In dialogue with food: Miele presents a revolutionary new cooking method

In dialogue with food: Miele presents a revolutionary new cooking method

 Cooking fish in a block of ice or a fillet of veal in a jacket of beeswax? Without the ice or the wax melting? The time has now come to reinvent cooking – with the Dialog oven from Miele. For the very first time, a technology is being deployed in which electromagnetic waves respond to the texture of food in an intelligent manner. Meat, for example, is cooked more uniformly, retaining its juices. Fish and vegetables keep their fine structure and dough rises significantly better. Various fresh ingredients for a complete meal can be placed together on an oven tray and are all finished to perfection at exactly the same time – and up to 70% faster than using conventional cooking methods. The Dialog oven is due to be launched in Germany and Austria in the second quarter of 2018.

From the outside, the appearance of a Dialog oven is identical to that of its conventional counterpart; on the inside, the Dialog oven opens up a whole new world of cooking, baking and roasting pleasure. One example which baffles audiences at presentations is an uncooked fillet of fish embedded in a block of ice which is placed in the Dialog oven. The result: The fish inside the ice is cooked whilst the ice itself remains frozen. No less impressive as it is inconceivable is this example: Take a leg of lamb and place it on a bed of vegetables consisting of red peppers and green asparagus. Fill any remaining space with potato wedges and place the tray in the Dialog oven. After around 45 minutes, the lamb comes out succulent and evenly cooked, the vegetables are slightly al dente and the potatoes deliciously soft – without any interruption or the need to introduce additional ingredients. It would be impossible to cook this dish in a conventional oven with such excellent results and in such a short space of time. Similarly, such dissimilar ingredients as salmon and puff pastry – a combination of tastes made in heaven – can be cooked simply, fast and in only one single operation.

The broad range of applications and the quality of results stem from M Chef technology from Miele. This technology applies electromagnetic waves to the food which creates heat for cooking. The Dialog oven features a modular unit which generates electromagnetic waves in a specific frequency range and distributes these in the oven via two high-performance sensors. As the molecules in food are arranged in different ways and even rearrange during the course of cooking, continuous adjustment of the frequency supports the cooking process. The same sensors also provide the Dialog oven with feedback on the amount of energy which has been absorbed by food.

Excellent results thanks to M Chef in combination with radiant heat

A further significant advantage of M Chef accrues from the fact that food is cooked 'volumetrically': a fillet of meat is for instance cooked uniformly pink from the edges right through to the core. In a conventional oven, this is much more difficult as heat always travels from the outside to the inside. When the core is done to a T, the outer layers are often already overdone.

As cooking with electromagnetic waves does not brown the surfaces of food, bread can be baked entirely without a crust. For a classic loaf of bread and the roasted aromas in meat,
M Chef technology always combines with radiant heat. In this respect, the Dialog oven is ideally equipped as it offers many features of Miele’s flagship cooking products, including a user-friendly M Touch display and pyrolytic self-cleaning. Elegant and uniform illumination on all levels is guaranteed for the first time by high-quality LED lighting called BrilliantLight.

'Gourmet Assistant' and 'Gourmet Pro' support creativity

Users of a Dialog oven will find themselves confronted with two new concepts: Gourmet Units and Intensity. Gourmet Units serve as a unit of energy applied to food, whereby one Gourmet Unit corresponds to one kilojoule. Intensity settings are 'high', 'medium' and 'gentle'. For most foodstuffs, 'high' is the correct choice; 'gentle' is the ideal setting for delicate dishes such as soufflés.

Use of this new appliance is made simpler by automatic programmes, without stifling the user's own creativity. For greater individuality, there are two options open to experienced chefs: 'Gourmet Pro' is intended for users with a certain amount of experience and those who like to experiment. In this instance, all parameters such as operating mode, Gourmet Units, intensity and cooking times must be selected manually. The 'Gourmet Assistant' supports the chef by suggesting settings dependent on the type and quantity of food to ensure excellent results.

The market launch will commence in Germany and Austria in the second quarter of 2018.