What Is Convection Cooking, and When Should You Use It Over Regular Roasting or Baking? (2024)

FAQs

What Is Convection Cooking, and When Should You Use It Over Regular Roasting or Baking? ›

Convection creates a dry atmosphere that caramelizes the sugars faster when roasting, so foods like meats and vegetables get browner, but the interiors stay moist. It saves energy. Because food cooks faster in a convection oven, and generally at a lower temperature, it's a bit more energy-efficient than a regular oven.

Convection bake is best used for recipes that could benefit from the even heat distribution of hot air circulated throughout the oven via the fan and exhaust system. This heating method makes convection baking particularly useful for baking multiple batches of cookies or dishes on multiple racks.

Roasting temperatures are higher and baking temperatures are lower. Both convection roast and bake oven settings will activate an additional heating element and a fan that circulates hot air within the oven cavity, helping to maintain optimal temperatures.

When to use convection. Convection cooking is ideal for foods that do better in a dry climate and where you want to encourage browning and crisping. So roasting meats, potatoes and vegetables are all ideal, and it's great for reheating things like fried chicken or baking pizza.

Convection ovens cook food faster than conventional ovens. To cook in a convection oven, follow this easy formula: reduce the temperature by 25 degrees or reduce the cooking time by 25%. Some ovens today even offer convection conversion, eliminating any guesswork!

If your oven has a convection setting, use it. (This temp will help the potatoes get crisper and brown more evenly.) Keep in mind that the convection fan circulating hot air inside will amp up the temperature, so set it closer to 400 F if you're using convection heat.

Convection is the ideal cooking mode because more moisture is retained which equates to better flavor and texture.

Roasting: The fast, even heat inside the convection oven ensures meat has a crispy exterior and moist interior. Convection roasting also works well for vegetables.

In conclusion, both convection and conventional ovens can be great for baking cookies, depending on the type of cookie you're making and your personal preferences. Convection ovens are great for thin and crispy cookies, while conventional ovens are better for thicker and chewier cookies.

Should I use bake or convection bake for pizza? ›

A convection oven is perfect for baking pizza. Because the hot air from it moves around, your pizza cooks more quickly than in a conventional oven. Because of this, your pizza will be crisper and have a more even surface than when you bake it in a traditional oven.

I prefer to cook this lasagna on convection bake since it is prepared in a very tall pan. It cooks more evenly.

The convection oven relies on air circulation, so it will cook much more evenly if there is not much else in the oven. The bonus here is that it will cook more quickly, so you will have time to bake multiple dishes separately instead of shoving them into the oven all at once.

All three types of ovens can be used to roast a delicious, moist turkey as long as the temperature of the turkey is carefully monitored. So, although a convection oven will cook faster, even a bake oven will work if the turkey is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.

To roast your dish, the convection roast will employ both stagnant and circulating hot air., which is what browns your food. If you're roasting beef, turkey, or chicken, this setting is ideal.

BONUS TIP: Use your oven's convection setting!

If you have one, using the fan setting can help to encourage your muffins to rise up nice and tall. Some convection ovens automatically adjust the oven temperature, but if yours doesn't, be sure to reduce your baking temperature or you'll overcook your muffins.

In conclusion, both convection and conventional ovens can be great for baking cookies, depending on the type of cookie you're making and your personal preferences. Convection ovens are great for thin and crispy cookies, while conventional ovens are better for thicker and chewier cookies.