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graham
 
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Default Oven Temperature Fluctuations


"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Rowbotth" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In article >,
>> Kenneth > wrote:
>>
>> > On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 10:29:14 -0700, Eric Jorgensen
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> > >On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 17:03:52 GMT
>> > >"Bob Giel" > wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> How much can an oven's temperature vary and still give good results?
>> > >>
>> > >> If set at 350 degrees F., what is the most it should go above or

> below
>> > >> the set temperature?
>> > >> Is there actually a standard or "generally accepted range"?
>> > >> Is the acceptable range a percentage of the target temperature (e.g.

> up
>> > >> or down 5%) or is it an absolute (e.g. up or down 10 degrees F

> maximum?)
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Maverick - people who made the oven thermometer i used until the
>> > >thermocouple died - said it's normal for the temperature to fluctuate

> up to
>> > >15% during use, and that their (reasonably good) digital oven

> thermometer
>> > >thus averages the temperature readings it gives you. Which is totally
>> > >valid.
>> > >
>> > > Anecdotally - A good friend of mine was working for a semiconductor
>> > >company when they developed a laboratory grade electric oven
>> > >controller
>> > >that was far cheaper than any that had come before - back in the early

> 80's
>> > >- so they decided to market it for use in high-end home ovens.
>> > >
>> > > It was capable of regulating the temperature inside the oven to

> within
>> > >+/- 1 degree Celsius, and no oven made with it was ever worth a damn.
>> > >
>> > > Nothing that came out of them was ever cooked properly. Every
>> > > recipe

> had
>> > >to be adjusted. People hated them. It was a total flop.
>> > >
>> > > The engineers determined that since baking methods have evolved
>> > > over
>> > >time with these temperature fluctuations as a constant, they were

> actually
>> > >required for proper baking without reformulation.
>> >
>> > Howdy,
>> >
>> > With respect, I don't buy it...
>> >
>> > I used (for about 20 years) a Garland commercial gas oven
>> > that fluctuated by about 40F at any setting.
>> >
>> > I eventually replaced it with Bongard electric oven that
>> > holds its temperature within a degree or two.
>> >
>> > The results from the Bongard are far superior.
>> >
>> > I would like to learn more about the ways that the
>> > fluctuations could possibly be of benefit.
>> >
>> > All the best,

>>
>> I think I would agree with Kenneth. When I bought my first house in
>> '87, I bought a Magic Chef gas range. (Gas was out of vogue at the
>> time, so I had to go to my gas Utility to find a gas range.)
>>
>> It used to cook much faster - like a turkey that should take 5 hours to
>> cook at 325 F would take maybe 3 hours at 325 in that range. Then I
>> bought a new home in 200, and got a new Sears gas range. This thing has
>> a much more accurate temperature controller, and actually takes the time
>> that cook books say it should. I find the meat more moist and tender,
>> and less dried out.
>>
>> I was just thinking that the new controller is a recent development.
>> And I approve. With the anecdote, I'm not certain that I'm buying into
>> this theory, either.
>>
>> Oh, well...

>
>
> And I didn't know that Sears has been around since 200!
>

Have you seen some of the "fashion" they sell? :-)
Graham