Ever wondered what the convection setting on your oven does? Understanding the pros and cons of convection vs. conventional ovens can help you get better results in the kitchen.
The type of oven you have — convection or conventional — is probably something you’ve ignored until now. Still, it’s information that can help you avoid a kitchen mishap or simply become a better home cook.
Since most conventional ovens have a convection setting and many convection ovens have a standard conventional setting, it helps to know when each setting is most appropriate. Let’s get into the facts.
Main Differences
- Convection ovens heat food by circulating hot air from a fan in the back of the oven.
- Conventional ovens, on the other hand, heat food from the bottom. The air is static and often hotter at one end than the other.
Conventional Ovens
Pros: While you can use both types of ovens for cooking anything, a conventional oven is better for baking than a convection oven because the even heat of a convection oven may cause baked goods to rise and cook too quickly. Conventional ovens also have a simplicity factor. When a recipe says to cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, that’s exactly what you do (convection ovens involve tinkering with cook times and temperature).
Cons: Conventional ovens don’t cook as evenly as convection ovens, resulting in more heat on one side than the other and cooler air pockets. You can still get the job done; you may just have to open the oven halfway through to rotate the sheet pan or baking dish to result in more even cooking.
Convection Ovens
Pros: Convection ovens cook food faster and evenly; that means no need to rotate the pan. Convection ovens are especially great when you want your dish to come out crispy (i.e. garlic roasted potatoes or other vegetables). They’re also better for browning meat due to the drier environment they create. Finally, convection ovens are also more energy-efficient since they cook food faster and require lower temperatures.
Cons: Believe it or not, convection ovens may be too efficient for baked goods, causing them to heat too quickly. Another downside? The cooking times on recipes aren’t written based on convection cooking unless explicitly stated. You have to adjust the temperature to 25 degrees lower than what the recipe recommends or cook for at least 10 minutes less. You also have to check the food frequently toward the end to avoid overcooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some conventional ovens have a convection setting. So, you can opt in with the press of a button when you need to roast something, but opt out when baking pineapple upside cake or homemade white bread. But not all conventional ovens have this setting. Read the fine print. Some convection ovens also have standard settings when you need to revert for baking.
Conventional ovens and convection ovens work with either electric or gas heat.
Conventional ovens win when it comes to baked goods such as cakes, cookie recipes, and bread. In a convection oven, these may rise too quickly or become dried out. Conventional ovens are also best for casserole recipes, braising, and anything that’s cooked covered (the airflow of convection ovens won’t impact cooking as much in these cases).
Roasting vegetables to achieve a good crisp. They’re also great for cooking meat evenly. You may want to check the oven often to make sure you don’t overcook your food, as convection ovens heat food quickly.
Set the oven to 25 degrees cooler than your recipe recommends, or check the progress 10 to 15 minutes sooner than the typical cooking duration. It’s also wise to use baking dishes with low sides (sheet pans versus casserole dishes) to get the full benefits of a convection oven’s airflow.
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SHaron says
I am trying to find out why my dog treats shrivel up when baking in convention oven but not in convection oven.
IF can help please
Jessica Gavin says
Do you use the same baking parameters for the dog treats?
Katie Kruse says
Thanks Jessica for the information. Quick and to the point. I will finally get to use my convection option on my oven!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Katie! I can’t wait to hear what you cook next.
Monica says
Hi Jessica
I want to buy a countrtop oven. I think it’s easy to to bake and cook at small dishes and small batch of cookies. For more I can use big oven. So can you suggests which one is batter.
Thanks
Mi Vuong says
Hello Jessica,
Thanks for all your emails. I’m learning every day. I’m wondering if you use aluminum foil for baking/cooking or storing uncooked meat in the freezer?
Mimi
Diandra says
And now I am wondering whether my breads will turn out better if I switch the convection setting off once in a while. ^^
Susie Stratas says
JESSICA< THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! This is THE BEST and MOST INFORMATIVE "tutorial" about convection and conventional ovens! Thank You again SO MUCH!!!!
Mary Koss says
I love convection for skin on chicken breasts with lemon slices under the skin.
What are your thoughts about convection “French fries”?
Kristin says
Our convection oven, which is almost 10 years old, automatically cuts the temperature 25 degrees when convection baking or roasting is chosen. This means baking works beautifully! I love my convection oven!
LaVonne says
I have a gas oven with conventional and convection. I really enjoyed the pros and cons because I didn’t know the difference. Very informational and I appreciated it.
Judy Caywood says
We finally bought our first new stove and our first gas stove a year ago. It is also convection which my husband loves to use for pot pies. lol Thank you Jessica. You are the best!
Vicky says
I’ve been waiting my whole life for a post like this, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!