Most cooks know that opening the oven releases heat which slows cooking. But on cooking competition shows, many skilled chefs check their oven often, resulting in undercooked food. Do these chefs know something we don’t know, or are they actually making this rookie mistake?

Question

Most cooks know that opening the oven releases heat which slows cooking. But on cooking competition shows, many skilled chefs check their oven often, resulting in undercooked food. Do these chefs know something we don’t know, or are they actually making this rookie mistake?

In: Other

Answer 1

If you’ve made the same recipe a thousand times using the same equipment, it’s probably safe to go by a time measurement. Chefs on cooking shows are using ovens they’ve never used before, so they don’t know the irregularities of their equipment. The only way to know if something is done is with a thermometer or by looking at it. A measurement of time is not useful on equipment you haven’t used.