Cook and Hold Oven Buying Guide

Cook and hold ovens utilize low-temperature cooking, allowing maximum moisture retention and overnight cooking.

• Method accounts for 15-20% less meat shrinkage
• High humidity cabinet provides a moister end product
• No venting required in most locations

Unlike other cook and hold ovens, rethermalization ovens specialize in quickly bringing foods to food-safe temperatures and eliminating the possibility of bacteria.

• Heat pre-cooked foods or use for slow roasting
• Slow convected air seals in natural juices
• Rethermalization feature is great for batch cooking

Operating like a standard cook and hold oven, smoker ovens utilize wood pellets or other fuels to add a delicious smoky flavor to the final product without needing a seperate meat smoker.

• Wood chip container adds real wood flavor to meats
• Built-in smoke timer adjusts "smokiness" level
• Can cold smoke fish and cheese

Along with low-and-slow cooking, another factor of cook and hold ovens that creates a delicious end product is the added humidity. Everyone can agree that moist meats taste better than dried-out meat. The meat's juices contain many delicious flavors, and losing those juices is a detriment to the quality of the finished product.

Some cook and hold ovens include hot water heaters that create steam and add moisture to the cooking cabinet. Total control over humidity allows foods to be ready to serve at the ideal internal temperature and perfect moisture content.

Cook and hold ovens utilize a "low and slow" cooking style. This method enhances foods by cooking them at low temperatures for long intervals rather than cooking food at a high temperature for a short time. When meats and other foods are cooked slowly, they lose fewer juices and experience minimal shrinkage.

Foods cooked in a standard convection oven may shrink as much as 30%. However, when cooked in a low and slow cook and hold, you may experience as little as 5% shrinkage. Not only does this give you a better and juicier end product, but you also increase your yield and save on overall food costs.

Utilizing shelves in your cook and hold oven allows you to easily add and remove pans, making them a versatile choice for your kitchen.

• Wire style provides better heat circulation to food
• Can slide all the way out for easy loading and unloading
• Able to hold smaller pans that will not work with slides
• Grid design is more difficult to clean 

If you always use full-size pans in your cook and hold oven, slides provide convenience and symmetry within the cabinet.

• Capable of holding full-size pans of food
• Open style allows all drips to fall into drip tray
• Reduced hot air circulation
• Not ideal for smaller pans

When it comes to food safety, there is no room for error. It is vital to know what holding temperatures to maintain for food after it finishes cooking and to stay out of the "danger zone." Fortunately, cook and hold ovens remove the guesswork and automatically drop to the proper holding temperature after the cooking period finishes, as established by the penetrating thermometer probe. 

Setting your cook and hold oven to the proper temperature for different meats allows you to prevent potential food poisoning and remain within health code guidelines, reducing the risks of fines, suits, or closures. Check out some of the common holding temperatures below.