For Better Baking, LG ProBake Turns Ovens 90 Degrees

LG released a whole new lineup of ovens that turns everything you know about cooking upside down—or at the very least, shifts it about 90 degrees.

LG’s ProBake ranges feature a heating element on the back wall of the oven, instead of at the bottom. LG engineers claim that the new design provides for more even multi-rack baking, and speeds up both roasting and preheating by 20%.

Another benefit of not having an element at the base of the oven is improved cleaning. LG says its new EasyClean Express allows for full oven cleaning in just ten minutes—twice as fast as the original EasyClean.

It’s a massive departure from almost anything else on the market. For about a century, residential gas and electric stoves have put heating elements at the bottom. Hot air rises up from those elements, keeping the air inside the oven at a relatively even temperature. Even true convection ranges—which include a heating element in-line with a fan at the back of the oven for improved airflow—still rely on a traditional burner down below to do the heavy lifting.

LG’s new ProBake ranges, however, move the heat source to the back of the oven, combining it with a fan for optimal airflow. It was an especially major feat to move the heating element on the gas oven, which burns continuously even as the fan circulates air.

While similar technology is popular in commercial kitchens, the only other residential application of a rear-mounted burner comes from BlueStar, whose PowR Oven is available on pro-style ranges that cost many thousands of dollars.

The new LG ranges bowed at an event in California featuring actress Eva Longoria, who is also a restauranteur and cookbook author. LG says that six new ProBake ranges will be on the market by the end of September, with prices starting at an MSRP of $1,299.

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