Innovation

The Evolution of Oven

Since ancient times, the use of ovens have develop and became an important equipment of the kitchen. The first oven which was made from brick and tiles, was invented in France in 1940. However during that time, the use of oven did not became a useful and famous equipment until the 1920’s. In 1940’s, an engineer named Percy Spencer learned that the molecules microwave beam have heating abilities when in comes to contact with food. After a decade,  it was develop and became the microwave oven that we all know today.  Since then different types of oven was created to use for various cooking method.

  • Convectional ovens- are ovens that has a fan which helps circulate the hot air and can cook the foods quicker
  • Conventional ovens- Unlike convectional ovens, these type of oven does not have a fan which can result to longer cooking time and uneven cooking.
  • Barbeque or Smoke oven- this oven is used with special woods such as hickory and apple wood chunks, which creates that smoky flavour for roasting meats.
  • Microwave oven- is the type of oven that we use to reheat different foods quickly. It can also be use for defrosting meats and fish, baking simple desserts and cooking popcorns.
  • Toaster oven- is used for toasting bread and pizza slices, quickly melting cheeses and also for baking cookies.

This innovation has become predominant because of the different cooking method that we can do with it. It is used for baking, broiling, roasting, braising, barbecuing or simply reheating different kinds of food.  With the advancement of technology, temperature settings and timers have made cooking more convenient and easier in order to achieve the desired doneness. Indeed, the evolution of oven have come a long way, from brick wood-fire oven to digitized and more advanced type.

Back in the Philippines, I’ve always wanted to bake cakes and pastries. Unfortunately we couldn’t afford to buy one because it was so expensive. It was only here in Canada, where I got to had an opportunity to use an oven. Now, I use our oven almost every week to cook and bake different dishes.  I think it cooking with an oven help me grow as a cook because I can work with it in many different ways. Especially if I’m going to work in a restaurant kitchen one day, it is imperative that I should know how to work with an oven.

 

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