Dacor ELECTRONICS - Temperature Testing Procedures and Best Practices

Back to the Basics Page 36
Combine those three factors with a recipe calling for exact
temperatures and baking times results in a situation guaranteed to ruin
the most well planned recipe. Your customer will likely complain about
either a combination of poor color and texture or slow bake.
Customer B normally gets good results because she understand the modes and the
importance of a thorough preheat. She chooses Pure Convection, and like customer
A, sets the oven for 325F and waits for the tone. When she hears the tone, however,
she waits an additional few minutes. This allows the oven extra time allows the oven
to stabilize and all of the zones combine, and it allows for a much quicker temperature
recovery when opening the door and loading the oven. Always try to allow for a twenty-
minute preheat.
Why do heavier ovens take longer to preheat?
 It comes down to heat sink mass or overall cubic feet. The heavier or larger the oven, the
more material there is too preheat and the longer it takes. Higher wattage elements or
larger BTU burners will not improve your overall preheat accuracy. They will only force it to
heat faster. Lighter weight ovens preheat faster but once preheated they do not maintain
temperature as well because of the heat loss caused by poor insulation or lightweight
materials.
With sturdier items like roasts, casseroles, game meats, fowl, braised vegetables you can usually
load the oven when you hear the preheat tone.
The tone will usually sound in seven to nine minutes.
Temperature Testing Procedures
** Note that all testing data is based upon controllers (ERC) that are incapable of receiving
multiple adjustments. Be aware that some new controls allow you to individually adjust each bake
mode. In this case, averages are unnecessary.
The Do’s and Don’ts
The Don’ts
 Prior to testing, don’t expect an oven with more than one bake mode to behave the same
on all modes
 Don’t open the door during testing
 Don’t assume the homeowners $6.00 thermometer is more accurate than your own
$200.00 digital meter
 Don’t assume that the homeowner always chooses the proper cycle; in fact, don’t assume
the homeowner understands anything about proper cycle selection. There may not be a
mechanical problem at all.