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The Absolute Best Way to Cook Bacon, According to So Many Tests
Our office may smell like bacon forever. You're all welcome.
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534 Comments
Miriam
January 27, 2021
I just bought a air fryer oven and I vote for the air fryer every time. I use thick bacon. It takes 11 minutes at 425 - hands off - while I make the rest of breakfast. I can have bacon, eggs and toast for 2 on the table in that 11 minutes.
W J.
January 27, 2021
That works well for me too.
However, the air fryer will ultimately fail, due in part to cooking things like bacon.
Here's what happens: Over time, as the bacon (or other fatty meats) cook, grease will deposit on the roof of the air fryer. It steam distills from the meat in an air fryer just as it does on your stove top.
(Don't be confused here for that is how the majority of that greasy film spreads around your stove top. There are splatters to be sure, but steam distillation is the main culprit.)
There is a calrod heater coil and a fan in the roof of the air fryer. Turn an empty air fryer that has been in use for a while over and look above the coil at the fan. You will see a brown to black hard film of baked on film (oxidatively cross-linked, unsaturated fats). This is the same type of film that forms on your baking trays over time. And though you can't see it as such, it is the same film that coats that wonderful black cast iron fry pan to give the non-stick properties.
It is not easy to remove this material even on things that are readily accessible such as a baking pan. It is next to impossible to remove it from the roof of an air fryer, without disassembly and the use of a product like Easy Off.
Ultimately, owing to grease build-up, the fan motor will seize, then in just a few moments, the thermal fuse on the top of the roof plate will blow and maybe the thermal fuse on the windings of the fan motor as well.
I know. I have replaced both fuses, which is an involved job as they are not easy to get to, but inexpensive as parts go.
Here is a link to a long YouTube video, where the first part is in diagnosing the problem by a guy unfamiliar with air fryers. The last part is the actual repair/replacement of the thermal fuse, which cost about $1 each. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5JLQfxoUmI&t=1056s&ab_channel=FixitFrank After you watch this video, you may realize that the vast majority of oval or egg-shaped, air fryers are all the same design with a bit of cosmetic difference in color, size, name plate, and flashing lights, etc. So don't pay extra, but go for simple when you can.
99% of people just toss the air fryer and buy another one. If you factor in the cost of replacing the air fryer along with the price of bacon, though convenient, it can get to be rather expensive bacon indeed.
Just sayin'...
P.S. Anyone else on this forum have similar experiences with an air fryer?
However, the air fryer will ultimately fail, due in part to cooking things like bacon.
Here's what happens: Over time, as the bacon (or other fatty meats) cook, grease will deposit on the roof of the air fryer. It steam distills from the meat in an air fryer just as it does on your stove top.
(Don't be confused here for that is how the majority of that greasy film spreads around your stove top. There are splatters to be sure, but steam distillation is the main culprit.)
There is a calrod heater coil and a fan in the roof of the air fryer. Turn an empty air fryer that has been in use for a while over and look above the coil at the fan. You will see a brown to black hard film of baked on film (oxidatively cross-linked, unsaturated fats). This is the same type of film that forms on your baking trays over time. And though you can't see it as such, it is the same film that coats that wonderful black cast iron fry pan to give the non-stick properties.
It is not easy to remove this material even on things that are readily accessible such as a baking pan. It is next to impossible to remove it from the roof of an air fryer, without disassembly and the use of a product like Easy Off.
Ultimately, owing to grease build-up, the fan motor will seize, then in just a few moments, the thermal fuse on the top of the roof plate will blow and maybe the thermal fuse on the windings of the fan motor as well.
I know. I have replaced both fuses, which is an involved job as they are not easy to get to, but inexpensive as parts go.
Here is a link to a long YouTube video, where the first part is in diagnosing the problem by a guy unfamiliar with air fryers. The last part is the actual repair/replacement of the thermal fuse, which cost about $1 each. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5JLQfxoUmI&t=1056s&ab_channel=FixitFrank After you watch this video, you may realize that the vast majority of oval or egg-shaped, air fryers are all the same design with a bit of cosmetic difference in color, size, name plate, and flashing lights, etc. So don't pay extra, but go for simple when you can.
99% of people just toss the air fryer and buy another one. If you factor in the cost of replacing the air fryer along with the price of bacon, though convenient, it can get to be rather expensive bacon indeed.
Just sayin'...
P.S. Anyone else on this forum have similar experiences with an air fryer?
JoFalcon
December 27, 2020
I cook bacon wrapped in baking paper, (which might be like your parchment) on a sandwich press mine is a Brevillle, it has a setting for grill so the top doesn't have to press on the top. it's very fast and easy clean.
Aresverde
December 27, 2020
I cook bacon in a pan on a burner on gas stove usually using my large All Clad (amazingly even heat) saute pan on medium heat; & if outdoors I use my Lodge; great food starts with great raw materials-I only use Benton’s bacon; cut package in half and use half pound which fills my pan; preheat pan, spread half pieces evenly in pan, cover with lid and cook; check done-ness, flip pieces with tongs and re-space as needed, re cover and continue cooking; if necessary do a short final flip; if not, turn off heat; using tongs place cooked bacon strips onto a paper plate covered with 2-3 layers of paper towel and place one more paper towel on top then the tongs to add weight to top paper towel so as to absorb grease. Line a paper cereal bowl with foil, pour in grease from skillet and let harden, then i can toss or save easily. Enjoy!
Aresverde
December 27, 2020
I cook bacon in a pan on a burner on gas stove usually using my large All Clad (amazingly even heat) saute pan on medium heat; if outdoors I use my Lodge; great food starts with great raw materials-I only use Benton’s bacon; cut package in half and use half pound which fills my pan; preheat pan, spread half pieces evenly in pan, cover with lid and cook; check done-ness, flip pieces with tongs and re-space as needed, re cover and continue cooking; if necessary do a short final flip; if not, turn off heat; using tongs place cooked bacon strips onto a paper plate covered with 2-3 layers of paper towel and place one more paper towel on top then the tongs to add weight to top paper towel so as to absorb grease. Line a paper cereal bowl with foil, pour in grease from skillet and let harden, then i can toss or save easily. Enjoy!
Sara R.
December 27, 2020
My prefered method for cooking bacon is on a rack on a sheet pan in the oven.
Excess fat is trimmed off, the bacon is then painted on both sides with maple syrup, and then spaced apart on the rack so as to not be crowded. 400 degree convection oven.
Line the pan with foil, and lightly oil the rack for easy cleanup. Yum.
Excess fat is trimmed off, the bacon is then painted on both sides with maple syrup, and then spaced apart on the rack so as to not be crowded. 400 degree convection oven.
Line the pan with foil, and lightly oil the rack for easy cleanup. Yum.
Amy
December 27, 2020
One alternative method not mentioned: I’m also a believer in the oven method when I need more that 3-4 slices of bacon. I line my pan with non-stick foil instead of parchment and turn the pan 1/2 way through cooking to ensure even cooking of the front & back of pan. Bacon comes out perfectly crisp and there’s even less mess on the pan if you line it properly.
Lee
December 23, 2020
I use a sheet pan with a cookie cooling rack placed over it, in an oven I preheat while mixing pancake batter. Set to 425 it takes about 20 mins for the bacon to get nice and crispy the way I like it. The fat renders and drips onto the baking sheet. Sometimes I save it in a jar in the fridge for other cooking purposes. Clean up is clean up. You have to do it, and I don’t find it too terribly hard with this method.
shersie3
December 21, 2020
I use 3 dedicated kitchen hand towels that I place on my stove top prior to cooking anything that may splatter. I put two on the stove top and one over the control panel.I then use my deep electric nonstick fry pan to cook my bacon. Easy cleanup! The towels go in the wash and the stove top is pristine. The electric pan works perfectly and the cleanup is a breeze.
Chef C.
November 18, 2020
I've been reading these many ways of cooking bacon and have learned a little, actually. However, my favorite bacon product are Lardons by far. Pieces of thick bacon cut into 1 inch squares or batons and then simply sautéed until crispy, French style. Then added to a salad, possibly frisbee with an egg on it or a wedge.
Mxs777
November 17, 2020
New method we discovered last year... smoking it on relatively high heat on a pellet grill. 325 degrees for 30 min... end result- we call it “meat candy”
Pete M.
December 4, 2020
Trouble with grilling is that you lose the delicious fat. Very much worth keeping it (and schmaltz) separate--schmaltz as a sauteeing grease, and bacon fat for soup
John S.
November 10, 2020
The best method I have found, hands down, is to lay bacon out on a parchment lined rimmed sheet pan, and put it in the oven cold. Bringing the oven, pan and bacon to temp together during preheat allows the bacon to stay flat and cook evenly without any un-rendered, fatty ripples. I set the temp somewhere in the 325-375° range, depending on the thickness of the slices.
eliz
October 31, 2020
We love bacon, but hate the mess on the stovetop or over. So I read your Best Ways to Cook Bacon with interest. But found you did not consider my favorite method: On the Grill. I make a foil wide as the top of my outdoor grill. While the grill is heating to medium, lay the foil on a large cutting board, fold up the edges to form a tray, they lay the strips of bacon on the foil, slightly touching. I can easily lay out an entire pound one one foil tray. Gently slide the foil tray with the bacon on it from the cutting board to the grill. Let the bacon sizzle on the first side till it begins to shrink and brown, then carefully, without piercing the foil tray, turn the bacon over. The goal is to turn it over only once.
When the bacon is cooked to desired brownness, remove individual pieces to a paper towel topped plate (again, do not pierce the foil) and bring inside to enjoy. We love that cooking this way on the grill results in a variety of finishes, some crispier bacon, some less browned and chewier. Something that suits all the different tastes of bacon lovers in our home.
Let the grill and grease cool, till the grease is firm on the foil. They you can gently scrape and save the grease in another container, or rollup the whole foil tray, solid grease inside, and dispose. Wha-la! No mess cleanup, no sticky counters, no greasy pans, no hot grease to handle in the kitchen, no bacon smell forever in the oven.
When the bacon is cooked to desired brownness, remove individual pieces to a paper towel topped plate (again, do not pierce the foil) and bring inside to enjoy. We love that cooking this way on the grill results in a variety of finishes, some crispier bacon, some less browned and chewier. Something that suits all the different tastes of bacon lovers in our home.
Let the grill and grease cool, till the grease is firm on the foil. They you can gently scrape and save the grease in another container, or rollup the whole foil tray, solid grease inside, and dispose. Wha-la! No mess cleanup, no sticky counters, no greasy pans, no hot grease to handle in the kitchen, no bacon smell forever in the oven.
AntoniaJames
December 3, 2020
This is a great idea. I always seem to have a lot of life left in the fire, once everything we grilled for dinner is taken off. I definitely will give this a go. ;o)
MF
September 27, 2020
What do people do with all the bacon grease?!!?
W J.
September 27, 2020
In the days of yore, everyone had a can of bacon grease on the stove or close by. This was before the sugar monopoly in the U.S. paid for and put out studies as propaganda that it was fat that was bad and not sugar. This was wildly successful and moved the focus of attention away from sugar. Don't believe me? Look it up.
So fat became evil and to be avoided. That always slightly greasy can of drippings got pushed further and further away until it disappeared in most kitchens altogether.
But the truth is that fat is not bad. In fact, one must have some fat in the diet to provide essential fatty acids, where "essential" means that your body can't make it. It's energy dense. As far as calories are concerned weight for weight, it has a little more than twice the calories of carbs and protein. A little goes a long way in that department. On the plus side, foods with fat in them provide both mouthfeel, flavor, and satiety. Ever wonder why potato chips and other foods taste so good? They are about 35% fat, that's why. So portion control is needed.
As to what to do with it, besides making homemade soap? Well, if you feed birds in the winter where it is cold, you can mix it with seeds and put it in those special suet feeders. But most of all you can cook with it.
Here are 20 things to cook with bacon grease from The Pioneer Woman's blog. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/a101372/20-ways-to-use-bacon-grease/ These tips include roasted and fried potatoes, hash browns, eggs, biscuits, homemade mayo, pizza, gravy, roasted vegetables, hamburgers, pop corn, and on and on.
So fat became evil and to be avoided. That always slightly greasy can of drippings got pushed further and further away until it disappeared in most kitchens altogether.
But the truth is that fat is not bad. In fact, one must have some fat in the diet to provide essential fatty acids, where "essential" means that your body can't make it. It's energy dense. As far as calories are concerned weight for weight, it has a little more than twice the calories of carbs and protein. A little goes a long way in that department. On the plus side, foods with fat in them provide both mouthfeel, flavor, and satiety. Ever wonder why potato chips and other foods taste so good? They are about 35% fat, that's why. So portion control is needed.
As to what to do with it, besides making homemade soap? Well, if you feed birds in the winter where it is cold, you can mix it with seeds and put it in those special suet feeders. But most of all you can cook with it.
Here are 20 things to cook with bacon grease from The Pioneer Woman's blog. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/a101372/20-ways-to-use-bacon-grease/ These tips include roasted and fried potatoes, hash browns, eggs, biscuits, homemade mayo, pizza, gravy, roasted vegetables, hamburgers, pop corn, and on and on.
galpalsal
November 1, 2020
My grandma and her sister were from the Ozarks, and they put bacon grease in EVERYTHING. (Though I wish they had not put it on green beans and boiled it all to mush). My husband was horrified that I continued this method, but I did. New research indicates it's not as unhealthy as first thought. Especially good in baked beans.
AntoniaJames
December 3, 2020
A little dab with a generous piece of butter in the skillet makes French toast super delicious. I also use bacon grease when sauteing aromatics for many winter soups. ;o)
Pete M.
December 7, 2020
Add it to soup for flavor. (E.g.
use it to make the aromatic vegetable base.) Baconfat has a ton of flavor. So does chicken fat (schmaltz.)
use it to make the aromatic vegetable base.) Baconfat has a ton of flavor. So does chicken fat (schmaltz.)
cd1600
September 8, 2020
Foil lined, rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack laid inside of it. Bake at 350* and start checking it after 15 minutes.
Baconist
October 28, 2020
Same here, works great. Have experimented with convection cooking and that can make it faster. I never can remember what temp I use for convect though. Cleaning the grids is messy as I won't put them in the dishwasher without some pre-cleaning. They hold enough grease that it can overwhelm the dishwashers capacity to dissolve it, leaving everything with a film. At the very least wipe them down with paper towels before adding to dishwasher.
[email protected]
August 30, 2020
Cast iron griddle with foil covered bricks used as weights, cuts fry time in half and keeps rashers long and flat.
Seattle G.
June 27, 2020
Cook in the propane grill outside on a double layer of aluminum foil folded with edges to contain grease over low heat. Works just fine. Cleanup is so much easier - wait for grease to solidify, wrap up the mess and toss. Bacon can be cooked as crispy as you'd like. The biggest downside: none of that wonderful lingering bacon smell in the kitchen the next day.
Jim P.
April 27, 2020
Depending on thickness and fat content I bake mine on a baking sheet of course w/ raised edges... BUT I use tinfoil to line the pan. Zero mess when done pouring the renderings into a can. Peel foil and toss in trash. My oven it's 425° for 15 mins (+-) and keep an eye on it after 15 mins. On the average I can fit 12 slices per pan. When done drain and move slices to paper towels. While oven is still going keep cooking bacon. I've cooked 3 lbs. this method. When done put left over (haha) bacon in baggies and refrigerate.
zzoopy
April 14, 2020
I like to use bacon confit. lay the bacon in a cold deep cast iron skillet with a lid, (chicken fryer) you can make several layers, spoon several spoonfuls of your bacon grease stash on top. turn the heat on medium low until the bacon grease melts. add more bacon grease if it doesn't cover the bacon. when the bacon is covered stirr it up so the bacon is floating. you can turn the heat up to medium or leave it medium low. then wait until the bacon is just short of the doneness you want and fish it out with tongs and lay ir straight on a rack or paper towels. let the grease cool and put it back in your bacon grease stash. enjoy.
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