The key operating principle that sets a convection oven apart from other types is that it uses a fan to actively circulate heated air around food while it cooks. Putting hot air in motion leads to faster cooking because it encourages more rapid heat transfer. Thanks to this acceleration, convection cooking can deliver superior results if you know how to do it properly.

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We’ve assembled our best answers for common convention cooking questions here. If you’ve got a question of your own, please feel free to give it to us in the comment section.

1) What’s Carry-Over Cooking?

After you take your food out of the oven, it’s still at oven temperature, and that means it’s still cooking. “Carry-over” is the expert name for this phenomenon. The bigger the dish, the more heat it retains and the longer the carry-over cooking process goes on. Carry-over is especially important for meat dishes. Give these roughly 10 minutes to rest and finish cooking before cutting into them. This keeps the meat juicier.

2) Do I Get Any Benefit From Roasting Meat Dishes In A Convection oven?

When you place the meat on the roasting rack properly, the convection process sears the food faster. This seals in the meat’s natural juices and leads to a tastier result. You may be familiar with some recipes that tell you to brown a roast on a stove before putting it in the oven. You can skip this step when you use a convection oven; the moving air currents will sear your roast at the start of the cooking process.

3) Do Convection Ovens Need Special Pans?

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No – but some types of cookware do better than others in a convection oven. Bright aluminum and other light-colored metals give the best results. You should avoid darker anodized finishes, if possible because they can make dishes brown too quickly. Ceramic bakeware and certain types of glass are less effective in convection ovens because they insulate your food. Turn on the bottom heating element to solve this problem.

4) Do Baking Or Piza Stones Work With Convection Ovens?

Yes! Baking stones are outstanding tools that produce a crispy crust on bread and pizzas. To do this, they need to absorb a lot of heat energy. That’s why we recommend you put your stone into the oven during preheating. Put it on the lowest rack so that it’s as close as possible to the bottom element.

5) Do I Have To Adjust Temperatures For Convection Cooking?

With most recipes, you’ll get equal or improved results if you reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees. The constantly-moving air in the convection oven delivers the same rate of cooking in a lower-temperature space.

6) Do Convection Ovens Come In Different Types?

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Yes. “True” or “European” convection ovens have three elements: top, bottom, and rear. This delivers supremely even baking. The more common, fan-assisted convection oven uses the bottom heating element to produce heat and the rear-mounted fan to circulate the air.

7) Does Food Cook Faster With A Convection Oven?

Yes. Most dishes will cook about 30 percent faster in a convection oven than an ordinary one. The shorter cooking time combined with a great sear makes convection ovens particularly well-suited to meat dishes. They come out juicier and moister. Because of the reduced temperature used in convection cooking (see above), baked dishes still need to cook for the full time indicated by the recipe.

8) Do Convection Roasts Need To Be Basted?

No. Because the moving air in a convection oven sears the meat quickly, all of the meat’s juices are locked inside from the start. If it’s essential to your recipe to add a marinade, wait until the last hour to apply it. This is particularly important with high-sugar marinades; they could burn if they’re applied at the start of the convection cooking process.

9) Does A Convection Oven Need To Be Preheated?

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Yes. Preheating is an essential part of the convection cooking process. While preheating, a convection oven will typically use multiple elements; this could burn food if you put it in too soon. Always start with a preheated oven and/or pan so that you have full control over the heat. Do not put dishes in until the oven indicates its preheat cycle is complete.

10) My Convection Oven Came With Broiler Pans. Do I Have To Use Them?

We’d recommend using your oven’s purpose-built pans for broiling because the design drains off fat and prevents smoking and flare-ups. If you’re broiling low-fat dishes, though, you can also use a plain sheet pan. We recommend a thick, heavy-duty pan because thinner types may buckle and broil unevenly.

So hopefully you have been convinced of the benefits of using a convection oven. If you are then Foodal has a great guide to the best convection ovens on the market today.