Wikipedia

Oven

For clay ovens, seePrimitive clay oven.For other uses, seeOvens (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withIndustrial furnace.

Anovenis atoolthat is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way.[1]In use sinceantiquity,they have been used to accomplish a wide variety of tasks requiring controlled heating.[2]Because they are used for a variety of purposes, there are many differenttypes of ovens.These types differ depending on their intended purpose and based upon how they generate heat.

A double oven
A ceramic oven

Ovens are often used forcooking,usuallybaking,sometimesbroiling;they can be used to heatfoodto a desiredtemperature.Ovens are also used in the manufacturing ofceramicsandpottery;these ovens are sometimes referred to askilns.Metallurgical furnacesare ovens used in the manufacturing ofmetals,whileglass furnacesare ovens used to produceglass.

There are many methods by which different types of ovens produce heat. Some ovens heat materials using thecombustionof afuel,such aswood,coal,ornatural gas,[3]while many employelectricity.Microwave ovensheat materials by exposing them tomicrowave radiation,while electric ovens andelectric furnacesheat materials usingresistive heating.Some ovens use forcedconvection,the movement ofgasesinside the heating chamber, to enhance the heating process, or, in some cases, to change the properties of the material being heated, such as in theBessemer methodofsteelproduction.

History

The earliest ovens were found inCentral Europeand date back to 29,000 BC. They were roasting and boiling pits insideyurtsused to cookmammoth.[4]InUkrainefrom 20,000 BC they used pits with hot coals covered in ashes. Food was wrapped in leaves and set on top, then covered with earth.[5]In camps found inMezhirich,each mammoth bone house had ahearthused for heating and cooking.[6]Ovens were used bycultures who lived in the Indus Valleyand in pre-dynastic Egypt.[7][8]By 3200 BC, each mud-brick house had an oven in settlements across the Indus Valley.[7][9]Ovens were used to cook food and to make bricks.[7]Pre-dynastic civilizations in Egypt used kilns around 5000–4000 BC to make pottery.[8]

Tandır ovens used to bake unleavened flatbread were common in Anatolia during the Seljuk and Ottoman eras and have been found at archaeological sites distributed across the Middle East. The wordtandırcomes from the Akkadiantinuru,which becomestanurin Hebrew and Arabic, andtandırin Turkish. Of the hundreds of bread varieties known from cuneiform sources, unleavened tinuru bread was made by adhering bread to the side walls of a heated cylindrical oven. This type of bread is still central to rural food culture in this part of the world, reflected by the local folklore, in which a young man and woman sharing fresh tandır bread is a symbol of young love. However, the culture of traditional bread baking is changing with younger generations, especially with those who reside in towns and prefer modern conveniences.[10][11]

During the Middle Ages, instead of earth and ceramic ovens, Europeans used fireplaces in conjunction with large cauldrons. These were similar to theDutch oven.After the Middle Ages, ovens underwent many changes over time from wood, iron, coal, gas, and even electric. Each design had its own motivation and purpose. The wood-burningstovessaw improvement through the addition of fire chambers that allowed better containment and release of smoke. Another recognizable oven would be the cast-iron stove. These were first used around the early 1700s, when they themselves underwent several variations including the Stewart Oberlin iron stove that was smaller and had its own chimney.[12]

In the early part of the 19th century, the coal oven was developed. It was cylindrical in shape and made of heavy cast iron. The gas oven saw its first use as early as the beginning of the 19th century as well.Gas stovesbecame very common household ovens once gas lines were available to most houses and neighborhoods. James Sharp patented one of the first gas stoves in 1826. Other improvements to the gas stove included theAGA cooker,invented in 1922 byGustaf Dalén.The first electric ovens were invented in the very late 19th century; however, like many electrical inventions destined for commercial use, mass ownership of electrical ovens could not be a reality until a better and more efficient use of electricity was available.[12]

Over time, ovens have become more high-tech in terms of cooking strategy. The microwave as a cooking tool was discovered by Percy Spencer in 1946, and with help from engineers, themicrowave ovenwas patented.[12]The microwave oven uses microwave radiation to excite water molecules in food, causing friction and thus producing heat.[13]

Types

Further information:List of ovens
A stove bench in the living room of a Germanfarmhouse
A wood-firedpizza oven,a type ofmasonry oven
Amicrowave oven
Interior of a modern home oven
A Japanese toaster oven
Double oven
A built-in oven fixture that has either two ovens,[14][15]or one oven and onemicrowave oven.It is usually built into the kitchen cabinet.
Earth oven
An earth oven is a pit dug into the ground and then heated, usually by rocks or smoldering debris. Historically these have been used by many cultures for cooking. Cooking times are usually long, and the process is usually cooking by slow roasting the food. Earth ovens are among the most common things archaeologists look for at an anthropological dig, as they are one of the key indicators of human civilization and static society.[16]
Ceramic oven
The ceramic oven is an oven constructed of clay or any other ceramic material and takes different forms depending on the culture. The Indians refer to it as atandoor,and use it for cooking. They can be dated back as far as 3,000 BC, and they have been argued to have their origins in theIndus Valley.[8]Brick ovens are also another ceramic type oven. A culture most notable for the use of brick ovens is Italy and its intimate history with pizza. However, its history also dates further back to Roman times, wherein the brick oven was used not only for commercial use but household use as well.[17]
Gas oven
One of the first recorded uses of a gas stove and oven referenced a dinner party in 1802 hosted by Zachaus Winzler, where all the food was prepared either on a gas stove or in its oven compartment. In 1834, British inventor James Sharp began to commercially produce gas ovens after installing one in his own house. In 1851, the Bower's Registered Gas Stove was displayed at theGreat Exhibition.This stove would set the standard and basis for the modern gas oven. Notable improvements to the gas stove since include the addition of thethermostatwhich assisted in temperature regulation; also anenamelcoating was added to the production of gas stoves and ovens in order to help with easier cleaning.[18]
Electric oven
These produce their heat electrically, often via resistive heating.
Toaster oven
Toaster ovens are small electric ovens with a front door, wire rack and removable baking pan. To toast bread with a toaster oven, slices of bread are placed horizontally on the rack. When the toast is done, the toaster turns off, but in most cases the door must be opened manually. Most toaster ovens are significantly larger than toasters, but are capable of performing most of the functions of electric ovens, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Masonry oven
Masonry ovens consist of a baking chamber made of fireproofbrick,concrete,stone,orclay.Though traditionallywood-fired,coal-fired ovens were common in the 19th century. Modern masonry ovens are often fired withnatural gasor evenelectricity,and are closely associated with artisanalbreadandpizza.In the past, however, they were also used for any cooking task that required baking.
Microwave oven
An oven that cooks food usingmicrowaveradiation rather thaninfraredradiation (typically a fire source). Conceptualized in 1946, Dr.Percy Spencerallegedly discovered the heating properties of microwaves while studying themagnetron.By 1947, the first commercial microwave was in use in Boston, Massachusetts.[19]
Wall oven
Wall ovens make it easier to work with large roasting pans and Dutch ovens. A width is typically 24, 27, or 30 inches. Mounted at waist or eye level, a wall oven eliminates bending. However, it can be nested under a countertop to save space. A separate wall oven is expensive compared with a range.[20]
Steam oven
An oven that cooks food using steam to provide heat.[21]

Some ovens can perform in multiple ways, sometimes at once. Combination ovens may be able to microwave and conventional heating such as baking or grilling simultaneously.

Uses

Cooking

Ovens are used askitchen appliancesforroastingand heating. Foods normally cooked in this manner includemeat,casserolesand baked goods such asbread,cakeand otherdesserts.In modern times, the oven is used to cook and heat food in many households around the globe.

Modern ovens are typically fueled by eithernatural gasorelectricity,withbottle gasmodels available but not common. When an oven is contained in a complete stove, the fuel used for the oven may be the same as or different from the fuel used for the burners on top of the stove.

Ovens usually can use a variety of methods to cook. The most common may be to heat the oven from below. This is commonly used for baking and roasting. The oven may also be able to heat from the top to providebroiling(US) orgrilling(UK/Commonwealth). A fan-assisted oven that uses a small fan to circulate the air in the cooking chamber, can be used.[22][23]Both are also known asconvection ovens.An oven may also provide an integratedrotisserie.

Ovens also vary in the way that they are controlled. The simplest ovens (for example, theAGA cooker) may not have any controls at all; the ovens simply run continuously at various temperatures. More conventional ovens have a simplethermostatwhich turns the oven on and off and selects the temperature at which it will operate. Set to the highest setting, this may also enable the broiler element. Atimermay allow the oven to be turned on and off automatically at pre-set times. More sophisticated ovens may have complex,computer-based controls allowing a wide variety of operating modes and special features including the use of atemperature probeto automatically shut the oven off when the food is completely cooked to the desired degree.

Toaster ovensare essentially small-scale ovens and can be used to cook foods other than just toasting. A frontal door is opened, horizontally-oriented bread slices (or other food items) are placed on a rack that has heat elements above and below it, and the door is closed. The controls are set and actuated to toast the bread to the desired doneness, whereupon the heat elements are switched off. In most cases, the door must be opened manually, though there are also toaster ovens with doors that open automatically. Because the bread is horizontal, a toaster oven can be used to cook toast with toppings, likegarlic bread,melt sandwiches,ortoasted cheese.Toaster ovens are generally slower to make toast than pop-up toasters, taking 4–6 minutes as compared to 2–3 minutes.[24]In addition to the automatic-toasting settings, toaster ovens typically have settings and temperature controls to allow use of the appliance as a small oven.

Extra features on toaster ovens can include:

  • Heating element control options, such as a "top brown" setting that powers only the upper elements so food can be broiled without heat from below.
  • Multiple shelf racks – Having options for positioning the oven shelf gives more control over the distance between food and the heating element.

Industrial, scientific, and artisanal

Industrial Zanolli double hearth deck oven (left) and Sveba-Dahlen rotary rack oven (right)

Outside the culinary world, ovens are used for a number of purposes:

  • A furnace can be used either to provide heat to a building or used to melt substances such as glass or metal for further processing. Ablast furnaceis a particular type of furnace generally associated with metalsmelting(particularlysteelmanufacture) using refinedcokeor similar hot-burning substance as a fuel, with air pumped in under pressure to increase the temperature of the fire. Ablacksmithuses a temporarily blown furnace, the smith's heart to heat iron to a glowing red to yellow temperature.
  • Akilnis a high-temperature oven used inwood drying,ceramicsandcementmanufacturing toconvertmineral feedstock (in the form of clay or calcium or aluminum rocks) into aglassier,more solid form. In the case of ceramic kilns, a shaped clay object is the final result, while cement kilns produce a substance calledclinkerthat is crushed to make the final cement product. (Certain types of drying ovens used in food manufacture, especially those used inmalting,are also referred to as kilns.)
  • Anautoclaveis an oven-like device with features similar to apressure cookerthat allows the heating of aqueous solutions to higher temperatures than water's boiling point in order to sterilize the contents of the autoclave.
  • Industrial ovensare similar to their culinary equivalents and are used for a number of different applications that do not require the high temperatures of a kiln or furnace.

See also

References

  1. ^"Definition of Oven".17 May 2023.
  2. ^"Ovens in Prehistory"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2021-09-03.Retrieved2021-01-22.
  3. ^"Ovens in History".
  4. ^Viegas, Jennifer (6 March 2009)."Mammoths roasted in prehistoric barbecue pit".NBC News. Archived fromthe originalon February 21, 2014.
  5. ^Peter James; Nick Thorpe; I. J. Thorpe (31 October 1995).Ancient inventions.Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 302–.ISBN978-0-345-40102-1.Retrieved23 November2011.
  6. ^MezhirichArchived2011-05-14 at theWayback Machine.Donsmaps. Retrieved on 2011-11-23.
  7. ^abcHistory Of The Indus CivilizationArchived2006-03-09 at theWayback Machine.Historyworld.net. Retrieved on 2011-11-23.
  8. ^abcHierkonpolis Online."Pottery Kilns."Archived2017-02-26 at theWayback Machine
  9. ^Dales, George (1974). "Excavations at Balakot, Pakistan, 1973".Journal of Field Archaeology.1(1–2). Boston University: 3–22 [10].doi:10.2307/529703.JSTOR529703.
  10. ^Parker, Bradley J. “BREAD OVENS, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND GENDERED SPACE: AN ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF TANDIR OVENS IN SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA.” American Antiquity, vol. 76, no. 4, 2011, pp. 603–627. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/41331914. Accessed 16 Dec. 2020.
  11. ^Takaoğlu, T. (2004). Ethnoarchaeological investigations in rural Anatolia. Cihangir, İstanbul: Ege Yayınları. (p7)
  12. ^abcBellis, Mary (6 April 2018)."History of the Oven from Cast Iron to Electric".ThoughtCo.Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2012.
  13. ^Gallawa, Carlton J."How do Microwaves Cook."Archived2010-11-18 at theWayback Machine
  14. ^The American Gas Light Journal'.Volume 99. 1913. p. 42.
  15. ^Phillips, E. (2011).Kitchen Remodeling: What I Should Have Known.Dog Ear Publishing. p. 44.ISBN978-1-4575-0777-9.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  16. ^Dering, Phil (1999). "Earth-Oven Plant Processing in Archaic Period Economies: An Example from a Semi-Arid Savannah in South Central North America".American Antiquity.64(4): 659–674.doi:10.2307/2694211.JSTOR2694211.S2CID163182181.
  17. ^Forno Bravo."The History of Brick Ovens."Archived2011-07-11 at theWayback Machine
  18. ^The Gas Museum Leicester."Gas Cooking."Archived2011-03-15 at theWayback Machine
  19. ^Microtech."Who Invented Microwaves."Archived2006-01-27 at theWayback Machine
  20. ^"How to Buy a Wall Oven".Appliances Connection Blog.9 February 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-01-04.
  21. ^Bizzaco, Michael; Evon, Dan (19 March 2021)."How do steam ovens work?".DigitalTrends.Retrieved22 March2021.
  22. ^"What's the difference between fan and fan-assisted ovens? - Smeg".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-05-07.Retrieved2013-07-20.What's the difference between fan and fan-assisted ovens? Retrieved on 20 July 2013
  23. ^"Oven Advice Centre".Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-15.Retrieved2013-07-20.Ovens Advice Centre Retrieved on 20 July 2013
  24. ^Consumer Reports(November 2012)."Toaster Buying Guide".consumerreports.org.Retrieved17 March2014.

Sources

  • Roper, Frances. "Chilean Baking-Oven." Antiquity Publications. Great Britain: 1937. 355–356.
  • Sopoliga, Miroslav. "Oven and Hearth in Ukrainian Dwellings of Eastern Slovakia." Acta Ethnografica Academiae Scientiarium Hungaricae. Budapest: 1982. 315–355
  • Silltoe, Paul. "The Earth Oven: An Alternative to the Barbecue from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea." The Anthropologists'Cook Book: 1997. 224–231.
  • Roger Curtis. "Peruvian or Polynesian: The Stone-Lined Earth Oven of Easter Island." New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter. 22, no.3: 1979. 92–96.
  • Bauhoff, Gunter. "History of Cast-Iron Oven Plate." Offa Bd. 40: 1983. 191–197.
  • Bellis, Mary."History of the Oven from Cast Iron to Electric."
  • National Academy of Engineers."Household Appliances-Cooking."
  • Gallawa, Carlton J."How do Microwaves Cook."Archived2010-11-18 at theWayback Machine
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