Evaluation of energy efficacy and texture of ohmically cooked noodles

The feasibility of ohmic heating for cooking instant noodles was evaluated using a customized ohmic system. Temperature come-up time, heat transfer ratio (HT _nls ), system performance coefficient (SPC), and textural qualities were evaluated as a function of different electric fields (10, 12.5, 15, and 17.5 V/cm) and temperature holding times (30, 60, 90, and 120 s). Temperature come-up time to 100 °C was 3.9 ± 0.1, 2.5 ± 0.1, 2.1 ± 0.2, and 1.3 ± 0.1 min at electric fields of 10, 12.5, 15 and 17.5 V/cm, respectively. Temperature come-up time decreased significantly with an increase in electric field. The highest HT _nls of 0.89 was observed at 15 V/cm. An electric field of 15 V/cm with a 90 s holding time yielded the greatest SPC of 0.63 ± 0.05 and the most preferable textural qualities for hardness. Our study shows the potential of ohmic heating to rapidly cook instant noodles with good textural qualities and energy efficiency.