The ins and outs of convection ovens

Knowing how a convection oven works can help you decide when to use it.

Convection ovens were created in 1967 by the Malleable Iron Range Company. When they first came on the scene they were thought to be a tool of a professional baker. Now with the many advances in technology, convection ovens can fit into most people’s budgets if they desire to own one. Using a convection oven is a personal matter of choice.

A convection oven uses a fan and exhaust to circulate and push air around the inside of the oven. A convection oven can be either gas or electric. Some newer ovens come with the convection option as a feature and others are simply countertop models. The fan and exhaust help keep temperatures inside the oven constant. This helps to reduce uneven cooking and hot spots within food. Bakers will also notice that a convection oven usually bakes their cakes at a faster rate and sometimes at a lower temperature than a regular oven. Cakes and roast do really well in a convection oven because they do not require moisture in the air like baking breads, cookies and certain cheesecakes.

A regular oven has air being blown and dispersed as well, however, it does allow for humidity to form within the oven.

Some Microwave ovens now offers a convection feature as well. These models use both microwaves and forced air to cook foods.

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