Precision Cooking
Precision cooking is the process of heating a food to a specific temperature in order to get a specific result. For example, steak can be cooked to medium rare at 130°F, or medium at 135°F. After selecting your desired doneness in the App (or, if using without an app, dialing to 130°F) Cinder is able to precisely cook the entire food to that temperature.
How does Cinder prevent overcooking?
Cinder then will hold your food at this temperature – it will not overcook or burn until you are ready to eat. It depends on the exact food, but steak can hold for an hour or so, fish – a food far more easily susceptible to the spoiling effects of oxidation – for minutes.
This is possible through a technique similar to bringing a pot of water to a simmer. Once boiling, heat can be decreased, lowering the temperature and rapidity of the boil. On a low heat, a steady temperature is maintained just below 212°F. The same idea applies to Cinder – once it senses that your food has reached the target temperature, it dramatically reduces the amount of heat going through the plates – warm enough to keep it at temperature, but not hot enough to cook it more.
Searing
To finish, many foods placed on a very hot surface (typically 450°F and above) to create a textured exterior – this process is known as "Searing" Steak is seared on both sides, or you can sear the heck out of the skin side only of Salmon – a personal favorite of mine! This can also apply to vegetables – a higher temperature will break down the cell walls, resulting in a cooked texture that is still crispy, and with deep color.