Glossary

Glossary

The vocabulary this site uses, defined once so the other pages do not have to stop and explain themselves. Where a term is easy to misinterpret, the entry says what it does not mean as well as what it does.

Countertop footprint

The area of counter an appliance occupies, measured as width along the run by depth from the wall. On this site the footprint always means the body plus the clearance the manufacturer requires around it, because the air an appliance needs is not available for anything else.See also Clearance, Depth vs width

Clearance

The minimum distance a manufacturer requires between an appliance and anything around it, at the sides, the back, and above. The figure is model specific and published in the manual. This site never publishes clearance numbers of its own.See also Countertop footprint, Upper cabinet clearance, Radiant heat

Depth vs width

Width is measured along the counter run and decides whether an appliance fits between two obstructions. Depth is measured from the wall toward the counter edge and decides whether the appliance sits under an upper cabinet or in front of it. Depth is the dimension that more often makes a machine unusable in a spot it technically fits.See also Countertop footprint, Upper cabinet clearance

Upper cabinet clearance

The vertical distance from the counter surface to the underside of the cabinet above it. It is a fixed property of the kitchen and it rules out appliances before width does, particularly oven-format air fryers and full-size blenders with the pitcher seated.See also Clearance, Depth vs width, Basket vs oven style

Circuit

A branch circuit is one run of wiring from the panel that serves a set of outlets, protected by a breaker rated in amps. Everything drawing power on that circuit at once shares its total capacity, which is why two appliances in different outlets can still trip one breaker.See also Breaker, Amperage, Wattage, Dedicated circuit

Breaker

The device in the panel that interrupts a circuit when the current exceeds its rating. Its rating, printed on the handle, tells you the capacity of that circuit. A breaker that trips repeatedly is a question for a licensed electrician, never something to work around.See also Circuit, Amperage

Amperage

The current a circuit is rated to carry, printed on the breaker handle. In United States kitchens the common ratings are 15 and 20 amps. Multiplying amps by 120 volts converts the rating into watts, which is the unit appliance labels use.See also Circuit, Breaker, Wattage

Wattage

The power an appliance draws, printed on its rating plate and often in the listing. Adding the wattage of everything running at once on a circuit and comparing that sum against the circuit capacity is the entire load calculation.See also Amperage, Peak watts vs sustained, Circuit

Peak watts vs sustained

A peak figure describes the maximum a motor can draw at the hardest moment. A sustained figure describes what an appliance pulls while running. Blender listings frequently quote peak watts, and using a peak number in a circuit calculation overstates the real load.See also Wattage, Circuit

Dedicated circuit

A branch circuit that serves one appliance and nothing else, so its full capacity is available to that appliance. Whether a given outlet is on one is not something to determine by trial and error; the panel label or an electrician is the source.See also Circuit, Breaker

Convection

Cooking with moving hot air rather than still air. A fan circulates the air so heat reaches the food surface faster and more evenly, which is what an air fryer is doing. Air frying is convection at high fan speed in a small chamber.See also Radiant heat, Basket vs oven style, Preheat

Radiant heat

Heat transferred directly from a hot element to the food surface without needing moving air. Toaster slots and broil elements work this way, which is why they brown a surface quickly and unevenly compared with convection.See also Convection, Clearance

Basket vs oven style

The two formats of air fryer. A basket is a sealed drawer that concentrates airflow around one layer of food. An oven is an open cavity with racks and a door, holding more food and offering more functions at a considerably larger footprint.See also Convection, Countertop footprint, Rotisserie

PFAS

An abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of synthetic chemicals. Some cookware and appliance listings state that a product is made without them. This site records such statements as claims from the listing and makes no health assessment of any coating.See also Ceramic coating, Seasoning

Ceramic coating

A term sellers use for a nonstick surface described as ceramic in composition. It is not a standardized category and it does not imply a particular temperature limit. The manufacturer figure for the specific product is the number that governs use.See also PFAS, Seasoning

Seasoning

A thin layer of polymerized oil built up on a cooking surface. It is standard practice on cast iron and carbon steel and is not how coated nonstick surfaces work. Follow whatever the manufacturer publishes for the surface you have.See also Ceramic coating, PFAS

Preheat

Running an appliance empty until it reaches the target temperature before food goes in. A small basket chamber preheats in a few minutes and a large oven cavity takes considerably longer, which is the practical difference between the two formats on a weeknight.See also Convection, Basket vs oven style

Dehydrate

A low-temperature, long-duration cycle that drives moisture out of food using moving air. It requires a low end on the temperature range, which is why the lowest stated temperature in a listing matters if dehydrating is on your list.See also Convection, Basket vs oven style

Rotisserie

A rotating spit that turns food continuously through moving hot air so it browns on all sides. It requires an open cavity with mounting points, so it appears on oven-format machines only and never on basket units.See also Basket vs oven style, Convection

Pulse

Running a motor in short bursts rather than continuously. Pulsing is what produces an even chop in a processor bowl, because the contents fall back onto the blade between bursts instead of being driven to the walls.See also Feed chute, Tamper

Pitcher vs cup

The two blender formats. A pitcher holds a household batch and creates the vortex that keeps hard pieces cycling onto the blade. A cup holds one serving and doubles as the vessel you drink from, which removes the pour and a second thing to wash.See also Tamper, Peak watts vs sustained

Tamper

A rod used to push contents down toward a blender blade while the machine runs, through an opening in the lid. It exists because thick mixtures form a cavity around the blade that stops the vortex. Never use anything other than the tamper supplied with the machine.See also Pitcher vs cup, Pulse

Feed chute

The opening in a food processor lid through which food is fed onto a disc while the motor runs, with a pusher to move it down. It is what makes continuous slicing and shredding possible, and it is also the tallest point of most assembled processors.See also Pulse, Upper cabinet clearance

Dishwasher safe

A permission granted by a manufacturer for a specific part, not a property of a material. The status differs part by part within one appliance, and the manual is the authority. No motor base, heating housing, or control panel is ever dishwasher safe.See also Ceramic coating, Countertop footprint