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Why is convection good for baking? Would you do convection when making a souffle? Didn't think so
Yes, I've made souffles, but wouldn't use the convection feature for that, or for delicate things like meringues, pâte à choux, etc. But why would you? As I mentioned, it's an option on a traditional electric oven for some models. It's not on all the time, you press a button to turn on the fan/convection mode (for example, my oven has three buttons if using convection - convection baking with one rack, convection baking with multi-racks, and convection roasting)
I find convection works great for roasting, and baking many types of desserts - shorter cooking times, being able to use multiple racks, quicker rise for flaky items and flakier crusts, and more even baking and browning since it's circulating hot air around the item. I use convection mode mainly for roasting vegetables and meats (perfect Thanksgiving turkey!), and baking tarts, croissants, cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, scones, biscuits, etc, and I bake a lot of bread.
I think part of the answer also depends on the engineering of the oven.
It seems that the general consensus(although there are some holdouts) is that gas is the preferred stove-top solution, but as evident in this thread there are split opinions on gas versus electric oven.
Although there are no doubt specific differences in the rate that gas versus electric provides heat, I suspect the largest factor is how the oven is designed to distribute the heat and retain the heat. For example, with old Chambers ovens, there is a huge iron plate in the bottom that evenly distributes the heat from the burner, and a series of dampers and insulation that allows one to heat the oven up, then cook with the heat turned off. I suspect that cheaper or more poorly designed ovens, whether gas or electric(and especially generic designs that don't have a specific design meant for one heating source or the other) probably generally do a poorer job.
I prefer gas as well, but I don't think either is necessarily better than the other. I've cooked on both, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.
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Originally Posted by Va-Cat
Ditto - a gas range heats more evenly, you have more temperture range (instead of electric's low medium & high) and heats up more quickly.
My electric stove burners have a range of about 15 heat levels, from "barely on" (which you cannot do on a gas stove) to "all fired up."
I have always had gas - we moved into a fixer last year and replaced all the appliances, countertops, hardware, etc.....no gas line, so we went with the electric. I bake a lot and I have to say that cookies, cakes, breads, etc. cook evenly and within the recipe time. Roasts, whole chickens, roasted vegetables, etc. also brown and cook beautifully.
The glass electric stove top has been difficult to get used to although I'm getting the hang of it - the clean up is amazingly easy - love that part. A red light stays on for each of the burners when they are hot - there is a warming area and also a bridge that connects two cooking areas for use with large roasting pans. The top is black and the stove is stainless and it certainly looks streamlined and modern.
I think the newer electric stoves are still be judged by the past poor performance of much older appliances - I'm surprised at how much I like my electric stove.
I've cooked with both - raised on gas and used it till I was 29. Been using electric for one year. I cook every night, and not just simple dishes, either.
While I prefer gas, I won't be a snob about it and say electric is horrible, because it isn't. There is certainly more than the three settings of Low-Med-High - and when I cooked on my mother-in-law's electric, I believe she had 15 settings, as will the one I am purchasing. Really, it's just getting used to something different. Also, coming from someone who cooks A LOT, I like the ease of cleaning a glass electric cooktop compared to a nice set of gas burners. I like not having to worry about pilot lights blowing out either (happened to us several times), but maybe they have a way around that in newer gas stoves.
Electric burner doesn't cool quickly enough for you? Move it to a different burner while it cools. I don't even have a problem cooking stir fry on an electric cooktop - you really just need a different approach.
And I definitely prefer an electric convection oven over gas - I bake hundreds of cookies for Christmas gifts, and the amount of time saved, plus the lack of accidental burning, is a godsend.
almost everything i have is gas. i like gas burners because you can see the flames and how high they are turned up. all my ovens are gas, i have 3 regular stoves/ovens and 2 big gas convection ovens. i also have a 40-loaf, wood fired beehive oven, but that's another thread.
That depends on what your cooking. Some of the new electrics with the right pots will give as much heat as the real commercail stoves. To put a real commercal stove in a home requires a extinguishing system. The commercal looka likes are not the same. A electric is certainly cleaner but it depends really on what you are use to or like.
I prefer gas as well, but I don't think either is necessarily better than the other. I've cooked on both, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.
My electric stove burners have a range of about 15 heat levels, from "barely on" (which you cannot do on a gas stove) to "all fired up."
I'm not sure if/who was being quoted above regarding not being able to have a "barely on" setting with gas burners, but this simply isn't true. Of course, it is true that "barely on" is a purely subjective statement .... so I guess it depends. But there have been, and are, a lot of gas burner designs and some are better than others at pure high BTU output, fine temperature control, or even simmering/warming.
One of the best residential burners, particularly with regard to low heat control, ever invented for the residential market were the Okeefe & Merritt burners of the 1950s. These had very fine heat control, and specifically had a separate "simmer cap" that only fired 4 small little jets that would keep things warm, but not too hot.
Other manufacturers had their pilot lights under the griddle area, where one could sit bowls, plates, and pots for light warming.... or even gradually melt butter. It wasn't hot enough to burn a hand, but the surface was definitely warm.
And I agree with those that have pointed out that not all electrics are bad. I still think gas range tops are better, but I also suspect that given the right manufacturer/model one can find electric units that are better than average. I suspect that electric range top units suffer from the bad reputation of cheap units that had/have very limited flexibility.
In fact, I've heard(although not personally experienced) that some of the early electric units were very adjustable and put out a lot of heat. I suspect that as the industry matured and cheap versions became more prevalent, electric range reputations suffered.
Al
Last edited by al_roethlisberger; 07-14-2009 at 07:32 AM..
I like not having to worry about pilot lights blowing out either (happened to us several times), but maybe they have a way around that in newer gas stoves.
Yeah, newer gas stoves (last one I cooked on was purchased in 1987) don't have pilot lights. In my first apartment, the kitchen was between the bedroom and the bathroom, and the pilot lights on the 1940s-era stove made great nightlights!
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Move it to a different burner while it cools. I don't even have a problem cooking stir fry on an electric cooktop - you really just need a different approach.
Excellent tip -- or pick up the pan for a second or two while the burners cool. My electric stove has coils, and they cool off rather quickly. And for stir-frying, I set the wok right on the burner.
It's just a matter of making little adjustments in how you cook.
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Yes, I've made souffles, but wouldn't use the convection feature for that, or for delicate things like meringues, pâte à choux, etc. But why would you? As I mentioned, it's an option on a traditional electric oven for some models. It's not on all the time, you press a button to turn on the fan/convection mode (for example, my oven has three buttons if using convection - convection baking with one rack, convection baking with multi-racks, and convection roasting)
I agree, it just depends
.... so I guess it depends. But there have been, and are, a lot of gas burner designs and some are better than others at pure high BTU output, fine temperature control, or even simmering/warming.
