About Heat Transfer

[froggy1869]

As a scientist/cook, I'm obsessed with heat. Recognizing the difference between commercial convection ovens and consumer convection ovens, I'm frustrated with the wimpy performance of my expensive Wolf gas oven. My 30 year old electric oven performed better. Just saying.

 

[jennyema]

I just cooked for a birthday party at my SIL's house and her brand new Wolf oven sucked.

My other SIL's Viking oven sucks worse.

My crappy little Maytag is 100 times better.

 

[bakechef]

My Samsung convection oven works better than any other consumer grade oven that I have used to date. It's definitely not high end by any means.

I can get nicely browned crispy skin on a roast chicken and beautifully caramelized vegetables.

 

[Kayelle]

Wow, I guess I can stop lusting after a Viking or Wolf! This info is really surprising!!

 

[jennyema]

Im buying both of them oven thermometers for Christmas

 

[GLC]

Reviews are decidedly mixed. Now, gas appliances all begin with the same limiting factor. All of them for residential use can have no more gas than can be supplied at residential pressures through 1/2-inch pipe. Actual pressures and pipe installations and meter pressure regulation varies with specific needs, but commercial installations have much greater volumes of gas available by using higher pressures and larger pipes and local regulators.

So all home gas ranges and ovens begin as potential equals. Now, commercial appliance makers need not worry too much about energy limits. They can create whatever heat they want with large burners. Nor do they have to worry about insulation much. They achieve their goals with big fire.

The home appliance maker has to do with the energy available. So insulation and various methods of controlling and directing heat are their design tools. The better they can control the heat, the better the perceived performance.

There are some solid reasons for avoiding the "pro-style" residential ranges and ovens, and I wonder is one of them isn't that the design mindset isn't really attuned to the task of working with limited energy. It may well be that many years of accumulated experience maximizing the use of the typical available home gas supply is likely to produce a more satisfactory home product than an attempt to adapt commercial designs to the home.

 

[Addie]

I just cooked for a birthday party at my SIL's house and her brand new Wolf oven sucked.

My other SIL's Viking oven sucks worse.

My crappy little Maytag is 100 times better.

Jenny we have the standard bottom of the line GE electric ovens in this building. They work fine. Never a problem. They had whole roasters on sale. I bought two and roasted them just plain. No seasonings. Done to perfections with crispy skin and colored so beautiful. They looked like a food magazine picture. Even though they don't have self cleaning ovens, the whole piece is easy to take a part and clean. Even the door is removable. I wouldn't trade it for the most expensive, top of the line stove at any time.

 

[bakechef]

Jenny we have the standard bottom of the line GE electric ovens in this building. They work fine. Never a problem. They had whole roasters on sale. I bought two and roasted them just plain. No seasonings. Done to perfections with crispy skin and colored so beautiful. They looked like a food magazine picture. Even though they don't have self cleaning ovens, the whole piece is easy to take a part and clean. Even the door is removable. I wouldn't trade it for the most expensive, top of the line stove at any time.

Consumer Reports rates the very inexpensive GE and Hotpoint (same product, same manufacturer) quite good!

My previous apartment had a GE range, lower end, and it worked quite well.

 

[Addie]

Consumer Reports rates the very inexpensive GE and Hotpoint (same product, same manufacturer) quite good!

My previous apartment had a GE range, lower end, and it worked quite well.

The apartment complex I managed in Washington has Hotpoint electric appliances. Never a problem with any of them. The only thing I didn't like was you had to reach over the burners to push the buttons. Give me front controls anytime.