A convection oven use a fan to circulate hot air around the foods being cooked. Because the hot air can reach every corner of the oven, there is a different cooking environment within the convection oven than within a conventional oven. Convection oven cook foods faster than conventional oven due to the circulating hot air, and the food browns more even in the circulating hot air.
Because of the circulating hot air, cooking temperature and times must be adjusted when use a convection oven. You must lower the temperature by approximately 25 degrees Fahrenheit. For instance, if the recipe call for the conventional oven to be set to 400 degrees, the convection oven should be set to 375 degrees.
How to Use a Convection Oven
Additionally, cooking times should also be adjusted; convection ovens cook more efficient so cooking times should also be reduced by approximately 25 percent. Cooking times should be checked earlier then recommended for the recipe so that the food dont overcook in the faster cooking convection oven. Convection ovens is helpful in the cooking of various food at once.
For instance, convection ovens can cook item like cookies or vegetables at the same time on both racks of the oven. Because the hot air is distributed evenly, each rack cook the same items at the same rate as the other rack. Additionally, convection ovens are useful in roasting meat and vegetables because the meats and vegetables will have crispy exterior.
However, there are items that should not be cooked in a convection oven. Items like souffles, angel food cake, and custard will fail in a convection oven because the circulating air will either deflate the cake or the custard will dry out before it set. These items should be cooked in the conventional oven; items that cook well in the circulating hot air should be cooked in the convection oven setting.
For best cooking result in the convection oven, specific type of equipment should be used. For instance, you should use light-colored aluminum pans because aluminum reflect the heat evenly. Additionally, an oven thermometer should be used to ensure that the oven is cooking at a proper temperature; oven temperatures can drift from the settings on the oven over time.
The pans should be spaced apart within the oven; if the pans are too close to one another, the hot air will not circulate around the pans. Finally, the convection oven should be preheated for at least ten to fifteen minutes to ensure that the hot air will circulate around the food when it is cooked.