The principle of hydrolysis cleaning of the oven and analysis of its effectiveness

What to expect from the oven, which provides for hydrolysis cleaning of the oven: getting rid of problems with dried fat or disappointment? To answer this question, we will have to understand how similar systems work and how they differ from other cleaning methods currently used by oven manufacturers.

How does the hydrolytic system work?

The system for cleaning the oven with water is not at all new and has been successfully used since the first gas stoves appeared. And no, we don’t mean cleaning the walls and the bottom with a sponge dipped in water: such a strategy to combat fat will make you put a lot of physical effort, as well as spend a lot of time. It's about hydrolysis. What it is? Just a process of decomposition of food and fat residues under the influence of water.

How does a hydrolysis treatment system work? In fact, it’s quite primitive, which is both its plus and minus.

• Water is poured into a baking sheet or a special depression in the quantity necessary according to the instructions. Usually it is about half a liter.
• If desired, special powders or gels are added to the water, designed to enhance the effect.
• Then the cleaning mode is activated: the oven heats up to a certain temperature (from 50 ° C to 90 ° C - depending on the brand and model), and the process starts.
• Water vapor that appears 30-40 minutes after the temperature rises softens food residues and contaminants, making it easy to remove them with a rag from enamel.
• Yes, you will still have to work with your hands with such an oven cleaning system. Especially if the fat has solidified: here you will have to arm yourself with cleaning products with a sponge.

Tip

To make hydrolysis easier, look for an oven with enamel that can prevent the accumulation of fat.

Sounds familiar? Still: people thought of this trick for a very long time! It is very likely that you cleaned the old oven just like that, only manually controlling the process. Will the process become more automated if you buy an oven with a similar cleaning system? Perhaps the only advantage of the technology is the optimal choice of temperature and cleaning time, set by the designers. Otherwise, hydrolysis can be used to clean any furnace: even an old gas, even electric without a cleaning system, even a microwave.

Tip

When the fat dries, its structure changes, and soaking it in one go will be simply unrealistic. You will either have to repeat the procedure several times, or arm yourself with a metal sponge, using which, you risk damaging the enamel. That is why hydrolysis really effectively cope only with fresh contaminants, which means that you can not delay the cleaning of the oven!

Hydrolysis or catalytic cleaning of the oven?

Not too impressed with hydrolysis, deciding that there is only a big word from an automatic cleaning system? Then you may like the catalytic cleaning of the oven, which works through chemical processes that decompose fat into water, carbon (read - soot) and organic residues.

• Grease absorbing porous enamel contains oxidizing agents that trigger the decomposition of fat with increasing temperature.
• When the oven warms up to 140 ° C, the process starts automatically, becoming more powerful closer to 200 ° C. It turns out that the oven is cleaned directly during cooking, which is very convenient, since you do not need to spend extra time and electricity.
• After cooking, when the stove cools down, it remains only to remove the decomposition products from the oven, and you can enjoy the cleanliness!

Sounds high tech! Fat really does not have time to dry out, and the stove - both gas and electric - is cleaned every time you cook. But this system has its drawbacks compared to hydrolysis.

• Catalytic cleaning of the oven increases the initial cost of the oven.
• Catalytic panels need to be changed every 3-5 years depending on the frequency of use, since over time they lose their fat-absorbing properties.
• Catalytic panels are not installed on the door and on the bottom of the ovens, so these elements will have to be washed by hand, and not the fact that not without the help of the same hydrolysis.

Important!

Dairy or sweet foods should not be allowed to get on the panel: in places of pollution they will cease to react with fat.

Hydrolysis or pyrolytic cleaning of the oven?

Is there a system that would be more perfect than hydrolysis or catalytic purification? There is, and it is called pyrolysis. At the moment, such an oven cleaning system is the most effective, which, of course, cannot but affect its price. But what is so special about her?

• Pyrolysis ensures the decomposition of food and fat residues due to high temperatures, or, more clearly, simply burns all the dirt on the walls.
• For this, the oven is heated in the range from 250 ° C to 500 ° C, plus a special enamel is used that can withstand such temperatures.
• All impurities burn to the ground on the walls, bottom and door, and after the oven cools down, it remains only to remove this ash. And this is a matter of five minutes!

Here is such a mini-crematorium in your kitchen. However, despite the effectiveness, the use of this system will not always be convenient.

• Such cabinets are much more expensive due to the technology and quality of the materials used, and are also only electric.
• Accordingly, annealing becomes an additional item of energy consumption, especially if the oven does not provide level pyrolysis, which allows you to set the temperature below 500 ° C. In addition, during cleaning due to the smell of burning, the hood will work in the most powerful mode.
• Strong heating of the sides of the oven can shorten the life of the furniture adjacent to it.

By the way

The system locks the door during cleaning for your safety reasons, so there is nothing to fear.

It turns out that hydrolysis is still not so bad, especially for economical and not too often cooked ones, and an ideal cleaning system has not yet been developed. And a little piece of advice to the lazy ones: use baking sleeves, foil and special oven covers, and you don’t have to spend time, time, electricity and fabulous money on manual cleaning or automatic cleaning systems.