The benefits of convection cooking can be summed up in three words: Efficient, Economical, Even.
Convection ovens come with 2 or 3 heating elements. A “true” convection oven has a third heating element, which is key to optimal results. Located near or around the oven fan, it blows hot air into the oven as opposed to just circulating heat from the elements, as in a two-element oven.
Read on to learn why so many home cooks are switching from conventional to convection.
Efficient
As a rule, a convection oven cooks the same food as a standard oven in three-quarters of the time and at a lower temperature. Why? An integrated fan causes hot air to circulate around the interior of the oven, cooking food more quickly and evenly.
Economical
Because heat transfer is more efficient in a convection oven, you can cook at a lower temperature. Shorter cooking times and lower temperatures equal energy savings. Plus, there is no need to preheat your oven, which means even more time and energy savings.
Even
Since air flows around the food, whatever you’re cooking stays moister and loses fewer nutrients. For baking, this means flaky crusts, crisp pastry and fluffy textures; for roasting, you’ll enjoy even cooking, perfect browning and juicy meat.
So there you have it: convection delivers delicious results while saving time, energy and money!
Convection Cooking Primer
- Encourage air circulation. Don’t cover racks with foil and allow 2.5 – 3.5 cm (1 – 1 ½ inches) around pans for maximum airflow.
- Use proper pans. Shallow pans work best in convection ovens; if possible, place the long sides of the pan parallel to the oven door.
- Place meats on a rack in the roasting pan for better browning.
- When roasting, do not reduce oven temperatures for small pieces, skinny roasts or unstuffed poultry.
- You may wish to reduce oven temperature by 15°C (approx. 25°F) for dense roasts and stuffed turkeys: this will extend the cooking time but will result in juicier meat with less shrinkage.