Need a new oven? Convection or conventional? There are so many to choose from that it can be quite overwhelming. You need to start with the basics and discover all the facts so that you choose the right one for you. So, what is the difference between a fan assisted oven and a conventional oven? Read on…
A Brief Convection Oven Guide
What is a convection oven? This oven is also known as a fan assisted oven as the fans circulate the air around the food.
Cooking using convection heat means the switching on of the fan and exhaust system. The heating elements in the back of the oven alongside the fan blows and sends hot air around the oven and your food.
This means you can reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees when compared to a conventional oven, as the circulating air transfers heat faster than still air at the same temperature. A true convection oven has three heating elements that ensure that foods are cooked evenly.
Convection ovens do actually use less heat in both the pre-heat and cooking stages. So, convection ovens are more energy efficient, will save you money on bills, and reduce your carbon footprint.
Pros and Cons
Look at a few facts about a convection oven versus a conventional oven:
Convection
- Lower temperature setting as heating and cooking is very energy efficient.
- Faster cooking times.
- Necessary checking of food when cooking to adjust time.
- Cooking will take longer if the oven is over crowded.
- You need to use baking sheets and low sided cookware as this lets the air circulate around the food.
Conventional
- Radiant heat from burners or heating elements are used to cook food.
- Recipes will be cooked at the given time – they tend to be very reliable.
- Can be used for grilling or roasting, and re-heating.
- Provide adequate room to store meals while keeping them warm.
- Abundance of interior space.
- They tend to cook unevenly with hot and cold spots in the oven.
Settings in Ovens
You may want to consider buying a conventional oven that has a convection setting – then you have the best of both worlds! You’ll be able to get the benefits of cooking with gas or electricity and flick a switch to change to convection cooking. The conventional setting is perfect for delicate batter-type foods that need delicate cooking to set and would be used for:
- Cakes
- Souffles
- Flans
- Custards
- Quick breads and bread
A convection oven has a fan and an exhaust system. This ensures that hot air is distributed evenly around the oven and the food so that it cooks quickly. You would use this setting for:
- Roasting – meat and vegetables cook faster and get crispy skins.
- Toasting – convection is much more efficient
- Pastries and pies – fat is melted and steam created much more quickly so pastry rises beautifully.
- Casseroles – convection cooking is faster with little loss of moisture
- Biscuits and cookies – you’ll be able to bake multiple trays without having to rotate
More Interesting Information
Is a convection oven better for baking? Many convection ovens have a convection bake setting that has a lower fan speed which is great for recipes that take longer to cook.
A convection roast setting has a higher fan speed that brings high temperatures – perfect for crisping the outside of meat and vegetables.
Need Your Oven Repairing?
Get a qualified engineer who knows how to fix any kind of oven from a trusted appliance repair company. You’ll be able to book an appointment to suit you – and every repair will come with six-month parts and labour guarantee.
