Tag: Dacor

Appliance Design · cooking · FAQ · Ovens · Ranges

Convection oven baking tips

Warners' Stellian Appliance
.christmas snowflake food
It's cookie season. Do you need to brush up on your convection baking knowledge?

 

Are you taking full advantage of your convection oven (if you don’t know what that is, read What is convection?)?

You probably already know to decrease your oven temperature 25 degrees and decrease the bake time about 25 percent for convection oven vs. conventional oven.

But if you already know how to use convection cooking — and you probably do if you partake in holiday baking and cookie exchanges — I bet you’ll still learn something from Dacor’s convection oven baking tips (PDF).

Also, if if your convection oven cooking times seem to be longer now than when you first bought your convection oven, perhaps you need to clean your convection filter.

In a convection oven, the fan draws air through the filter. So especially if you do a lot of roasting,  grease particles will stick to the filter and could obstruct the airflow. Check your use and care manual for instructions on how to clean your filter. Some, like Dacor convection oven filter, are dishwasher safe.

cooking · FAQ

Convection oven cooking/convection oven turkey

Warners' Stellian Appliance

Those who spent a little extra to get convection in their oven will breathe a little easier while preparing for Thanksgiving.

Convection basically uses a fan to circulate warm air, eliminating hot spots and cooking foods faster and more evenly.

What does this mean for Thanksgiving cooking?

  • The turkey’s done quicker, which is huge for those eating earlier in the day.
  • No need to baste or cover the turkey. Convection ovens quickly sear in the juices, so use foil only if the turkey is browning too quickly.
  • Cook several dishes at a time. Convection ensures air circulates among all racks.

Dacor posted a fabulous resource of frequently asked questions and tips concerning turkey and holiday cooking, especially for convection ovens and convection microwaves.

For instance, ever been stuck with a partially defrosted turkey (the skin, legs and wings are defrosted and can move freely, but there are still some ice crystals and the inside of the turkey’s cavity is still hard) on Thanksgiving morning? Dacor suggests using its convection setting at 150°F for approximately 8-11 minutes per pound to defrost the turkey.

Visit Dacor’s FAQ page to see more info on brining, how many pies an oven can really fit and how to use your convection microwave to cook a casserole (aren’t you glad you bought that?).

 

Appliance Design · cooking · Ranges

Simmer down, now! Pay attention to burners’ BTU minimums, not just maximums

Warners' Stellian Appliance2 Comments

When Warners’ Stellian entered in the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Chili Cook-Off, I enthusiastically volunteered to make our entry.

We were encouraged to make more than 2 gallons, with the logic being more chili means more tasters means more votes for Warners’ Stellian. So, I made six batches. Observe:

 

Two-thirds of the chili produced, getting ready to "simmer"

 

When it came time for the massive amounts of chili to “simmer” for an hour, I lowered the controls on my (15-year-old) gas range to the flame’s lowest point before disappearing and tended to other responsibilities.

When I returned to dutifully “stir occasionally” 55 minutes later, all three pots of my chili were not simmering, but boiling. Of course chili isn’t as delicate as say, chocolate or Hollandaise sauce, but I don’t like the idea of keeping my chili at high heat for nearly an hour.

Apparently, flames on most ranges nowadays can only go so low.

Astronomically high BTU burners are trendy right now, but several brands also offer cooktops and ranges with extra-low settings for safer simmering.

 

Wolf gas cooktop

 

Wolf burners go down to 300 BTUs and absolutely will NOT scorch chocolate.

When I went to Wolf product training, a tiny Hershey’s square sat in a saucepan atop a Wolf simmer burner all afternoon, perfectly happy and melted.

 

Dacor gas cooktop

 

Dacor has burners that can go as low as 650 BTUs, but also includes a simmer plate with some models.

A simmer plate is an accessory that protects your delicate foods from the direct heat of the burner, holding it at the safest low temperature possible.

 

Thermador gas range

 

Thermador ExtraLow Simmer burners can simmer as low as 100°F at 375 BTUs.

If you’re wondering, I didn’t place in the top three, though I did win the prize for Most Colorful Chili (you are what you eat, right?). Of course, I blame my lack of victory on my non-simmering range.

About Warners' Stellian · Community Giving · Events · grilling · laundry · Washer

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Warners' Stellian Appliance

I’ve written about our pink trucks benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure® MN Affiliate, but have you seen our teal trucks? (I caught one parked in my neighborhood this weekend, and it pretty much made my life.)

All year long, Warners’ Stellian partners with Electrolux to make a donation to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund for each delivery made by our two teal-colored delivery trucks. (“Every delivery closer to a cure.”)

In honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Warners’ Stellian-Rochester will host a “Ladies Night” event tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 9) from 5-7 p.m. to benefit the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

Obviously free food will be aplenty — as will fun women — but attendees also have the chance to win an Electrolux Turquoise Sky Perfect Steam washer/dryer pair (which loyal blog readers know is my appliance fantasy), a Dacor cookware set and a Holland Grill Companion Gas Grill (perfect for tailgating!). There will be also be silent auction.

Can’t make it Rochester? This whole month, Electrolux will donate $200 to OCRF for every new Turquoise Sky Perfect Steam washer/dryer pair purchased.

Not in the market for a new washer/dryer? Visit Electrolux’s Kelly Confidential online and press the Perfect Steam button “to take your garments from rumpled to runway-ready” (their words, I swear) and  Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF. Plus you’ll be entered for a chance to win a shopping spree between $50 and $250 and a washer and dryer from Electrolux.

>>See full details