Convection ovens are popular for their quick and efficient heating, but it’s important to review the owner’s manual, consider lowering the temperature, reduce cooking times, and leave enough space for air to circulate around the baked goods. It’s also best to avoid crowded items and cook in low pans.
Convection ovens, long used by professional bakers, have become more popular with serious home cooks because of their quick and efficient heating. While these ovens are preferred by many people, it is important to note a few tips for convection cooking. It is not difficult to do this, but some elements must be kept in mind for proper cooking. When cooking with a convection oven, it’s best to review your owner’s manual, consider lowering the temperature needed for cooking, reducing cooking times, and leaving enough space for air to circulate around the baked goods.
Reviewing the user manual that comes with your oven can often prevent accidents when cooking with a convection oven. Each oven’s manual contains tips for using the oven, most conversions you may need to know, and other useful information for using the oven. If you have a question about using your oven, consulting the manual first may quickly provide the answer you need.
There are different opinions on the need to lower the oven temperature when cooking with a convection oven. Some people believe that because a convection oven is just an oven with a fan to circulate the heat, there’s no need to lower the cooking temperature. Other people believe that faster cooking requires a lower cooking temperature to ensure a product isn’t overcooked. Testing your particular oven is probably the best way to determine if a temperature change is needed. If it is, the usual recommendation is to lower the temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit or about 14 degrees Celsius.
Most experts agree that you need to reduce cooking times when cooking with a convection oven. The heat is circulated evenly in the oven by a fan, which means there are hotter or colder spots in the oven. This allows for even baking, making it necessary to shorten the time baked goods spend in the oven. A general rule of thumb is to use a 10 to 20 percent reduction in the recipe’s standard cook time.
The air circulates throughout the oven, cooking items evenly, so it’s best to avoid crowded items when cooking with a convection oven. If the items are crowded in the oven, the air can’t circulate evenly around them, which means the convection oven can’t cook the items properly. Leaving at least 2 inches (5.08 cm) on all sides of the cooking item is a good recommendation to follow. In addition to leaving room around the baked goods, it’s also best to cook the items in as low a pan as possible. This allows air to circulate directly around the cooking item.
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