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Range Convection
Getting the Best Results from Your Convection Range
Many of today's ranges, including electric, gas, dual fuel, and induction models, include convection ovens. This feature holds the promise of more even browning when baking and roasting, as well as improved efficiency that can allow you to bake or roast at lower temperatures and for less time than you would using your oven in standard "bake" mode.
Before we go any further, we should explain the difference between convection ovens and standard ovens. Standard ovens use one or more heating elements in the floor of the oven or under the floor of the oven to heat the oven compartment. These heating elements can be electric coils or gas burners and they cook your food primarily through radiant heating.
A convection oven can be used in standard "bake" mode like the conventional ovens you have used previously, but when you switch to "convection" mode, you activate a fan or fans that circulate the hot air within the oven compartment which evens out the temperature throughout the entire oven compartment, encourages more even browning, speeds cooking times and allows the use of lower cooking temperatures.
Some "true convection" or "European convection" ovens go one step further and add an additional heating element specifically to heat the air being circulated in the oven rather than relying solely on the heating elements in the oven floor to heat the air being circulated by the fan(s).
While still relatively new to home kitchens in the U.S., professional chefs and bakers have been using professional convection ranges and ovens for many years, and so have home cooks in Europe.
If you've recently purchased a convection range, here are some basic tips to get the most out it when baking and roasting:
• Don't be intimidated by this new feature. If you have it, start using convection mode when you bake and roast.
• Experiment with convection mode using some of your favorite recipes by lowering the oven temperature slightly and reducing the bake time. One rule of thumb often used when using convection mode is to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and cutting the cooking time by approximately 25 percent. In many typical applications that could work out to maybe 10 or 15 minutes less time in the oven.
• Avoid opening the oven door since that allows hot air to escape and interrupts the hot air circulation patterns and slows cooking time. Opening the oven door also slows cook times with conventional radiant ovens.
• Until you get used to using convection, it's probably a good idea to check on food more frequently by looking through the oven's window and paying attention to what your nose tells you about the cooking food. Open the oven door as little as possible.
• Most people will find that convection provides improved results when roasting meats (especially when crisp skin is desired as with turkey, chicken and other poultry), the same holds true with roasted vegetables, where caramelization is desired.
• Similarly most baked goods benefit from the use of convection, including breads, pastries, pies, tarts and cookies.
• Some people may not like the effects of convection on delicate cakes which may brown too much or develop an unwanted crust.
• Soufflés, popovers and some muffins may look wind-blown from the air current caused by the fan(s) in convection ovens. It may be best to bake these items in conventional bake mode.
• When baking or roasting in covered pans, deep roasting pans or oven bags, there may be less benefit from convection mode. If you use oven bags, make sure they are recommended for convection cooking.
• Take a few minutes and read the manual that came with your convection range.
Once you get comfortable with your convection oven, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one.
About the Author
Odis Nash is experienced and very knowledgeable in many major appliances, especially ranges. For more information on ranges, ovens or other major appliances, visit Number1Direct.com.
How do you use convection converter on a Kenmore Range? How do you set the time?
Check the owners manual!
Vulcan Heavy Duty Convection Oven Range by CKitchen.com