Just exactly what is a convection oven and how does it cook your food?
First of all a conventional oven cooks food by heating the air inside the oven. That air doesn’t move. It just gets hot. The hotter the temperature you set, the hotter the inside of the oven will get.
Can I Bake in A Convection Oven?
Yes, you can bake in a convection oven. Keep in mind a convection oven circulates air inside your oven with a fan. Only use the convection oven option only if your recipe specifically tells you to do so. Otherwise use the bake option on your oven.
When Do I Use the Bake Option?
Always default to using the “bake” button on your oven unless the recipe says otherwise. In fact if you are baking breads, soufflés or pastries you will use the bake feature.
Your oven might have both. In fact, you may have convection bake and convection roast. How do you know which setting to use?
On the convection oven setting, both roast and bake, your food will cook more evenly. Circulating the air keeps the temperature even in the oven and for the food. Your food will cook faster as well. Some oven sites say it could cook about 25% faster. Your food will also brown better, resulting in a crispier texture. Since the food cooks more quickly, your oven is more energy efficient, using less energy.
So, why not always use the convection oven setting? If you’re baking a soufflé, custard, or most breads…don’t use it. Why? The air circulation can mess up the process where the souffle or custard needs to set. They won’t raise like they should. The same goes for bread.
Some professional bakers say our American recipes were developed using a conventional, not a convection, oven. They need the moisture from the conventional oven and not the hot, dry air of a convection oven. You could get flat cookies, non-fluffy biscuits, or crusty cakes. Not good.
The bottom line is to check your recipe before deciding which setting to use. Most recipes require the use of the “bake” feature button.
How To Use Convection Option on Your Oven
If you do decide to use the convection oven setting, you may need to lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Be sure to check the time as well. Your food will cook faster.
Also, make sure your food is spaced apart in the pan. Convection relies on air circulation.
Most frozen foods cook well with the convection oven setting. We typically use it for frozen french fries, frozen tater tots or frozen pot pies. Make sure you check your frozen food 10 minutes before the time is up.