Getting Crisp Bacon In A Gas Oven
I have been cooking bacon in ovens for several years. Our new house has a gas oven, a new experience for me, and while I've generally mastered it, I'm struggling with cooking bacon in there. It certainly cooks, but it doesn't seem to get that charred, crispy taste we used to have. I imagine this has to do with the extra moisture in gas ovens? Either way, does anyone have a solution? I would also appreciate the scientific reasoning behind the phenomena.
Best Answer
I've cooked plenty of crispy bacon in plenty of ovens— gas and electric, commercial and home, with and without convection— and I really doubt the browning of bacon could be noticeably retarded by trace amounts of moisture from the gas. A common trick to getting crispier bacon involves generously sprinkling water on the tray before cooking so it will render out more fat (which happens at sub-boiling temps) before it starts to brown. (Personally, I haven't seen enough of a difference to do it consistently, but I've known chefs that have sworn by it.)
I've heard people say that it can affect the browning of bread, which makes sense considering how much more readily starches absorb water than protein. This might be relevant for recipes which use time rather than appearance/smell/texture/internal temperature to determine when to stop cooking something, but I'd blame lack of more accurate measurements to consider whether the bread was done and/or needed the heat adjusted before I blamed the heat source. I've also baked plenty of bread, pizzas, and other starchy foods in gas ovens without a problem.
If you're using the same bacon you used in your old oven, the problem is almost certainly an inaccurate oven thermostat in one or both of your ovens. Oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate. I'd recommend purchasing an oven thermometer so you can more accurately gauge the temperature of your oven, and cranking up the heat until you achieve your perfect bacon. Even if I'm totally wrong and you've got a gas oven which is nearly steamer-level moist, the answer is probably more heat.
Good luck!
Edit: Are you sure your oven is properly vented?
Pictures about "Getting Crisp Bacon In A Gas Oven"
How do you cook bacon in a gas oven?
InstructionsWhat temperature should you cook bacon in a gas oven?
At 400\xb0 F, bacon takes between 12-20 minutes. Bacon is done when it is a rich golden brown color. You can bake your bacon a minute or two longer for crispier bacon.How do you make things crispy in a gas oven?
You should turn up the heat for more crisping action. If crunchy and crispy is your aim, try turning up the oven heat by 25\xb0F. The cooking time will change slightly, so be attentive toward the end of cooking and look out for visual and aromatic cues that your food is done.HOW TO COOK BACON IN THE OVEN | easy, crispy and no mess!
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