Latent Heat – Cooking with Precision (✨ Festive Season Special 😊)

Preparing a lobster for Christmas this year?
When it comes to cooking with steam, water’s latent heat is a game-changer.  No surprise that combi-ovens are popular in commercial kitchens.
At Engineered Efficiency, we recently designed the heat transfer components of a steam cooker capable of handling over 2 tonnes/hour of rock lobster, achieving a better product with less weight loss than traditional boiling.
Latent heat is the energy absorbed or released during a phase change (like water turning to steam) without changing temperature. Steam transfers energy effectively and evenly, cooking delicate proteins gently while minimizing moisture loss.
In this instance, the steam fills the gas space around the lobster and then condenses to water evenly over the surface, transferring heat at a fast and controlled rate. One kilogram of condensing steam can transfer the same amount of energy as more than 50kg of water cooling from 100°C to 90°C, or over 500kg of water cooling by one degree.
This principle applies across many industries, from food to pharmaceuticals. Steam-based systems provide precise temperature control, reduce waste, and improve product consistency.
And in case you are wondering, we did develop our own dynamic heat transfer model of a lobster being cooked. We have also done this for packaged foods, beverage bottles and pickles.
Our clients see real benefits when they use water’s latent heat wisely — and the lobster cooker is just one tasty example!