
Convection Oven – How to Use It and Why You Should Buy One
Convection Oven
In this article, discover how a convection oven can help you bake incredible sweet treats and prepare crispier, juicier dishes. The most important thing is to choose the right model for your kitchen’s needs and preferences.
A convection oven features a powerful fan and exhaust system that circulates hot air throughout the oven, maintaining a consistent temperature, making it ideal for cooking on multiple racks. Like conventional ovens, convection ovens can be gas or electric and come with various features. True Convection, also known as European convection or third-element convection, adds a third heating element in addition to the fan. With True Convection, your dishes not only bake evenly but also cook faster.
Because True Convection ovens have the potential to cook more quickly, adjustments to both time and temperature may be necessary. If you are following a recipe designed for a conventional oven, be sure to modify it for a convection oven.
Advantages of a Convection Oven
- Even Cooking: Circulating air ensures more even cooking. Food comes out evenly browned and crispy on the outside while remaining moist and tender inside. Convection ovens are ideal for roasting large cuts of meat, baking cakes, and pastries with a crispy exterior and soft interior.
- Faster Cooking Time: Convection ovens cook food more quickly than conventional ovens, reducing overall cooking time compared to standard ovens.
- Greater Efficiency: Shorter cooking times also mean less energy is used for preparing food. Convection ovens heat up faster than conventional ovens, further increasing their efficiency.
- Versatility: A convection oven allows you to cook multiple dishes at once, regardless of their position in the oven.
How to Use a Convection Oven?
Cooking and baking in a convection oven may seem more challenging at first, but with simple tips, mastering it is easy. Using convection cooking, you can prepare quick and delicious dishes in the shortest time. Here are some basic steps to get started.
- Step 1: Determine if the Recipe Needs Conversion
Baking is a precise process. Check your recipe to see if you need to adjust the time and/or temperature for your convection oven. Some recipes provide instructions for both conventional and convection ovens. Your oven’s manual will guide you on how to make the necessary adjustments. - Step 2: Adjust the Recipe Temperature
If temperature adjustment is needed, simply reduce the listed temperature by 25°F. For example, if the recipe lists 375°F, set it to 350°F. - Step 3: Adjust the Recipe Time
For True Convection ovens, which speed up roasting, multiply the listed time by 0.80. For example, if the recipe time is 60 minutes, set it to 48 minutes. - Step 4: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to the correct converted temperature before cooking. - Step 5: Start Cooking
Set your timer to the adjusted cooking time and place your dishes on the oven racks to ensure even heating and uniform cooking.