pot (this is why we can reach into a hot oven without immediately burning our hand) Convection ovens increase the rate of heat transfer by using fans to force more air movement, and significantly reduce baking times Because baking requires a fairly sophisticated container, it was probably a late addition to the culinary repertoire The earliest ovens seem to have accompanied the refinement of bread making around 3000 BCE in Egypt; they were hollow cones of clay that contained a layer of coals, with the bread stuck onto an inside wall As a relatively compact metal box easily installed in individual homes, the modern oven dates from the late 19th century Before then, most meat cooking was done over the fire Boiling and Simmering: Water Convection In boiling and its lower-temperature versions, simmering and poaching, food is heated by the convection currents in hot water The maximum temperature possible is the boiling point, 212ºF/100ºC at sea level, which is usually not high enough for these “moist” cooking methods to trigger browning reactions Despite the relatively low cooking temperature, boiling is a very efficient process The entire surface of the food is in contact with the cooking medium, and water is dense enough that its molecules constantly collide with the food and rapidly impart their energy to it As a cooking technique, boiling probably followed roasting and preceded baking It requires containers that are both water-and fireproof, and so probably had to await the development of pottery, around 10,000 years ago The Boiling Point: A Reliable Landmark It isn’t always easy for the cook to recognize ... cooking methods to trigger browning reactions Despite the relatively low cooking temperature, boiling is a very efficient process The entire surface of the food is in contact with the cooking medium, and water is dense enough that its molecules constantly...simmering and poaching, food is heated by the convection currents in hot water The maximum temperature possible is the boiling point, 212ºF/100ºC at sea level, which is usually not high enough for these “moist”... requires containers that are both water -and fireproof, and so probably had to await the development of pottery, around 10,000 years ago The Boiling Point: A Reliable Landmark It isn’t always easy for the cook to recognize