Recovery time (culinary)

Potato dumplings being boiled

Boiling water has a recovery time which occurs when food is added to it,[1] particularly large amounts of food. Methods to reduce recovery time are to use a larger quantity of water, cooking a lesser amount of food at a time, and using a stronger heat source.[1] Industrial and restaurant blanching equipment is susceptible to a recovery time, in which the blanching liquor requires time to reheat to its preset cooking temperature.[2]

Deep fryers have a recovery time after food is cooked in them.[3][4] A faster recovery time shortens the cooking time, which lessens the amount of oil absorbed into the deep fried foods.[3] This results in a superior product compared to deep fried foods that are highly saturated with oil, and also reduces the amount of oil needed to be re-added to the deep fryer.[3][4] The use of a 1:6 ratio of food content relative to oil content has been demonstrated to minimize recovery time in deep fryers.[3]

An opened oven creates a recovery time.

Ovens have a recovery time after being opened.[5] Opening an oven door can reduce the temperature within an oven by up to 50° F[6] (30° C). Methods to reduce oven recovery time include the placement of a baking stone or pizza stone, tiles made of ceramic, or a brick insert device in an oven, all of which serve to reduce recovery time through their heat retention properties.[5][7]