[Phys-L] update on: Re: stovetop physics

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

On 2012, Oct 14, , at 09:46, John Denker <jsd@av8n.com> wrote:

> When you consider the hundreds of billions of hours people spend
> cooking each year, you would think that even small improvements
> in efficiency and safety would be well worthwhile.  Sometimes it
> seems like half each bookstore and half of the TV shows are
> devoted to cooking, but mostly it's about fiddling with the
> ingredients, rather than worrying about safety and efficiency
> of the implements and procedures.


The PBS cooking show, 

http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/americas-test-kitchen-from-cooks-illustrated/  ,

usually includes the “equipment corner” , in which they test appliances and cook ware.  They use medium tech. test equipment, such as thermocouple thermometers (RTD?), timers, etc.  

One recent show included comparison of sauté pans WRT “thermal” uniformity.  (Steels vs. Al and Cu).   The most recent show compared cake baking pans wherein the “shiny” pans were much better than the dark ones. However, if one uses for pizza, the dark ones excelled.  Their comment was the greater “heat” absorption of the dark metal was advantageous only for the Pizza.  In the case of the cake, the greater conductivity was deleterious.  

So my points, some people do “physical” cooking studies, and sometimes SS equipment is better than a high conductivity or high absorbance one.  

bc guilty of watching them, but throws his shoe when they praise the Maillard reaction.  


p.s.  It’s generally agreed that a certain temperature and speed of extraction makes superior coffee; hence the timers and thermometers. (one example)