Water in the Oven When Roasting

[weinoo]

There seems to be some common wisdom that if you put a cup or two of water in the oven when roasting a chicken or a duck or whatever, that the product won't splatter and your oven will stay clean (er).

Does this work? Really? Do you do it? What do you put the water in and where does it sit in the oven?

[xxchef]

I've not heard this before. Do you spritz the oven, put it in an evap pan on the oven floor, or are you talking in the roast pan itself? I often do the latter, along with some mirepoix for later pan gravy making and I can see how it might keep the fat splatters down.

[technophile50]

Water in the bottom of the pan that catches the drippings from the roast would maintain its temperature at boiling, whereas the fat by itself from a roast can get much hotter, and cause rapid superheating and splattery expansion of watery juicy drips.

BTW, I saw a pot roast on sale yesterday that had 35% mostly water "self basting liquid" added - not such a bargain. On the plus side, it probably wouldn't spatter much left on its own.

Hey, I just invented a new advertising gimmick more convenient prepared meat - "Try our new and improved low spatter pot roast, with 35% more carefully formulated and tasty anti-spatter BAM! Au Jus, developed with and approved by chef Emeril Lagasse."

[Mjx]

Water in the bottom of the pan that catches the drippings from the roast would maintain its temperature at boiling, whereas the fat by itself from a roast can get much hotter, and cause rapid superheating and splattery expansion of watery juicy drips.

. . . .

Wouldn't the presence of enough water to maintain this effect for the entire roasting time interfere with surface crisping? It seems like just putting a bunch of root vegetables in the bottom of the pan, to absorb the rendering fat, would work at least as well, and give you some tasty veg, to boot.

[Mikels]

I have never roasted chicken with water in the oven. But, in the past, I have used it for grilling in an oven. Placing the grill rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 inch (1cm)of water in the bottom keeps the fat from catching fire, reduces smoking and splattering. Since the heat comes from the top, the water does not appear to have any effect on the end result.

[naguere]

I have never roasted chicken with water in the oven. But, in the past, I have used it for grilling in an oven. Placing the grill rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 inch (1cm)of water in the bottom keeps the fat from catching fire, reduces smoking and splattering. Since the heat comes from the top, the water does not appear to have any effect on the end result.

What a great idea.

Thanks

[weinoo]

My assumption is that the steam created by the water (in a separate pot/pan/container from the roasting pan) is what keeps the fat from splattering around the oven.

[dcarch]

Water inside an oven creates the following situation: (Normal atmospheric pressure)

Initially, water will be heated up at the rate of one BTU per degree F per lb. Since the temperature inside an oven is governed by the thermostat, the absorption of BTUs by the water will not change oven temperature significantly.

While the temperature of the water is increasing, the rate of evaporation increases, the latent heat of vaporization will be supplied by the oven, and the oven will still maintain the air temperature at what is set by the thermostat.

The water will continue to be heated until it boils at 212 F.

As the water vapor increases inside the oven, “vapor pressure” (not atmospheric pressure) also increases. This will slow down the evaporation of what is being cooked by the oven. In other words, what you are cooking will be slower in drying out.

If you preheat an oven until the water boils, then you put a cold chicken inside to be baked, at first water will condense on the chicken and drip down until the chicken reaches 212 degrees.

The container of water will completely block IR radiation above 212 F where it is placed. This will impact how the food will be baked in the direction of the blockage.

Water vapor/steam cannot prevent oil from splattering.

Splattering is mainly caused by violent water boiling under the fat.

dcarch

[budrichard]

Water in the oven can be used for a number of reasons.

A little simple thermodynamics is needed.

At Atmospheric pressure water will boil at 212F, unless your oven pressurizes, the water will not go any higher in temperature. The water that does boil is actually turned into steam as its temperature increases above 212F. Steam is invisible to the eye, if you think you see a jet of steam, that is actually water vapor condensing from the steam phase. The steam is used in baking to obtain a harder crust but I don't believe steam/water in your oven will do anything to reduce any splattering and may be just to catch spill over grease and keep the grease from combusting in the bottom of your oven. Electric and gas ovens are different in that a combustion product from gas usage is in fact water whereas in an electric oven there is no water and maybe things will dry more. I don't know because I use a Viking gas range and that is what my experience is with and the only time I put water in the oven is while baking to produce steam.

I do at times put water into the bottom of a Weber to eliminate fires from grease accumulation.-Dick

Edited February 28, 2011 by budrichard (log)

[Mikels]

While we are on the topic of thermodynamics, there will be a marginal effect of having significant water vapor (steam)in the oven. The phase transformation of liquid water to steam requires more than raising the temperature above 212F (100C). The additional energy required to do this is called the heat of vaporization, which is 2,270 kJ/kg. It is sometimes called latent heat. When cooking, this heat is released when the water condenses. That is why steaming foods is faster than boiling them. Will this extra heat change cooking time? A bit, but I doubt if it will be significant. I may be wrong, but this extra heat in baking bread, may be the reason why you get a good crust when you inject steam.

[Norm Matthews]

A steamy oven prevents bread from crusting as quickly so that you may get a higher rise on your loaves.