Re:the real question is... (Score 2)

I am a coauthor of the article. We mention 800 C because the source of heat in an oven set to broil—the electric element or the gas flame—does achieve temperatures well above that, and as its temp rises upward toward 1,000 C, the dominant mode of heat transfer shifts from convection via the air (which indeed rarely exceeds 300 C in a home oven) to radiation—mostly in the infrared part of the spectrum. Our point is that oven designers haven't done enough to exploit and optimize radiant heating. But some of the comments here also illustrate the widespread misconception that the thermostat setting = oven wall or element temp = oven air temp = surface temp of the food being cooked. As we explain, all of these temperatures actually differ (often dramatically) in most cooking situations. W. Wayt Gibbs