Convection ovens provide numerous cooking advantages over traditional ovens. Read on to learn the pros and cons of convection, how it compares to other cooking styles, and all our top convection ovens have to offer.
A convection oven is an oven that heats food using the circulation of hot air. When you activate convection mode, your oven utilizes a built-in fan to circulate hot air generated by the heating elements. Traditional ovens do not have fans, and they don't circulate; they just heat up, which can create colder spots as hot air naturally rises. However, you don’t have to completely abandon static cooking with a convection oven. They typically include multiple cooking modes for versatile meal preparation, including traditional thermal bake options. There are several pros and cons when comparing convection oven vs conventional oven performance that you should know about before buying either, however.
As your appliance authority, AjMadison not only wants to offer you the best convection ovens for your home, but also empower you to shop our wide selection of convection cooking units like an appliance pro! Let’s go through all there is to know about the pros and cons of convection ovens before checking out what our top picks have to offer.
Pros of Using a Convection Oven
Cooks Food Evenly – It's not uncommon for a traditional oven to be too hot in some areas and too cold in others. With convection mode, this isn't an issue. There is a fan inside of the oven circulating the hot air throughout the oven. With a convection oven, you don't need to worry about cooking a pie and having it still cold in the middle when the timer goes off.
Convection Ovens Cook Food Faster – The fan in the oven makes it possible to cook food faster and at lower temperatures, saving you money on your utilities. If you would typically be cooking at 350 degrees in a static oven, you can cook at 300 degrees in a convection oven. Convection mode is a huge convenience for busy families who need to get food on the table faster.
Efficient Simultaneous Cooking of Multiple Dishes – If you are cooking a big meal, you may need to cook more than one dish in the oven at once to save time. There are a few challenges that come with this like flavor transfer, temperature changes when you keep opening the door to check on each item, and heat concentrations that cause some dishes to cook faster than others. When you put multiple dishes in a convection oven, the oven sees the multiple dishes as one single item. You can even stack dishes on top of each other, and the food will still be cooked at the correct temperature.
Place Dishes on Any Oven Rack – You can put dishes anywhere you want in a convection oven and they will receive the same intensity of heat, unlike traditional ovens which have uneven heat distribution which causes burning.
Better Browning and Crisping –Circulating hot air from convection removes moisture from the surface of your food, leading to a crispier texture on items like roasted vegetables and meats.
Cons of Using a Convection Oven
You Must Adjust Recipes – When you read a recipe in a book or on the back of a box, the directions are based on static cooking conditions. When you are using a convection oven, you would need to adjust the recipes. If you don’t adjust the recipe correctly, you can end up with burnt or overcooked food. Baked foods such as bread, cookies, and cakes are most susceptible to this. You may find some recipes with instructions for convection ovens; however, not every recipe will give you instructions for both types of ovens. Luckily, brands like KitchenAid are starting to add convection conversion programming to their appliances, allowing you to punch in the static cooking parameters to automatically adjust them to ideal convection settings.
Not Ideal for Certain Baked Goods – A major complaint that many people who use convection have is that their cakes and breads don’t rise in the convection oven the way that they do in a traditional oven. If you enjoy baking, you should look for a convection oven whose fan can be turned on or off.
They Have More Parts that May Need Repairing – A traditional oven has a heating element that does all the work. A convection oven has both a heating element and a fan. This makes for an extra part that might need repair at some point. However, many higher-quality convection ovens can last for years without any issues, and they often include smart features like remote diagnostics to quickly rectify errors.
Fan Noise – The fan in a convection oven may produce noise during operation, which some consumers find annoying compared to the quieter operation of a conventional oven.
Interrupted by Foils and Coverings – Foils and other coverings can obstruct airflow, diminishing the benefits of convection cooking.
Too Many Dishes Can Hinder Performance – While you can cook several dishes at once in a convection oven, if you overcrowd the oven or block the fan, the oven won’t work as efficiently as it should. It could take much longer for your food to cook. It is best when you have as few dishes in the oven if possible, or at least organize cookware to allow for adequate airflow.
Is a Convection Oven the Same as an Air Fryer?
Convection ovens and air fryers basically cook the same way. Intense heat is rapidly circulated around food for even crisping or browning while baking, roasting, and reheating. The main differences in their cooking abilities can be attributed to their overall constructions, which include:
Capacities – Air fryers are typically small countertop appliances, which means they can’t cook as much food in one session as a full-size convection oven. However, many modern ovens now include an air fryer function.
Efficiency – Air fryers are great for quickly cooking small batches of food since their compact cooking compartments heat up quicker. For bulky appetizer platters, a convection oven with an air fryer would be more time efficient.
Versatility – Air fryers are primarily designed for "frying" foods with less oil, but can also be used for baking, grilling, and roasting smaller items. Convection ovens, on the other hand, can be used for a wider range of cooking tasks including baking, roasting, broiling, and dehydrating.
Temperature Precision – Most air fryers have preset temperature settings, whereas most convection ovens can let you increase and decrease temperatures in smaller increments.
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