Using a combination of circulating air and heat and microwaves, the oven bakes and roasts 15 times faster than a standard appliance: A 12-pound turkey in 45 minutes, biscuits in 90 seconds, apple pie in 16 minutes.
High powered currents of heated air circulate from multiple jets in the top and bottom of the oven, allowing food to brown, sear and caramelize as it would in a conventional oven. The cooking process is speeded along by microwaves, although the oven cannot be used as a microwave alone. The convection waves pass through a stirrer on the top of the oven for even cooking. The air then passes by a heating element and is recirculated back into the cooking cavity. The process is repeated until the food is cooked.
Settings for 500 items are pre-programmed into the oven's controls, taking the guess work out of cooking common foods. A digital display shows oven temperature, meat temperature (via a probe) and more. Users can program in times and temperatures for their own recipes, or override pre-settings.
The oven can also handle delicate tasks, such as proofing bread, making the morning toast and acting as a warming drawer.
Manufacturer TurboChef has been equipping commercial kitchens for years. The Speedcook, its first entry into the residential appliance market, should appeal to busy households with high-end kitchens.
A single oven starts at $6,000. A double oven, with a Speedcook on top and a conventional convection oven on the bottom, costs about $9,000.
Supplier: TurboChef
