Convection ovens are similar to regular ovens, but they have an additional fan to distribute hot air throughout the oven. If you bought a new oven or range, it’s likely that you have a convection setting, but you’ve never used it. (Many newer models have this added function, and most allow you to turn it on and off when you choose—check your oven’s manual.) Like many other features promoted by appliance manufacturers, the convection feature seems very appealing until you realize you don’t know how to use it. Since convection cooking isn’t often mentioned in recipes or cookbooks, let’s clarify: what a convection oven is, what a convection oven is, and whether this setting affects your final product.
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What Is Convection Cooking?
Your oven’s internal fan and exhaust system circulate hot air around your food when you turn on the convection setting. Food prepared using convection will cook around 25% faster than food prepared using your oven’s standard bake setting because the heat within the oven is drier and more evenly distributed.
This not only saves time but also marginally increases the energy efficiency of convection cooking. In order to prevent food from burning, the majority of appliance manufacturers advise lowering a recipe’s temperature by 25 degrees when using convection (see your oven’s handbook).
Convection vs. Conventional Ovens
The primary distinction between conventional and convection ovens is that the former features an exhaust system and an additional fan, while the latter does not. Top and bottom heating elements are used in conventional ovens to cook food. Air is dispersed evenly throughout the oven and around your meal thanks to the fan in convection ovens.
Benefits of Convection Ovens
For roasted meat, chicken, baked potatoes, meatballs, sheet-pan veggies, and other foods, convection cooking aids in browning.
“Convection cooking eliminates ‘hot spots’ in the oven by distributing heat evenly and delivering heat steadily.
When to Skip the Convection Setting
We are less delighted with the outcomes while baking pastries and other delicate items, even though the convection setting is a great alternative when roasting. The fan circulates air throughout the oven, which can cause moist dishes that are prone to shifting or splattering—such as custards, fast loaves of bread, and other baked goods—to come out of the oven dry and unevenly baked. Cakes and cookies can occasionally display a “sand drift” pattern due to the air movement.
For these kinds of treats, use the standard setting. In any case, their shorter bake periods make the convection setting’s time-saving feature less alluring.
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