What is my oven temperature mystery?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

redmike

Senior Cook
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
120
Location
Nazaré, Portugal
xcUM
I have an instant read thermometer and an oven thermometer.

My oven is an old electric one but when I set it's temperature and check it with an oven thermometer it's very accurate!.

I tested my instant read thermometer by placing it into a bowl of bowling water and it read 101 C or 214 F

So what's the problem?

Almost every on-line recipe cooks much faster than the given times!

Much faster!

A one hour recipe often takes 35-40 minutes until the instant read thermometer displays the recommended temperature.

Internal Temperature Cooking Chart, Internal Fahrenheit and Celsius Meat Cooking Chart, Whats Cooking America

And that's a huge difference!

Would love to understand what's happening.

Thank you!

Michael

thermometer.jpg
 
How much does cook time vary if the recipe says, 6 portions and you only cook two portions?
It depends. For example in my gas oven a tray of 6, say, chicken portions spread out on a tray will take roughly the same time as two similar sized chicken portions but, obviously a joint of meat for 6 people will take a lot longer than a small piece of meat to serve 2.
 
I think that it depends on how much of difference the 2 items make in comparison to the volume of your oven. A sheet pan with 2 chicken quarters will cook in the same time as a pan with 4, or maybe even 6. But if you fill 2 half sheet pans with 10 quarters each, put one on the top rack and one on the bottom rack, now you have made a significant difference in the total volume. It will take longer for the oven's heat source to heat that much volume of product to a proper temperature. The difference is not directly proportional either. It doesn't take 6 times as long to do 6 times as much.

The best method for accurately cooking most meats is with a good food thermometer. Know what internal temperature you need, then cook to that temperature. I wouldn't be without my Chef Alarm probe thermometer for doing any kind of roasted meat. I used it in the oven for our Christmas prime rib, and I used it the other day on my gas grill for smoking a pork shoulder roast. Stick the probe into the center of the thickest part of the cut, set the internal temperature you need, and it beeps with a loud alarm when it hits that point.

61-FqXCdWsL._SL1000_.jpg


For everything else, I have my Thermapen instant read thermometer, another tool that I find indispensable.

51YuLm7HejL._SL1000_.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom