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?
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One, on a cooking show, your audience doesn’t eat the food, they see it. Likewise, in competitions, your food has to be as perfect as you can possibly get it. Losing a little heat and upping the cook time a bit is a small price to pay for knowing the exact status of your food. You lose drastically more time by having to redo it if you burn it, and being able to see exactly how it looks allows you to know exactly when to take it out.
Two, those ovens are mad good. Your glorified toaster doesn’t even begin to compare. These ovens cost thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars. They heat up far more efficiently than what you’re used to, and reheat faster after they’re opened.
Three, anxiety. In competitions, the *only* thing you’re doing is cooking, and there’s money on the line, so it’s stressful. Especially in baking shows, there’s a lot of downtime while stuff is in the oven, so they’re sitting there stewing in their own stress while they wait. Opening the oven to check your food is similar to checking the clock when you’re almost off work, or peeking out the window when you’re expecting someone to come over. It’s just a tic, and a way to distract yourself from the stress.
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