Influence of convection heat transfer on the reheating of a chilled ready-cooked dish in an experimental superheated steam cell

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of heat transfer by convection on the reheating of mashed potatoes with an experimental device. The device was composed of a cooking cell with injection of superheated steam and its analytical environment. The setting variables of the cooking cell were: temperature of the walls between 105 and 240 degrees C, mean velocity of atmosphere circulation between 0 and 2.5 m/s, and injection flow of superheated steam between 0 and 1.2 kg/h. Measurements on the food (temperature and mass), and composition analysis of the cell atmosphere allowed identification of the phenomena which occur on the cook-chill dish (mashed potatoes). When the mean velocity of the atmosphere increases, condensation rate reduces while drying rate increases. Above 0.7 m/s, the increase in convection had no influence on temperature rising rate. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.