Conventional vs. convection ovens

[murphymom]

When we redid our kitchen last summer I got a new dual-fuel range with a conventional/convection electric oven and gas cooktop. My options with the oven are conventional bake, broil, convection bake and convection roast. So far I have been using the conventional oven but decided to try convection baking with a batch of bread. I pulled out the manuals that came with the range (when all else fails, read the instructions) and they said when using recipes not specifically designed for a convection oven I should lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Did that, and the bread seemed to come out fine, but I was wondering what the advantages of one over the other is, and what kinds of foods are better cooked in a conventional oven vs. a convection oven, etc. Any thoughts?

I had made the bread recipe before using the conventional oven setting, but I changed the recipe a little this last time, so I can't make any direct comparisons.

[Tab]

1. I use the convection for everything

I like the way it circulates the heat, making for a more even cooking experience. It's also faster because of that.

You are usually recommended to reduce either cooking time or temperature. I usually run my at a lower temp (325 or 350), and I check the food a bit earlier too. I basically never do any non-convection cooking.

As far as convection bake and convection roast, as far as I can tell on my oven, you set a temp for either, but the convection bake assumes you want to pre-heat and so it starts up and beeps when you get to that temp. Convection roast assumes you're just putting it in and want to go. As far as I can tell, it heats up at the same speed, so the only real difference is that with convection bake it's telling you when it gets to that temp. Other than that, no difference.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Convection is good for general use ..... probably better than thermal

....... bt for baking, most folks suggest you stay with the thermal mode. The moving air can disrupt the rise on some baked products.

On the other had, if you're making some other baked products, the convection is the best way to go. Merengue cups come to mind. Set the oven as low as it will go and convect them. They dry perfectly, with no coloration. Snow white and nice and dry/crunchy.

[Tab]

3. True

I almost never bake, but on the few occasions that I have, I've found it's a lot trickier to get it just right on the inside without toasting the outside; I just figured it was the fact that I don't bake much in convections (or at all, for that matter), but yes, it is a bit touchier. Not being a baker I don't care much in that matter anyway.

But for everything else, I think it's great.

[murphymom]

4. Thanks for the info

Sounds like for bread I might want to stick with the conventional oven then. Funny, when I was without a kitchen during the remodel it made me realize how I actually cook - I mostly use the cooktop for meal preparation and primarily use the oven for baked goods. Just to mix things up I should probably use my oven more. I think what has held me back was that I'm normally just cooking for myself and my husband - seems like I would be using a lot more energy to cook in the oven rather than over the burners.

[Tab]

5. Actually that's why I got a convection in the first place

About 12 years ago I moved into a house where everything was electric (big mistake, that). I mean, not just the stove (which is fine, because gas in the house weirds me out) but the heat system, hot water tank, etc.

So, after an astonishing first couple of electric bills ($500 to $600 - this was winter and we live up north) I began a concerted effort to cut down on my electric usage.

This consisted of three primary moves:

- Use the woodstove that it had
- Buy a gas grill and grill outside (which works in the winter, except when it's ultra windy and cold)
- Buy a countertop convection oven so I didn't have to heat up the whole oven for hours just to cook dinner.

I got unexpectedly hooked on the countertop convection. Extremely heat efficient, cost-effective (I think I paid $199).

I moved it to two more houses, but after 10 years of wondrous use, I had to retire it. At the same time, my new home had this lame-ass gas stove. Aside from the fact that explosive gas in the home weirds me out anyway, the stove basically sucked. 10+ minutes to bring a pot of water to a boil.

So I went shopping for another countertop convection, but the only things I could find were the DeLonghi (sp?) ones, and they weren't even big enough to put a roaster in.

Then we were in a store shopping for a conventional stove (this all sort of happened at once after we moved in) and found out they made conventional ovens with convection. Up until then I had only seen these overhead microwave/convection mixes. After checking them out, we bought one.

Now my cooking is either (1) stovetop (usually for side dishes), (2) grilled outside, or (3) convection.

I'll be convectin' the rest of my life until they come up with something better. It's cheaper, and better.

That is, until I build my outdoor wood-fired grill. Then all bets are off.