Emissivity
发射率
How efficiently a surface radiates heat. A dark, seasoned cast-iron surface radiates more than a shiny one, which is why a well-used pan browns the top of a dish in the oven better than a new one.
In the kitchen
A skillet preheated empty to 200 °C for 10 minutes sets a cornbread crust 3 mm deep in the first 20 seconds, because the pan radiates onto the batter as well as conducting into it.
Common misreading
Emissivity is why an infrared thermometer reads a bare shiny pan low. If your readings look 20 to 30 °C below what the food is doing, the surface finish is the reason, not the pan.
Runs that use it
- IFX-017Cast-iron pan pizza: three minutes on the hob before the oven
- IFX-01540 mm pork chop: oven finish versus all-hob cooking in a 12 in skillet
- IFX-007Pancakes on a flat cast-iron griddle: 335, 355 and 385 °F with butter
- IFX-006Ridged grill pan: ridge temperature versus valley temperature on a 28 mm sirloin
- IFX-003Reverse-seared 2 in ribeye finished in a dry 12 in skillet