After baking or favorite foods, people often use a cooling rack to cool before taking the first bite. But a cooling rack not only has one single advantage, but you can also use it for many different purposes.
Many people always wonder: “Can I use a cooling rack in the oven?“. The following article will give you the most accurate answer and other uses of a cooling rack.
What Does a Cooling Rack Mean?
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Every baker is indispensable to a cooling rack in his kitchen. It is an essential factor that helps to cool the cake quickly after baking. This unique device prevents the risk of the cake from overheating and causing sagging.
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In the middle of the cooling rack are tight slots to ensure the ventilation for food to cool quickly. The circulating air will cool you so you can enjoy your food faster.
Have you ever tried to imagine leaving your freshly baked cake on a flat surface? It will lead to moisture build-up and reduce the quality of the cake you just baked. There are signs of sagging on the bottom of the cake.
So, how many types of the cooling rack are there, and what are the uses of each?
Flat Cooling Racks
A flat cooling rack is the most popular tool in a variety of sizes and shapes. Besides the circular version, you can choose from a few other styles, such as rectangle and square.
The edges of the flat cooling rack include a stand to ensure it has some distance to the surface. Therefore, more air will circulate to ensure balanced moisture for the cake.
The flat cooling rack is composed of complex and thick wires to support the weight of the grill. Manufacturers also weave screens together to prevent more miniature cakes from falling.
Tiered Cooling Racks
Professional bakers will undoubtedly be familiar with tiered cooling racks. This tool is suitable for those who regularly have to bake large quantities of cake.
Tiered cooling racks combine two stacked racks to ensure space. These brackets are approximately 4 inches apart to ensure a well-ventilated space.
In addition, if you want to save space for your kitchen, you should choose this cooling rack. You can purchase a single layer or multiple layers depending on your needs.
Bread Cooling Racks
Manufacturers often choose wood as the primary material for bread cooling racks. Just by hearing the name, you can understand what its primary use is.
With a wooden box-like appearance, this type of cooling rack is the place to cool the freshly baked bread. In addition, they are only suitable for bread due to being separated by large partitions.
Baker’s Racks
Another kind of cooling rack you should know is baker’s racks. The design of this type of cooling rack is slightly different from the above types. It is like a large shelf with a partition, so you can ultimately hold the pan full of your scones.
The advantage of baker’s racks is that it minimizes the time it takes to move the cake out to cool. You can directly put the hot cake pan on your rack. Baker’s rack.
They are usually made of high-quality stainless material, so you can count on their ability to carry them with complete confidence. The bottom of the baker’s racks is attached to the wheels for convenience of movement.
Can I Use a Cooling Rack in the Oven?
The answer is yes. But with the cooling rack material prerequisite is stainless steel.
Usually, manufacturers use iron as the primary material of the cooling rack and coat it with a chromium thin layer. Despite the low price, the quality of these cooling racks is often not appreciated.
After a period of use, the chrome coating of cooling racks is peeled off. It even sticks to your cake, and this is very dangerous. Besides, the paint worn away will reveal the iron bars of a cooling rack. When it comes into contact with water, it will rust quickly.
At first, this cooling rack might be the right choice for your budget, but its lifespan is not high, and you have to buy a new one regularly.
So, which cooling rack will be suitable for oven using? Choose the types made entirely from high-grade 304 stainless steel. They will not peel off the paint, interfere with your dishes, or rust.
This material is suitable for use at high temperatures. Its sturdy and durable texture is suitable for baked goods, smoked or BBQ, roast meats.
Besides the safety label, another note when choosing a cooling rack suitable for an oven is that it does not have any non-stick layers.
Although the non-stick coating will help you wash the cooling rack after use, the high heat in the oven will cause the coating to warp and damage.
You can consider the rectangular inox cooling rack with overlapping layers. This texture improves ventilation and prevents the blanket from falling out.
Other Cooling Rack Usages You Should Know
Make Smoked Meat
When you make smoked fish or bacon, you need as much air as possible. You can find a cooling rack to make your favorite dish. All you need to do is directly put the meat in a rack and put it on the smoker.
Absorbs Water Faster
A little tip for barbecue lovers is to put the vegetables under the cooling rack. It will suck up the water while you cook the meat quickly. Conventional baking racks are higher than cooling racks. Take advantage of that small space and put some greens and a few slices of eggplant underneath.
Increase the Flavor of the Spices in the Baking Dish
Oven-baked goods are healthier than smoked ones. But their brittleness is not very good. However, when you combine the cooling rack when baking in the oven, the meat will be crunchy and much more delicious. Use when you grill dairy chicken or fish tempura.
Conclusion
Invest in a high-quality cooling rack to ensure the deliciousness and quality of the dish. An excellent cooling rack will help you a lot in the process of making your favorite food. Hopefully, this article helped you answer the question: “Can I use a cooling rack in the oven?”.
