What Is a Convection Oven?
A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system. Most convection ovens have top, bottom, and rear heating elements. Regular ovens do not have either a fan or exhaust system. Both the fan and exhaust circulate the hot air around and over the food. Basically, it cooks the food more evenly and quickly. And, they preheat quicker than a conventional oven setting. So if you look inside your oven and it has a fan in the back, it has convection features.
If you’re shopping for a convection oven, look for one with all three heating elements or it won’t have the optimal results. Convection ovens also save time, which saves you money on electricity or gas.
When you are cooking with a regular oven, the food on the bottom rack always gets cooked the quickest and has to be pulled out before the food on the other two racks. With convection cooking, all the food is at the same temperature and is cooked evenly. This is so beneficial for cooking meats and baked goods. The fan and exhaust reduce the amount of moisture in the oven, so your food stays crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. Since they reduce moisture, convection ovens are great for dehydrating food.
When to Use and Not to Use
In most food situations, convection cooking is a great, and even better option, than a “regular” oven setting. For meats, vegetables, breads, baked goods, and casseroles, convection will do a great job. Don’t bake liquids in convection settings, like cakes or souffles. They will most likely be baked unevenly and end up lumpy.