Using Turkey Mode and other Holiday Precision Cooking Modes

Roasted turkey plated with lemons, figs and greenery on a table in front of a matte black Cafe range.

Turkey Mode

Turkey Mode is the newest special, no-preheat, cooking mode available to Café owners who have connected their ranges and ovens (select models) to the SmartHQ app.

Our engineers designed Turkey Mode to cook a delicious turkey with minimal effort. You can even unwrap your thawed turkey, remove any giblets in the cavity, place it in your pan, insert the probe and let the oven do the hard work. You don’t need to brine it, coat it with anything, cover with foil, or baste your turkey to achieve a successful outcome.

To help you get the best results from your experience, we have compiled some tips for using Turkey Mode effectively. Before we begin, note that if you purchase your turkey frozen, be sure to allow time for it to thaw completely before cooking. Turkeys take several days to thaw in the refrigerator. If it’s not completely thawed, you may end up with an underdone turkey. If your probe indicates a turkey temperature less than 38°F when you insert it to begin cooking, your turkey may still have some icy spots and may need extra time to thaw.

NEW! Roasted Vegetable Modes

Our new Roasted Vegetable modes allow you easily make nutritious, colorful, and delicious vegetable dishes for your festive holiday spreads and beyond. Follow our recipes for savory green bean and roasted carrot sides during the holiday season and then continue using them throughout the year to make even weekday meals taste special.

Using our Roasted Vegetable modes is as simple as tossing your green beans or carrots in olive oil, spreading them evenly on a baking sheet with sea salt or other seasonings, and letting your Café range handle the rest.

Accessing this feature varies depending on your model:

For models with a color LCD touch screen:

Select Precision Cooking from the main screen, then select Turkey Mode or desired Roasted Vegetable Mode

For non-LCD models:

Open your SmartHQ app and select your range, then select Turkey Mode or desired Roasted Vegetable Mode

Don't have Turkey Mode or Roasted Vegetable Modes on your Café range or wall oven?
You might be eligible for an upgrade. Connect to SmartHQ to add this feature.

Learn more about appliance upgrades.

Holiday Recipes

Update traditional holiday dishes with some of our new recipes. Instructions include Turkey Mode directions for perfectly roasted turkey and Roasted Vegetable cooking mode directions for a new spin on traditional veggie dishes.

Roasted turkey on a dish with lemons, figs and festive greenery

Classic Roasted Turkey

This roasted turkey recipe is simple, delicious and fool-proof thanks to the new Turkey Mode available on Café ranges and wall ovens. It will exceed expectations as the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving feast.

Orange Pomegranate Green Bean and Arugula Salad

Orange Pomegranate Green Bean and Arugula Salad

Give your green beans a fresh spin with this simple and colorful salad. Using Café’s new Green Bean mode, prepare this salad ahead of time and serve chilled or at room temp.

Maple Rosemary Glazed Carrots

Maple Rosemary Glazed Carrots

Dress up ordinary roasted carrots with a quick maple rosemary glaze. With our new Roasted Carrot mode, this delicious side dish can be on your table in less than 40 minutes.

Sliced sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes in a casserole dish

Sweet Potato Gratin

A great addition to your holiday meal, thinly sliced sweet and Yukon gold potatoes topped with fresh herbs, a silky sauce and plenty of cheese.

Serving bowl of air fried brussels sprouts with bits of shaved cheese and pancetta

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

Crispy Brussels sprouts at restaurants typically come from the deep fryer. Now you can achieve the same delightfully crunchy texture in your Café oven using the No-Preheat Air Fry Mode.

Individual service dish of creme brulee with crunchy sugar topping

Coffee and Cardamom Crème Brulee

Individual desserts are an elegant way to end a meal, especially when that dessert is a silky custard steeped with the flavors of roasted coffee and sweet-spicy cardamom. The custards can be made a few days ahead of time, simply brulee the sugary tops before serving.

Roasted turkey on a dish with lemons, figs and festive greenery

Classic Roasted Turkey

This roasted turkey recipe is simple, delicious and fool-proof thanks to the new Turkey Mode available on Café ranges and wall ovens. It will exceed expectations as the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving feast.

Sliced sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes in a casserole dish

Sweet Potato Gratin

A great addition to your holiday meal, thinly sliced sweet and Yukon gold potatoes topped with fresh herbs, a silky sauce and plenty of cheese.

Serving bowl of air fried brussels sprouts with bits of shaved cheese and pancetta

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

Crispy Brussels sprouts at restaurants typically come from the deep fryer. Now you can achieve the same delightfully crunchy texture in your Café oven using the No-Preheat Air Fry Mode.

Individual service dish of creme brulee with crunchy sugar topping

Coffee and Cardamom Crème Brulee

Individual desserts are an elegant way to end a meal, especially when that dessert is a silky custard steeped with the flavors of roasted coffee and sweet-spicy cardamom. The custards can be made a few days ahead of time, simply brulee the sugary tops before serving.

Turkey Mode Tips

Prepping Your Turkey
If you purchase your turkey frozen, be sure to allow time for it to thaw completely before cooking. Turkeys take several days to thaw in the fridge. If it’s not completely thawed, you may end up with an underdone turkey. If your probe indicates a turkey temperature of less than 38°F when you insert it to begin cooking, your turkey may still have some icy spots and may need extra time to thaw.

Roasting Pan
It’s recommended that you use a roasting pan and rack or a broil pan with a grid so the turkey can sit above any drippings released during cooking.

Optional Flavor Enhancement
Turkey mode produces a great turkey with minimal work, but with a bit more effort you can impart unique flavors to your roast bird.

    • Additional seasonings and/or oil can be applied to the skin. However, oiled skin may result in extra or uneven browning so you will need to check the skin periodically and cover any parts that are browning too quickly with foil.

    • Wet or Dry Brined turkeys are a great way to impart moisture to your turkey. Brined birds can brown more quickly than unbrined turkeys. While roasting, check periodically and cover the bird loosely with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

    • Stuffing is best baked separately. Instead try filling the turkey cavity with aromatics like onion, lemons, or fresh herbs. They will impart subtle flavor to the turkey meat and drippings.

 

Probe Placement
They key to achieving a perfect turkey using Turkey Mode is properly inserting the probe. The probe measures temperature inside your turkey, so having it in the thickest part of the breast ensures that it measures the slowest heating part of the bird. That way, it knows even the thickest piece of meat has reached optimal temperature.

Follow these easy instructions to achieve the best bird:

Hand inserting the probe into the breast of the uncooked turkey
  • Probe tip should be inserted into the deepest part of the turkey breast.

  • Push the probe as far down into the turkey as possible without touching the bone. The gray handle should touch the skin of the turkey.

  • Pay attention to the angle of the probe—the tip should be placed in the thickest part of the turkey which is the slowest heating spot.

  • The probe tip should not point outwards, touch the turkey cavity, or poke through to the surface of the turkey.

  • When placing your pan in the oven, refer either to the SmartHQ app or the LCD screen for rack placement.
Hand inserting the probe into the breast of the uncooked turkey
  • Probe tip should be inserted into the deepest part of the turkey breast.

  • Push the probe as far down into the turkey as possible without touching the bone. The gray handle should touch the skin of the turkey.

  • Pay attention to the angle of the probe—the tip should be placed in the thickest part of the turkey which is the slowest heating spot.

  • The probe tip should not point outwards, touch the turkey cavity, or poke through to the surface of the turkey.

  • When placing your pan in the oven, refer either to the SmartHQ app or the LCD screen for rack placement.

NOTE: Café Turkey Mode works by having the probe inserted into the breast, so it’s very important to follow the instructions provided. The temperature at which the oven indicates the turkey is done is based on breast meat, if the probe is positioned in dark meat your bird may not be fully cooked.

Cooking Times
This table shows the estimated Turkey Mode cooking times based on the size of your bird. We recommend checking the turkey temperature with a second food or meat thermometer when your oven indicates it’s done to confirm that it has reached at least 165°F.

    • If your turkey cooks much faster than what is indicated in the table below, that may mean the probe was not properly positioned.

    • If this happens, check the turkey temperature and if it’s not at least 165°F, you’ll need to put it back into the oven to cook until it reaches this temperature.

 

Expected Cook Time by Turkey Size:

< 12 LBS. 1.25 HOURS – 2.5 HOURS

12 - 16 LBS. 1.25 HOURS – 3.5 HOURS

16 - 20 LBS. 1.5 HOURS – 3.75 HOURS

20 – 24 LBS. 2 HOURS – 4 HOURS

> 24 LBS. 2.25 HOURS – 4.5 HOURS


It’s best to let your turkey rest before carving. Resting the turkey gives the juices a chance to thicken so less juice will be lost when you carve it.

    • After removing the turkey from the oven and checking temperature, loosely cover it with foil and let it rest for 20 to 45 minutes.

    • A fully cooked, uncarved turkey will remain at a good serving temperature for quite a while after it’s removed from the oven—and it will be easier to carve if it’s cooled a bit. So, don’t stress it if your turkey is finished before other dishes are ready.

 

Cooking Other Dishes
You can cook or reheat other foods at the same time as your turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Follow these tips for best results.

    • Dishes with recommended baking temperatures between 300°F and 400°F can be baked at the same time as the turkey.

    • A recipe with a recommended baking temperature near 350°F should bake in the same time the recipe calls for.

    • Foods with lower recommended baking temperatures will likely cook faster than recipe time and items with higher recommended baking temperatures might take longer than recipe time.

    • Foods placed very near the top of the oven may need to be covered to prevent overbrowning.