Cooking Physics: 2 TV Dinners at 350 Degrees

[WWGD]

Hi All,
Please forgive my ignorance:
What are the variables to consider? I have two TV dinners to be cooked in the oven at 350 deg.
First one requires 35 minutes , second one requires 50.
For how long should I cook both if done simultaneously?

 

[Nugatory]

For a regular (as opposed to microwave) oven... they just cook in parallel without affecting one another. Put the one that needs 50 min in first, 15 minutes later put in the one that needs 35 minutes, take them both out 35 minutes after that. The oven holds 350 degrees throughout.

 

[JT Smith]

That's the ideal but in practice one often finds that it will take longer when there's more food in the oven. I've seen fudge factors like 10-15% but it really depends on the oven and what you're cooking. The best bet is to not eat TV dinners in the first place.

 

[hutchphd]

For a regular (as opposed to microwave) oven... they just cook in parallel without affecting one another. Put the one that needs 50 min in first, 15 minutes later put in the one that needs 35 minutes, take them both out 35 minutes after that. The oven holds 350 degrees throughout.

This is true for conductive heating. Radiative processes (from burners or oven walls) will be shadowed by an additional cooler object and so the cooking time will be adversely affected. How big is radiation vs conduction?

 

[WWGD]

I guess in comparison to an over we may consider these dinner packages as "point masses"? I mean, mine is a standard oven, but it seems that a total of less than one lb may pale by contrast/comparison.

Switching to other aspects, some of these dinners are tastier than anything I am likely to ever be able to cook.

 

[sophiecentaur]

That's the ideal but in practice one often finds that it will take longer when there's more food in the oven. I've seen fudge factors like 10-15% but it really depends on the oven and what you're cooking. The best bet is to not eat TV dinners in the first place.

The relationship between oven loading and cooking time is complicated, as you say. Two large joints of meat, side by side will take almost twice as long as one on its own. (The 20mins per pound rule.) I can't see two X 400g cook-chill giving any trouble.
You are being a bit judgemental about 'TV Dinners' I think. The eating experience depends very much on where they come from and probably the frozen versions are not so special. We have a Sainsbury's Curry most Thursdays as compensation for trekking round the shop that evening. I make pretty much every other meal in the week from the naked ingredients.
The TV dinner snobbery is a bit like the Microwave Oven thing. Frankly can't think of a better way to cook green veg or to pre-cook stuff before roasting. I guess I should try microwave bread one day. I worked with a woman who 'baked' cakes in the micro. Fine but no crust on them.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Switching to other aspects, some of these dinners are tastier than anything I am likely to ever be able to cook.

Practice, dear boy, Practice.

 

[DrClaude]

Off-topic posts about ready-made meals have been moved to https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/nutritional-value-of-ready-made-meals.967012/

Please keep this thread about the physics of heating (not eating) food.