Cooking For Engineers Forum Index Cooking For Engineers
Analytical cooking discussed.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Why I don't preheat

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Cooking Tips
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
mdgates



Joined: 19 Sep 2010
Posts: 4
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 11:56 pm    Post subject: Why I don't preheat Reply with quote

Because, in many cases, it's a waste of energy, and a waste of time.

If I'm throwing a big hunk of meat in the oven, the meat starts out too cold. Any increase in its temperature is a welcome improvement that brings it closer to being ready to eat. Why not throw it in the oven while the oven's preheating?

It's easy to get away with this for anything that bakes for an hour or more, especially for fatty or sauce-coated meats where dryness is not a concern. I wish recipes would call for these foods to be thrown into a cold oven.

Obviously, recipes for leavened breads are very sensitive and might not take kindly to this change.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
DrBiggles



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 356
Location: Richmond, CA

PostPosted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Why I don't preheat Reply with quote

mdgates wrote:
Because, in many cases, it's a waste of energy, and a waste of time.

If I'm throwing a big hunk of meat in the oven, the meat starts out too cold. Any increase in its temperature is a welcome improvement that brings it closer to being ready to eat. Why not throw it in the oven while the oven's preheating?

It's easy to get away with this for anything that bakes for an hour or more, especially for fatty or sauce-coated meats where dryness is not a concern. I wish recipes would call for these foods to be thrown into a cold oven.

Obviously, recipes for leavened breads are very sensitive and might not take kindly to this change.


Depends on recipe and medium used. Cold oven, cold clay pot. Solid copper, tin lined fry pan is cold to begin with. Usually a pan that has been preheated for 2 minutes or so is less likely for your food to stick.

Biggles
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cookrw



Joined: 16 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Oxford, OH

PostPosted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:24 am    Post subject: Re: Why I don't preheat Reply with quote

DrBiggles wrote:
Usually a pan that has been preheated for 2 minutes or so is less likely for your food to stick.

Why?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

>>why?

did you see the MythBuster's episode where they stuck their fingers in molten lead?
(this is not a joke,,,,)

oversimplified,,,,
if you plop cold meat into a cold pan, as it warms up the liquids & proteins start to 'ooze' out and bake themselves onto the pan.

if you plop a chunk of meat into a pre-heated / hot pan the moisture turns to steam - the same effect as with the molten lead - this layer provides _short term_ 'protection' - the steam makes for a small 'anti-friction / non-contact' layer until the meat surfaces sear and 'seal off' - becoming 'not stuck'

now, reality is slightly in-between. you may have heard the advice - put meat in the pan and leave it alone until it "releases" - releases means it un-sticks itself from the pan and you can easily move/turn/flip/whatever. also applies to a number of other foodstuffs.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cookrw



Joined: 16 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Oxford, OH

PostPosted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Link to mythbusters video: (Really cool!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZio0f7fP04

How much of a difference does this make? As a college student, I do a lot of "brown beef, add sauce" kind of things (Little ashamed of myself now...) Should I worry about preheating my pan for that situation, or just save it for frying chicken, doing steak or pork, or the like?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

>>how much difference . . .

the biggest differences are going to involve the specific food stuff. eggs for example do best with a hot pan.

meats can be a mix - chicken tenders will stick and tear apart when you try to move them if not started in a hot pan.

bacon is the complete opposite - it has so much fat you can easily start it in a cold pan without encountering a sticking problem.

ground beef is a bit in the middle - with some fat in the pan you can brown it starting cold - if it sticks the pieces are so small there's not a lot of "damage done"

browning / searing a steak or a roast however does definitely benefit from starting in a hot pan.

it's a good 'technique' to have in your cooking arsenal.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dude111



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 142

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dont usually either....

When i make Mac and Cheese for example i put the stuff in the pan STRAIGHT AWAY instead of waiting for the water to boil..
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cornelius



Joined: 17 Nov 2009
Posts: 16
Location: Everett, WA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It all depends on what you are cooking. Remember that when the oven is being brought up to temperature, in most cases both the upper and lower heating elements come on and stay on at their highest level the until the oven is at the temperature you set.

This means that whatever you put in the oven is subjected to much higher sustained direct heat on the top and the bottom than it would normally be in a preheated oven. Also, if you put a big hunk of cold meat in the oven before turning it on, it is going to take even longer before the probe in the oven reads the target temperature.

Certainly ovens cruise up and down regarding temperature, and the burners turn on and off as this happens, and so whatever you are roasting or baking is occasionally subjected to high direct heat, but for a much shorter duration than during preheating. Also, not to get into physics too much here, but whatever you are cooking is going to react differently to direct heat if the sides are already warm than they will if the whole thing is cold. In a roast, for instance, the juices will have somewhere to go aside from just bubbling out the top and bottom. Think of it this way: When you cut a raw steak, how much of the blood and juices run out? And how much run out when you cut one that has just been cooked to medium rare?

That said, I wouldn't worry about it too much with your average smaller roast beef, but I would certainly want to preheat my oven before baking bread, cookies, a cake, or in fact any sort of baking like this. Also, with wet cooking methods, like pot roast, no big deal. and in the case of most meats, I don't think sticking is really the issue. Unless they are ridiculously fat-free, they will release by the time they are done. However, I wouldn't make it a point of pride to "never" preheat the oven. There really are some times when it is advisable.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cornelius



Joined: 17 Nov 2009
Posts: 16
Location: Everett, WA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dude111 wrote:
I dont usually either....

When i make Mac and Cheese for example i put the stuff in the pan STRAIGHT AWAY instead of waiting for the water to boil..


Dude, you can certainly do this, and have it turn out quite well, if you have already done the experimentation, and figured out exactly how long it takes from a cold pot of water to the finished product. However, this can allow a variable you may not have factored in, and that is the temperature of your tap water. In the summer, chances are your "cold" tap water is a good deal warmer than it is in the winter, and so your water may take longer to boil in the colder months. Therefore your pasta may be overdone in the summer, and underdone in the winter given exactly the same time on the burner.

The thing about boiling water is that it is a constant. It is always the same temperature at a given altitude, (yes, you sticklers, it will change due to barometric pressure, but it is still pretty danged close) so if you wait for the water to boil before adding the pasta, the cooking time will always be the same.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
baldoreh



Joined: 13 Apr 2012
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is new to me.. thanks
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Cooking Tips All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group