What difference does it make Convection or Conventional Oven

December 23, 2016 4 Comments

A new oven is always a welcome addition to any kitchen. Convection ovens have been around since the 1950s and were first used in professional kitchens before they made it to the home

Though pricier than conventional ovens, convection ovens have their many benefits. They have become extremely popular in recent times with many kitchen remodels choosing to go with convection primarily because theycan speed up cooking and improve browning and crisping

Learning how to use it takes some practice, and reading the manual is a must. But mastering convection oven cooking is worth the effort mostly because a convection oven can do things a regular oven can’t. They can preheat and cook faster, hasten dehydration, and cook greater volumes at one time. In conventional ovens, with less air movement, results can be uneven  

Basically, the oven uses one or more fans to circulate the hot air. Some ovens have two fan speeds. A convection baking setting lowers the fan speed while convection roasting relies on a higher fan speed to brown and crisp the exterior of meat and poultry

Convection Cooking Tips

• Use pans with low sides. This allows the hot circulating air to work its magic. Light coloured aluminum is ideal for baking and for roasting vegetables—even when not using convection. It helps prevent the bottoms of cookies and breads from overbrowning, and the natural sugars in vegetables from burning. With a dark pan, heat transfer is accelerated and food can darken faster.
• Lower the baking temperature. Lower the temperature by 25° F under what's recommended, and check 5 to 10 minutes sooner than your recipe says. Some ovens automatically lower the temperature when you hit the convection setting, so you'll want to know that first. For roasting, rely on what the manual says. 
• What to bake. Biscuits, scones, and pizza crusts need quick heat for best results, so convection works well with these foods.
• Add water. Place a pan filled with an inch of simmering water on the oven floor before baking artisan breads, which are usually baked at a very high heat. The steam helps create a crispy, crackly crust.
• What not to bake. It's better to use the oven with the convection option off when baking quick breads, wet muffin batters, cakes, cupcakes, sandwich breads, and sweet yeast baking. The convection fan has a tendency to dry the tops of some things
• How to roast. Try dry brining and refrigerating meat and chicken for at least an hour before roasting with convection. This dries the poultry skin or the outside of the meat and helps form a seal in the oven more quickly, keeping it moist. Check for doneness in half the time of a conventional recipe.

The Best First Option in Your Convection Cooking Journey

Wall and floor convection ovens are pricey, so if you would like to try the benefits of convection cooking on a budget, try a new countertop convection oven to see if it suits your cooking style while opening up a new world of cooking finesse!

 

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