Modifying the Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Residential Oven to Promote Favorable Baking Results

Baking has historically been a trial and error method of cooking. Little research has been conducted to determine the heat transfer characteristics that promote good baking results, and previous research studies have focused on commercial baking applications and the quantities of radiation, convection and conduction that are delivered to the food after a favorable baking process has been defined. The objective of the present work is to experimentally explore the feasibility of modifying a residential oven to mimic commercial baking products. The first step in the solution process was to define the thermo-physical conditions that promote favorable baking results. Next, by defining the current residential oven’s baking characteristics through experimentation, the optimal geometric and material properties were determined. Experimentation included single thermocouple testing, multiple thermocouple testing, and ‘bake’ testing. It was found that a stacked wall structure created by layering various materials in a sandwich like configuration, placed between the lower resistive heating element and the oven cavity, improved the heat transfer characteristics of the oven.