Heat capacity
热容量
How much heat a pan stores. Cast iron stores far more per litre than aluminium, so it holds temperature when food goes in, but it also takes longer to heat and longer to cool down.
In the kitchen
A 12 in skillet at 500 °F drops to 430 °F when 250 g of rice goes in and recovers in 40 seconds. The same pan with 500 g of rice drops to 310 °F and never recovers: heat capacity is finite.
Common misreading
Thermal mass is not the same as burner power. A heavy pan will not fix an underpowered hob; it will just reach temperature more slowly and stay below it for the whole cook.
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-013Pork shoulder in a Dutch oven: 150 °C versus 180 °C oven
- IFX-012Fried rice in a 12 in skillet: 500 °F surface against a crowded pan
- IFX-011Braised short ribs: searing all four faces in a 12 in braiser
- IFX-010Shallow frying in a 10 in skillet: oil depth against temperature recovery
- IFX-008Skillet cornbread: preheated fat versus a room-temperature pan
- IFX-005No-knead bread in a preheated Dutch oven: lid off at 25 vs 30 minutes
- IFX-003Reverse-seared 2 in ribeye finished in a dry 12 in skillet
- IFX-001Preheat window of a 12 in skillet: 5, 8 or 11 minutes