"ovens" news and stories

Should a holiday turkey be roasted for a longer time at a lower temperature or for a shorter time at a higher one? According to Robert L. Wolke , author of What Einstein Told His Cook 2, the Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science, one method isn't necessarily better, although the method of using a higher temperature is quite popular at the moment.

A turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 165F in the thigh meat before it can be considered done. To achieve this, the bird must be cooked at a temperature greater than 165F for long enough to cook it through. The lower the temperature, the longer the time. A common temperature is about 325F, which results in a time of "about 20 minutes per pound." By increasing the temperature to 475F, roasting might take only 2 hours. Time, clearly, is a factor in choosing the latter method. Other advantages include getting a crisper skin and, according to many proponents of the faster method, a moister bird. In the end, it's a flavor and time preference as long as you check the meat with a thermometer to ensure that it really is done.

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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, which is known for their grills and outdoor kitchens, has just introduced a new product that will have pizza lovers pining: an artisan pizza oven. The oven has a 30,000 BTU burner (gas or propane) to get the heat level just right, and a wood-chip drawer so you can add in some of the smoky flavor a wood-burning oven would naturally provide. Under the low, domed roof, the floor of the oven is a professional composite baking stone that will turn out perfect crusts on pizzas (and breads) every time it is used. Unlike smaller stones that are used for baking in regular ovens, according to the manufacturer, this one will not become brittle or crack even after repeated or extended use.

It is made of stainless steel with a double-wall insulated design, so one of the best features of the oven is not just that it will produce pizza that is much better than you could make with a standard kitchen oven, but that it is very safe, despite the high heat that it operates at.

The ovens will be available for purchase next month, with a price tag of $3,900 each. They certainly aren't cheap, but if you really love your pizza, it might just be worth it.

[via Trendir]

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I just moved from a suburban apartment with a large kitchen to a big city studio apartment with no counter space at all. I have one little block of counter space, but if I put a microwave there, I'll have no space at all to prepare food, cut food, rest dishes and other items before I serve them, or store stuff you usually keep on a counter, like canisters or a cutting board or a can opener or whatever. And there's no room for one of those microwaves that hang from above.

So what are my options? In this day of microwave frozen meals and quick dinners made on the fly, can I really go back to 1978 and do completely without a microwave and just cook in the oven again? I've gotten so used to a microwave - I think we all have - and I'm not sure I can go back. I guess I could buy one and just keep plugging it in and unplugging it after I use it and store it in the bottom cabinet.

Anyone else have this apartment problem or decide to go microwave-less?

Hey, we here at Slashfood know you can cook if all you have is fire and knives, but we still like to drool over cool new futuristic kitchen toys. MSN has listed a few fairly new things to equip your kitchen of the future, from cabinet finishes to major appliances.

• Refrigerators - go modular with columnar pieces that can be placed anywhere, they have French-style doors, and they now have luxurious water features like filling up water and rotating faucets in the door.
• Water - filtered water on tap, and a water faucet installed over the range to fill your pot on the stove-top instead of at the sink.
• Microwave ovens - in an under-the-counter drawer to save valuable counter-top space.
• Decor - countertops go retro with classic Boomerang laminate diner-style tops. Protect walls with a decorative tile backsplash
• Cabinetry - make maximum use of cabinet space with swing out doors that really swing out. Instead of wood or glass, it's steel-tone cabinetry, or maybe recessed panel cabinetry to create more space
• Sinks - have better designs to accommodate large pots and pans with either a low profile if the sink is divided, or heck, just take the divider out completely and make it own big bowl.
• For cooking - you need a restaurant-style griddle, an induction cooking top, and a convection oven.
• Other stuff - since the kitchen is the hub of all activity, you can answer the door while you're cooking with a door entry system.