’s why the technical specifications in manufacturers’ catalogs look much brighter and more seductive than our boring, but understandable data. We will not deviate from this rule now, so we assign the same names to the modes, as you will see in the following pages of the review.

Don’t forget to heat it up

At the beginning of the story – a few general tips. The instructions for our ovens which we use extensively recommend preheating them to the desired temperature for cooking use the thermostat light, it must go out .

Only for very fatty meat can an exception be made and put it in a cold oven. And you can turn off the appliance a few minutes before it’s ready the residual temperature will be just enough to complete the process successfully. It is desirable to open the door as seldom as possible, and for “behavior” of products to observe through the glass for this very reason the light bulb often is not turned off while cooking .

Mode 1: Lower + higher heat

This is a mandatory mode of any electric oven. It has many names: static, traditional, classic heating. The two heating elements at the bottom and the top turn on at the same time. The heat from the elements creates a natural convection effect: a hot stream rises from below and a cool stream descends from above. But this movement is not as rapid as we would like it to be, the process is slow, and the heat does not always fill the oven cavity evenly. The bottom heating element is always the more powerful.

Andrey Rydzewski, chef Electrolux professional

Some foods, particularly pies, are more difficult to bake from the bottom. Whereas browning on top is not a problem. The position of the baking tray in the oven achieves a balance in this case. A good example is pizza. To make it crispy on the bottom, the tray with the pie is placed on the lower levels, otherwise the dough will not bake, and the filling on top can burn.

Bottom line: You can use oven rails in the middle of the oven. If you want more heat from the top or the bottom, the rack can be moved one floor higher in the desired direction.

A variety of dishes suitable for cooking in this mode, we learned from catalogs and instructions:

– A good example of this is a pizza oven which can be used for baked goods such as soft biscuits, cookies, delicate cakes, sponge cakes, and bread

– Stuffed vegetables

– Lasagna

– Stir-fry, pork ribs, lean beef, poultry

– Fish, fish casseroles.

Mode 2: Lower intense heat + upper heat

This is a variation of the conventional mode here, a more powerful bottom element than usual is installed. Use this mode if you want to fry quickly from the bottom. In addition, it is suitable for forms that are poorly conductive of heat, such as glass, aluminum pots.

Andrey Rydzewski, chef Electrolux professional:

I prefer this mode for “Casserole” or “slow cooker” dishes. The presence of liquid will not let the pot burn, and the dish will cook faster, since both the bottom is a good heat and the top – as a result, the pot is evenly cooked on all sides.

Mode 3: Lower heat + upper heat + fan

Two heating elements are used, but a fan mounted on the rear wall is also included. As the turbine rotates, streams of hot air rapidly disperse throughout the oven. It creates equal climatic conditions throughout the whole volume and therefore uniform influence on products. It is preferable to choose a middle oven rack position to take advantage of the circulation and the uniform microclimate in the oven.

Very important is that the heating of food by the movement of the air mass becomes more intensive, the given temperature is reached in a very short time

Shorter time, food is quicker and browned on all sides. The rapidity of the process allows you to preserve the internal juiciness of the dish. It is possible and sometimes necessary to reduce the regular temperature in this mode. This also means shorter cooking times – according to some reports the cooking cycle can be reduced by as much as 30%.

In a typical oven lexicon, a fan might be called convection. This is quite acceptable, although, strictly speaking, the traditional mode also has convection. Clarify.

Convection is the phenomenon of heat transfer, in our case in the air. Natural convection occurs if the air volume is heated unevenly warmer air is lighter, cooler air is heavier. But the fan creates forced convection, i.e. mixing of the flow depends not on the temperature but on the rotation speed of the fan blades. Our magazine may refer to the fan as a convector, but the word convection is not used as a name for this mode.

Ovens equipped with a fan or a ring element with a fan are called multifunctional. If these devices are not available, this model is static.

Suitable for large baked goods that require even cooking inside and outside, such as broiled rolls, pig’s feet, cakes, puddings, casseroles, roasts, etc.

Some manufacturers specify that you can cook on 2 levels at the same time.

Andrey Rydzevsky, head chef at Electrolux professional:

The fan assisted double-heating mode is ideal for cooking large cuts of meat, fish or poultry. Also suitable for large pieces of food that require uniform cooking inside and outside, such as broiled rolls, pigs’ feet, cakes, puddings, casseroles, roasts, etc.

On the other hand, some dishes, such as meringues and omelets, do not like convection, which is why the oven should preferably be heated in the oven.

Mode 4: Lower heating mode

The lower heating element is the most “secret” part of the oven it is not visible and is hidden behind the bottom of the cavity. Heating from underneath is often the main function in very simple ovens in case of more complex ovens, it tends to be more of an auxiliary function. This mode is recommended for drying the bottom of cakes with moist fillings such as fruit, browning the bottom, or for preserves. Lower heat is also the choice for long-time cooking.

Mode has significant disadvantages – longer cooking compared to the already described two options. The housewife has to pay more attention to the cooking process: turning the tray, placing it lower or higher.

Mode 5: Lower heat + fan

The principle of this mode is the same as that of the lower element, but cooking proceeds more rapidly. The heat from below rises to the ceiling and is drawn by the currents produced by the fan and distributed over the entire oven. This mode is often recommended for baking open pies or for rapidly finishing baking when a high bottom temperature is required, such as with low rising yeast dough. Pros: juicy on the inside and evenly browned on all sides, especially the bottom. The instructions for the Gorenje oven advise against taking tall forms, so as not to interfere with the circulation of heated air over the dish.

Mode 6: Top heating

The upper heating element is placed along the perimeter of oven ceiling, this tube is always visible. The element is working solo in this mode. The heat is not as intensive and there is less natural convection. This mode is chosen for roasting on top of almost cooked dishes, for example, cakes, baking, browning breaded vegetables, as well as for cooking lightly roasted vegetables on the grill. In the Ardo instructions we found the following dishes: dumplings, polenta, rice, lasagna, pasta casseroles, vegetables with béchamel. And Miele for puddings and roasted vegetables.

Andrey Rydzevsky, chef

Electrolux

professional

:

Andrey Rydzevsky chooses this mode for “julienne, meat French-style and all dishes that require giving them a ruddy “cap” of cheese, mayonnaise. Cooking only on top shelf.

Mode 7: Top heating + fan

This is an “accelerated version” of the previous mode 6. The combination of heating and air flow provides for a slight golden crust on the surface of the food evenly heated inside. You therefore select this mode for baked goods such as casseroles, vegetable soufflés, meat, lasagne, etc.

Andrey Rydzevsky, chef

Electrolux

professional

:

Sometimes the difference between some modes is very speculative, that is, we are dealing not with technical, but rather with marketing categories.

When it comes to certain modes, I have my own personal opinion – different from what is usually written in the instructions. Based on my daily experience. I think hostesses will also quickly be able to learn the tricks of their new ovens and adjust their capabilities to suit themselves.

Mode 8: Circular heater + fan

On the back wall of the oven there’s a spiral heater coiled in the form of a ring, and inside the ring there’s a fan. The circular shape was not chosen by chance the warm air flowing out of the element is completely captured by the swirling currents produced by the fan. The currents are distributed horizontally, and then quickly fill the entire oven compartment.

Exactly the horizontality of hot air jets in this mode allows you to cook not one but several dishes, setting them on 2 or 3 levels of the oven. Only one condition – the required temperature must be the same for all dishes. The drier air inside the oven and the elimination of humidity prevents flavor variations and mixing of flavors, and therefore the dishes can be different.

The mode combines high speed and economy. The benefits of this achievement are especially evident in the run-up to the holidays, when there is a lot of cooking to do.

One bake at a time for not just one, but three cake layers. Some of the difficulties faced by cooks are gone now there is no need to worry that the pie dough will overheat while the first batch “sits” in the oven, that the dish baked in the first turn will cool hopelessly while we deal with the next.

Besides, housewives are prickly people, and sometimes they just refuse to have a menu with a few delicacies from the oven, and with this mode the problem becomes irrelevant.

Indesit Company press-service comment: “This heating does not burn the food on either side, its advantages are that it is possible to maintain a low temperature, for example for defrosting or raising yeast dough. This mode is delicate, as the infrared rays do not affect the food.”

The operation of the ring heater with the fan is suitable for puff pastry, drying herbs, mushrooms, fruit, sterilizing home preserves and all dishes that need to be soft and juicy inside and yet well baked.

If the food is cooked on one level, Electrolux advises you to use the bottom rails for a better view of the food. Engaging one level is also recommended in the instructions of the Gorenje oven for juicy baked goods and fruit pies. When cooking on 2 decks, it is better to use the 1st and 3rd decks Zanussi . As said before, several pizza pans are placed in the oven at once, so it is not recommended to take the top level. The instructions for Neff and Bosch ovens specify that pies and pizzas can be baked on 2 levels, but flat cookies and puff pastries should be baked on 3 levels.

The operation of the fan increases the intensity of the impact on the food, that is, the operating temperature of the mode should be lower. The important thing is that the oven doesn’t need to be pre-heated, although there are some exceptions. An example from the Miele manual is roasting roast beef or baking dark types of bread, while the Gorenje has any kind of baking. Cooking is faster – less time required for baking. In addition, the food is cooked to a uniform temperature.

In our edition this mode is called convection mode.

Mode 9: Circular heater + fan + lower heat

NAME EXAMPLES	APPLICATION
Pizza	Electrolux, Hotpoint-Ariston, Zanussi, Neff
Pizza mode/stage	Siemens, Bosch
Pizza/baking	Kuppersbusch
Heating from underneath + fan heater	Gorenje
Gourmet	AEG
Defrosting and reheating	De’Longhi
Convection + bottom heat	Whirlpool
Super-fast heating	Gaggenau
Intensive baking	Miele

It is a combination mode that takes advantage of convection, which is equal and intense heat, and heating from the bottom. But unlike the first, here only one level of the oven is involved, preferably the middle one. According to company recommendations, this mode can be used to cook unfrozen half-finished dishes, French fries, strudel from Neff’s instructions . Preheating is not a must.

European oven makers saw this mode as analogous to an oven, where heat comes from all sides, but especially from the bottom. This proved to be the ideal cooking conditions for pizza – an open pie that is very easy to buy as a semi-finished product in a store or to make yourself. The pizza should have a well baked and browned crust, which is the base of the dish, and the toppings need to warm up, but not lose their juiciness.

In addition to pizza, this mode is also suitable for baked potatoes, fruit pies, curd cakes, curd cheese cakes, Kiersch Laurent, prosciutto cakes, bread rolls and cakes.

A few more uses – reheating, keeping food hot, defrosting.

Indesit Company press service comments: “This mode is optimal for fruit tarts: when we bake fruit tarts with shortbread dough, we need, on the one hand, the dough not to be sticky and to bake well, for this purpose we use the lower heating system, but, on the other hand, the filling, t.e. Top layer, must be baked but not burnt. Circular heater and fan are used for this.

Mode 10: Circulaire + fan + lower + upper heat

EXAMPLES OF NAMES	APPLICATION
Preheating	Siemens
Intense mode	Miele
Pro-Hot Air	AEG
Multi-functional cooking	Franke
3D cooking	Beko
Fast cooking	Hotpoint-Ariston

You don’t see this feature very often, as you can see almost all heaters are used here, so why is it used??

Firstly, it is a very quick way to get to the right temperature, which is why this mode is sometimes used to pre-heat the oven before placing a dish prepared for baking in it.

The second feature is the fast cooking. Convection is enhanced by an additional heat flow and optimal temperature distribution. Selected for dishes that require deep frying and crusting.

Sometimes the heaters are not used to their full capacity, e.g. the top and bottom heating elements partially use their power. In other cases, on the contrary, all the elements work to the maximum.

Press service of Indesit Company comments: “This mode is suitable for large meals leg of lamb, piglet , which take up a lot of space in the cabinet itself or, for example, several trays of pies, which also fill up most of the space, then the temperature distribution takes place evenly on all levels.”

Special modes

FEATURES	WORKING ELEMENTS	EXAMPLE
For leavening yeast dough, making yogurt.	Lower temperature, 40° C 38°C 35°C.	Hotpoint-Ariston, Gaggenau, Whirlpool
Defrosting 40°C .	Fan + circulaire heating.	Hotpoint-Ariston
Also for heating in warm air. Defrosting 30°C . Preheat function at 40-100°C.	Fan + circular heater + lower heating.	De’Longhi only
Temperature 80°C. Fast heat-up 90°C .	Lower + top heating.	Electrolux, Hotpoint-Ariston
Keeps cooked food hot, temperature 66-100°C.	Lower + higher heat.	Bosch, Siemens, Candy, Hotpoint-Ariston, Whirlpool
For professional serving of food, temperature 30-65 ° C.	Bottom + top heating.	Bosch, Siemens

Grill

Grill is a tube-shaped element that is attached to the ceiling of the oven. Different from the simple heating element, including the upper element, by the specific action of infrared rays. It heats not the air but the food itself. The grill operates strictly under the element, which means that if you put sausages or chicken legs slightly to one side, it is difficult to achieve the desired result.

The grill can be used as the main cooking mode or as the final step to brown the food appetizingly.

The naming of this mode is the same, except for Hotpoint-Ariston they call it a barbecue, while Gorenje calls it infra-heat.

There are several types of grills.

Normal – n-shaped or zigzag-shaped, its “sphere of interest” is the whole area of the grid. Some models offer the more economical version of a grill with two circuits – a smaller circuit inside e.g. the so-called Neff middle section and a larger circuit along the perimeter of the ceiling.

The lower temperature range is used when small quantities are required, such as four pieces of toast or some thin slices of meat. Large and small together in the case of food placed on the rack. Grills can vary not only in density, but also in power, so it’s easy to choose milder or, conversely, stronger roasting.

Grills can work exclusively at maximum it means own limit of temperature, for example, 250 °C at Ardo, 200 °C at Kaiser or180 °C and 220 °C at Neff , but often manufacturers let out ovens with elements of variable capacity for regulation of intensity of roasting, say, Whirlpool has 5 levels of capacity, or ovens with a choice of working temperature.

Preheat the oven for 3 or 5 minutes, as advised in Gorenje and Ardo manuals, Neff suggests preheating it for 10 minutes, but only for frying toast. Cooking level up or one step down, depending on the thickness of the pieces of meat. Grilling is often performed on the grill and to prevent the fat from burning and staining the bottom, the lower level has a tray where you can add water to get rid of smoke and smells.

Examples of grill uses: steaks, sausages, specimens, sausages, cutlets, chops, liver, rolls, heart, fish fillets, vegetables, toast, and dishes in small or large molds.

Indesit Company press service comments: “The crunchy crust is ensured by the infrared radiation, which is directly applied to the top layer,.. not on the crust. The upper heating element operates at full power and the moisture evaporates quickly to give the food a crunchy, crispy appearance and burns well, resulting in a golden color in the final product. It’s not the direct heating effect that’s produced by the heating element

not directly onto the surface, but first the air is heated up, and then the food itself. Accordingly, the effect is no longer the same

Mode 11: grill + top grill

EXAMPLES OF NAMES	APPLICATION
Large grill	AEG, Electrolux, Zanussi, Hansa

To intensify the effect on the food, the grill is sometimes “supplemented” by the heat coming from the upper heating element. With this mode you don’t have to calculate how many portions can be cooked. Suitable for all foods on the grid iron.

Mode 12: grill + fan

EXAMPLES OF NAMES	APPLICATION
Fan + grill	Smeq
Grill	Hotpoint-Ariston
Fan grill	De’Lonqhi
Fan assisted cooking on grill	Franke
Blow grill	Miele, Candy, Kaiser, Mora
Fan grill	Indesit
Convection grill	Bosch
Grill With forced convection	Ardo
Overhead heater + fan	Beko
Turbo grill	Electrolux, Zanussi, Gefest, Whirlpool, Cata
Turbo-max grill	Teca
Infraheating + fan	Gorenje
Infrared grill	AEG
Thermal grill	Neff

The grill has a limited frying area, this disadvantage is particularly evident with complex shaped food, such as goose or piglet. You just want it to have a nice crust on all sides.

The way out of this situation is obvious – the rotisserie. put on, turn periodically with the motor or by hand and obtain the desired effect. But there is a much more simple way to add fan operation to the grill. It distributes the radiation, grilling the food not only from the top, but also from the bottom and sides.

They give you something like a rotisserie, but it’s the air instead of the food which is moving. This preserves all the advantages of grilling – crispy crust, appetizing flavor, and juicy flesh. The food is not dried out and will be ready much faster.

All foods cooked on a regular grill except steaks and toasts are suitable for this mode, but rolls and poultry are the best.

The dough won’t run away and the pies won’t burn

PROBLEM	WHAT TO DO NEXT TIME
Cake falls off	Knead dough more thoroughly follow mixing time described in recipe , use less liquid, or set temperature 10° lower.
The cake only rises in the center, not on the edges	Do not grease the sides of the mold, it is better to separate the finished pie from the walls with a knife.
Pie is too dark on top	Put it on a lower level, choose a lower temperature, but bake a little longer.
The bottoms of baked goods are too light	It is better to take a darker container for cooking, set the product on a lower level, or additionally turn on the lower heating mode.
Baking is unevenly browned	The temperature and the cooking level are wrong or you forgot to remove the grease trap it is used to protect the fan from grease in meat dishes . Not the right pan can be the cause – light-colored, glossy pans are not suitable. In the convection mode, small pieces of bakery products suffer from uneven browning if they are not all the same size on the same baking tray.
The cake is too dry	poke holes in the done pie with a thin wooden stick such as a toothpick and pour fruit juice, tincture or cognac into them a drop at a time. Another time, choose a temperature 10° lower or shorten the baking time.
The cake looks ready, but the dough is still raw on the inside	You need to take less liquid, choose a lower temperature, but the cooking should be lengthened. For a pie with a juicy filling, you can bake the crust separately, then sprinkle it with almonds, crushed breadcrumbs, and spread the filling on them.
When baking on more than one level in convection mode, the upper level tends to be darker than the lower ones	Baking does not have to be done at the same time, it is worth taking out the dishes that came out faster than the others earlier.
The roast is done, but the sauce is burnt	The form should be smaller in size, you can simply add liquid while cooking.
Overcooked item is too dry	Reduce cooking time and increase temperature.
Meat is cooked too dry	It is best to cook pieces weighing at least 1 kg. White meat is baked at a moderate constant temperature of 150-175 ° C, red meat – at 200-250 ° C.
Meat is stiff	Take red meat out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking it to avoid the sudden change in temperature.
The meat is not browned	The roast should not be salted at the beginning of cooking, otherwise the juice will come out of it. It is better to salt the outside after half of the prescribed baking time
Meat is badly cooked on the inside	Start cooking at a higher temperature, then gradually lower it.
Broil fish badly	Small fish are cooked at a constant high temperature. Medium-sized fish at first at high, then gradually lower it. Large – with constant moderate heat.
Poultry and meat on the grill are blackened but not cooked through	The pieces or carcasses must not be too thick. Dark meats brown faster and harder than light ones.
Meat is grilled but not browned	Meat and fish should be lightly rubbed with vegetable oil, put only on the grill, salt after cooking. But you can Dollars salt on the inside of the fish. Next time choose second rails instead of top rails.