Thermal inertia or "out of the fire"
When you're cooking, you need a lot of heat to cook, and most of the time it's on the fire, literally if you're on gas, more indirectly if you're not.
An expression that comes up quite often is "Off the heat", but what does it really mean?
An expression that comes up quite often is "Off the heat", but what does it really mean?
6,745 4.6/5 (16 reviews)
Keywords for this post:CookingHeatInertiaThermalPanFireLast modified on: December 12th 2020
Thermal inertia or "out of the fire"
When it comes to saucepans (in the broadest sense of the word: saucepans, sauté pans, frying pans, etc.), you'll find the full range of quality, and therefore price, in the shops.
From the cheap, cheap stuff that's often lightweight, but won't last very long, to the rather chic, heavy, stainless steel pans that will last you a lifetime or more (yes, it's a bit weird to say and consider, but your pots and pans might just outlive you).
The quality saucepans I was talking about have a very thick bottom, around 1 cm of solid steel, which is welded to the pan itself.
The role of this bottom is thermal inertia, i.e. when you put it on the fire, the bottom "loads" with heat first, and separates the flame from the food being heated/cooked, which means that the contents of the pan take longer to heat up, but in the other direction, same inertia, it cools down less quickly.
So there's a "certain time" between the moment you turn off the heat, and the moment your preparation stops heating or cooking.
As a general rule, this is very practical: no sudden bursts of heat, less risk of burning, less sensitivity to false settings. It's not for nothing that all chefs' kitchens are equipped with these pans.
Note that this applies to both gas and induction, although induction is much smoother anyway (it seems to me).
Well, from all this, it's clear that you need to be very careful, especially if you're cooking a delicate food like fish, with the thermal inertia of your pans.
It's quite easy to overcook a food, without necessarily burning everything, because even though you've turned off the heat, it's still cooking a little.
That's why you'll find the expression "hors du feu" (off the heat) in many recipes, for example "hors du feu, ajoutez les œufs battus" (off the heat, add the beaten eggs), and it's to be applied strictly: remove your pan from the heat before continuing, otherwise, due to the thermal inertia of your pan + the residual heat of the stove (even if it's less with induction), you'll overcook and perhaps miss your recipe, which would be a great pity...
In practice, if you cook at the green arrow, "off the heat" is at the red arrow.
In short: When you come across the expression "off the heat" in a recipe, it's not just a matter of turning off the heat, it's also a matter of moving your pan away from the heat so as to stop cooking relatively quickly.
From the cheap, cheap stuff that's often lightweight, but won't last very long, to the rather chic, heavy, stainless steel pans that will last you a lifetime or more (yes, it's a bit weird to say and consider, but your pots and pans might just outlive you).
The quality saucepans I was talking about have a very thick bottom, around 1 cm of solid steel, which is welded to the pan itself.
The role of this bottom is thermal inertia, i.e. when you put it on the fire, the bottom "loads" with heat first, and separates the flame from the food being heated/cooked, which means that the contents of the pan take longer to heat up, but in the other direction, same inertia, it cools down less quickly.
So there's a "certain time" between the moment you turn off the heat, and the moment your preparation stops heating or cooking.
As a general rule, this is very practical: no sudden bursts of heat, less risk of burning, less sensitivity to false settings. It's not for nothing that all chefs' kitchens are equipped with these pans.
Note that this applies to both gas and induction, although induction is much smoother anyway (it seems to me).
Right, and?
Well, from all this, it's clear that you need to be very careful, especially if you're cooking a delicate food like fish, with the thermal inertia of your pans.
It's quite easy to overcook a food, without necessarily burning everything, because even though you've turned off the heat, it's still cooking a little.
That's why you'll find the expression "hors du feu" (off the heat) in many recipes, for example "hors du feu, ajoutez les œufs battus" (off the heat, add the beaten eggs), and it's to be applied strictly: remove your pan from the heat before continuing, otherwise, due to the thermal inertia of your pan + the residual heat of the stove (even if it's less with induction), you'll overcook and perhaps miss your recipe, which would be a great pity...
In practice, if you cook at the green arrow, "off the heat" is at the red arrow.
In short: When you come across the expression "off the heat" in a recipe, it's not just a matter of turning off the heat, it's also a matter of moving your pan away from the heat so as to stop cooking relatively quickly.
Lasts posts
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20249285
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...December 13th 20242,2095
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...November 29th 20242,1485
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...November 21th 20242,0545
Your oven in "proofer" mode
In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...September 27th 20245,0125
Other pages you may also like
Remove bones from fish
Let's talk about fish: It's not a scoop, it's much more pleasant to eat fish from which all the bones have been carefully removed, even if it's a rather painful and time-consuming job, the result is worthy of your efforts. Here are some important points to keep in mind.October 16th 20219,8305
The color of the bread crumb
When you go to buy bread, at your baker's, at the time of the choice, if you hesitate of course, you will undoubtedly be very sensitive to the color of the crust, and you will be right. The color of the crust, from golden, to sometimes very dark, deep brown almost black, depending on the maturity...April 30th 202216 K4.6
Cream and sauces
Have you ever wondered why making beautiful tasty sauces is so easy when you use cream? .October 15th 201218 K4.4
The taste of raw tomatoes
Let's take a look at tomatoes, which are still in full bloom at the end of summer (as I write these lines), and which make for delicious salads. I had already talked to you about the interest of peeling tomatoes, which gives them an extraordinary sweetness in the mouth, but let's talk about the...September 8th 201812 K4.9
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.June 21th 201759 K 24.2
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.