Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Physical Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Gibbs1 on September 12, 2016, 01:22:41 AM
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In cooking recipes we often find specifications for time and temperature,
Is it possible, for a given system, to make an equivalence between time and Temp? can i calculate how many s are there for 1°C?
what other things can i calculate given time & temperature?
any ideas?
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Is it possible, for a given system, to make an equivalence between time and Temp? can i calculate how many s are there for 1°C?
In general, not.
Yes, sometimes you will get the same effect using a higher temperature in a shorter time, or lower temperature but cooking longer. This is not much different from the reaction kinetics described by the Arrhenius equation.
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The problem is that heat transfer rates and heat capacities of various food components are not constant, so it's impossible to generalize. Never mind the fact that the mass of food being heated also is an important factor in cooking time. For something like a hamburger or chicken breast, really high heat application results in quick cooking (searing) of the exterior and a much cooler interior - in fact what we usually do is sear at very high temperature and then finish at lower temperature so the inside "catches up". A lower constant heat application will result in more even cooking throughout, something that is more desirable in, say, a pie or a cookie. So, you also have to specify the point at which temperature is being measured AND whether the food is being stirred/agitated. It's too complex a phenomenon for a home cook to use - although in food processing plants where foods are more standardized in terms of size, shape, and consistency, it is probably more possible to do something like this for specific applications.
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The cooking time is often determined by the penetration of heat more than by a homogenous reaction time. For instance, a heavier chicken takes more time to cook despite the oven air temperature is the same.
(sorry for paraphrasing much)