Rotisserie cooking uses heat that is radiated from the upper element.

Have you ever actually explored the multitude of cooking modes on your Thermador oven? If not, don’t worry, we’re here for you.

Ranging from the distinctively chiseled, elegant Professional Series ovens, to their classically American Masterpiece Series counterparts, Thermador ovens offer pre-programmed cooking modes for any dish a home cook could dream up.

But sometimes, technology can get lost in the soufflé. The following is a list of the most popular cooking modes on Thermador ovens, and what their best uses are.

Proof mode
If you love to make your own bread or rolls, this is the perfect setting for you. This mode creates the perfect environment to allow the yeast to rise in the dough.

Dehydrate Mode
Whether you have a garden, or just love to catch a great sale on fruits and vegetables, the dehydrate mode is perfect for you. This mode sets the perfect temperature (140 degrees) while using true convection so you can dehydrate your own apple slices, pineapple slices, mushrooms, strawberries or herbs. (See dehydrate chart on Page 27 of the Use and Care Manual for more helpful hints on approximate drying times.)

Bake
This one’s a bit self-explanatory — mainly used for baking pies, crusts and pizzas.

Convection Bake
Used for cakes, breads and overall cooking.

Mastering the various cooking modes on your Thermador oven is a cinch.

True Convection
True Convection is cooking with the convection fan and the third element that surrounds the fan, providing great results due to the hot air that is circulating in the oven. Once you start cooking with convection you’ll be amazed at the results. This mode is great for cakes, cookies, cream puffs, biscuits, breads and pizzas.
• You can cook an entire meal at the same time (sweet and savory) with no flavor transfer.
• You can multi-level cook.
• You can quantity cook. Size allows for three racks of appetizers, vegetables, cookies, rolls, etc., at the same time.
• When cooking meat, convection sears the outside while sealing in the juices — making for a much greater taste! (Convection Roast Mode).
• Saves time when you’re able to cook on several levels at once.
• You can save up to 25% cooking time when cooking over an hour. For example, if your turkey normally takes three hours to cook, cooking with convection (Convection Roast Mode) reduces the cooking time by 45 minutes.

Note: There are a few rules to remember when cooking with convection. Do not cover the food or use cooking bags. Use low-sided pans. When cooking meat use a roasting rack so the hot air can circulate around the food.

Roast
Uses upper and lower elements (bake and broil), with more intense heat from the upper element than the lower element. This mode is best suited for large cuts of meat and poultry where you might add liquids, such as water, juice, wine, bullion or stock for flavor and moisture. Use a high-sided broil pan or cover food with a lid or foil. Roasting bags are suitable for this mode.

Convection Roast
Uses the upper and lower elements as well as the third element and convection fan. This mode is excellent for roasting tender cuts of meat and poultry, rib-eye roast, pork tenderloin, chicken, turkey and leg of lamb.

Broil/Max Broil
Uses intense heat from the upper element. Max Broil uses a larger broil element, which allows you to broil more food at one time. The mode is best suited for cooking thin, tender cuts of meat (one inch or less), poultry and fish. This mode is great for fast, efficient cooking, without adding additional fats or liquids. It’s also a great way to add browning to casseroles.

Convection Broil/Max Convection Broil
Similar to broil, it combines intense heat from the upper element with the heat circulated by the convection fan. This mode is well suited for cooking thick, tender cuts of meat, poultry and fish. In addition to the benefits of broiling, convection broil is faster.

Speed Convection
Uses all heating elements, as well as the convection fan, to evenly distribute heat throughout the oven cavity. The great benefit of this feature is that you can take your favorite frozen convenient food and place food in the cold oven (no preheating required) and cook according to the package directions. For example, if the box states to preheat oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and cook for 20 minutes you would simply bypass the preheat, set your oven to 400 degrees and set a timer for 20 minutes. This amazing feature will save you 30 percent of the time. Do not use microwaveable plastic containers for this mode.

Rotisserie
Uses heat that is radiated from the upper element. The food is turned slowly on a skewer and is self-basting — another perfect way for cooking turkey, chicken, Cornish hens, prime rib or leg of lamb.

If you have any interesting questions for me, or have an oven question that you’re dying to ask, please leave me a comment, and I will do my best to provide an answer.

-Caroline Ciarelli, National Product Specialist, BCD Luxury Group