What Is a Convection Oven
A convection oven is an oven that circulates heat with an additional heating element, a fan. The fan is used to cook food by blowing hot air. This extra assistance makes food cook faster than it would in a conventional oven. For this reason, the cook time and temperature differ between the two ovens.
How Do Convection Ovens Work
The main benefits of using convection are:
- Use less energy
- Cook in less time
- Less likely to experience uneven browning because the environment doesn’t trap moisture.
When to Avoid Baking with Convection
Alternatively, convection is the enemy of delicate desserts or pastries. For instance, the intensity of the oven’s fan would cause a soufflé to collapse.
Avoid using the convection setting when baking:
- Custard-based pies
- Cake layers
- Loaves of bread made without yeast
How to Convert Oven Temperatures
In the end, there’s no need to be afraid of convection baking. Instead, take the time to get familiar with convection and conventional ovens to achieve the best results in your kitchen. Be brave and don’t be afraid to try recipes that use convection settings. Have a cookbook that only has recipes with convection temperatures like: 180°C/160°C Gas 4? Read this guide and reference the chart to convert convection oven temperatures to convectional.
