What is a convection oven?

Rather than let hot air circulate randomly, convection ovens carefully create a uniform temperature with internal fans that circulate hot air. Convection ovens are larger and more expensive than standard, or radiant, ovens, but they cook food faster, at a lower temperature, and with better results. Fans ensure that the same temperature reaches the top and bottom of foods, as well as foods at all rack levels. A frequent complaint of cooks with radiant ovens is that bottoms of foods get scorched, while tops are not browned evenly. This is because the temperature is not the same over the course of the cooking time, as well as over the volume of the oven cavity. Convection ovens correct this variation by using a fan that blows the hot air throughout the oven. A "true" or "European" convection oven goes one step further by adding a third heating element. Thus, the fan actually blows pre-heated air, rather than distributing the already-heated air. These are the most expensive and effective ...  more

For years, restaurants, commercial bakeries and professional chefs have used convection ovens for their speed and efficiency to produce the bounty of their trade. This ranges from the basic pizzas, cakes, cookies and hamburgers to the lavish meals of beef Wellington and Duck Orange; every chef relies on the superior results of convection ovens. What is different about the convection oven that makes it the chef's choice? Operating on standard household current, the convection oven uses electricity to heat the air in the oven. A fan circulates warm air continuously so wasted heat cannot collect at the top of the oven. Since circulating air heats faster than does still air of the same temperature, food is heated more efficiently than with still air, resulting in cooking times 1/3 faster than regular ovens. The amount of time saved varies with the type of food cooked. With some foods, the convection oven cooks at a lower temperature than a regular oven, for about the same time. This ...  more