12 minutes ago, dcarch said:Actually the Philips design of the reflectors is outstanding if you look at their shape, which is kind of parabolic focusing to beam the IR output toward the food. Also, because the IR beam is focused, the distance of food to the heating elements is not that critical.
I guess I need to see one of these in person, because it looks like the folding reflector is planar and bass-ackward. Is the parabola under the food? This is not ideal, but it's better than nothing.
12 minutes ago, dcarch said:Also, because the IR beam is focused, the distance of food to the heating elements is not that critical.
See, above. Also, the Phillips elements seem very similar to those used in the Breville Smart Oven and its ilk. My experience with the largest BSO cooking things roasted and toasted is that the elements are too far from the food to do a good job. Farberware instructed users to adjust the spit downward to the point that the food barely clears the element. We're not talking about a heliostat here...
