What Is a Convection Oven, and How Is It Different from a Conventional One?
Updated: Feb. 05, 2024
You used to find convection ovens only in professional kitchens, but now they're gaining popularity as a home appliance. So... what exactly is a convection oven?
If you’ve ever peeked inside an oven, and noticed a fan whirring in the back, you’re looking at a convection oven. That fan is its secret to success. The fan circulates heat throughout the oven, evenly cooking whatever’s inside. (You might know that similar technology is used in an air fryer.)
We love convection ovens because they cook a tender pot roast to perfection and bake cookies baked with a golden brown finish. Plus, convection cooking is known for reduced cooking time and improved energy efficiency.
Convection Ovens vs. Conventional Ovens
Your conventional oven uses a single heating element, usually located on the top or the bottom of the oven. It can result in hot and cold spots within the oven. As Whirlpool’s Institute of Home Science explains, “In a traditional oven, the rack closest to the heat source would have the highest temperature, with the rack furthest away having the lowest.” You can see why it’s all about the fan when it comes to convection ovens!
The fan blowing hot air around each rack ensures a consistent temperature throughout the whole oven.
When to Use the Convection Setting
The circulation of warm air in convection baking results in evenly browned surfaces—think poultry skin, pork roast and double-crust fruit pies. It’s great for roasted vegetables, roasted meats and of course, cookies. It also means that two pans of cookies baking at the same time on the upper and lower oven racks will bake evenly without having to rotate the pans. But don’t overcrowd! The air needs room to circulate.
Pie Crust and Puff Pastry
The hot, dry air produced in a convection bake setting is ideal for pie crust and puff pastry because the water in the fat evaporates quickly creating the beautiful, crisp flaky layers. This cranberry apple pie is a great candidate for convection baking. Check on the pie about 10 minutes before the end of the anticipated bake time to ensure that it doesn’t get overly browned.
Crisp Cookies
While soft, chewy cookies will benefit from traditional baking at a precise time and temp, a crisp cookie will benefit from the drier, hotter climate in convection baking. Try these crisp sugar cookies on convection bake—but run a sample first to test the temp and bake time.
Crusty Breads
Crusty, artisan-style breads also benefit from convection as long as there is some steam during “oven spring.” This steam can be created by placing a pan of hot water on your oven floor or spraying water on the hot oven floor at the beginning of the bake. Some recipes call for the dough to be covered for the beginning of the bake to create that steam like this crusty homemade bread. Again, the total baking time may need some adjustment for convection.
When Not to Use the Convection Setting
You’ll want to skip the convection setting with certain recipes, though. Let your chewy cookies, cheesecakes and custards traditional bake. These dishes will have unwelcome browning and dryness if baked in a convection oven.
Tips for Successful Convection Cooking
So now that you know the benefits of cooking with a convection oven—are there any other tricks to the method? Of course! We have a few tips for convection success:
- The Taste of Home Test Kitchen bakes off one or two cookies before tackling the whole batch. You want to be able to adjust the baking time and temperature for the best results.
- Reduce your oven temperature by 25° F. Your oven may automatically reduce the temp by 25° F when convection bake is selected. To find out if your oven does this, consult the manual. You don’t want to find out the hard way that you reduced the temp unnecessarily and now your cookies are underbaked and overspread!
- Check your food 10 to 15 minutes earlier than the recipe suggests.
- The most important element is air circulation. So allow a couple of inches above and below each item you’re cooking.
- Use dishes with low sides (like cookie sheets) for optimal airflow.
Dinners to Make in a Convection Oven
Sheet-Pan Lemon Garlic ChickenEveryone needs an easy meal. Try this sheet-pan chicken with roasted potatoes for a simple and tasty meal guaranteed to please the whole family. If you use fresh lemon juice, garnish each serving with a little lemon zest for bright flavor. —Andrea Potischman, Menlo Park, California
Potato and Pepper Sausage BakeWhen my family smells this dish baking in the oven, they know they are in for a treat! If you like spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or switch the mild Italian sausage to hot Italian sausage. —Ashli Claytor, Chesapeake, Virginia
Baked Chicken ChimichangasI developed this quick and easy recipe through trial and error. I used to garnish it with sour cream, too, but I eliminated it in order to lighten the recipe. My friends all love it when I cook these chimichangas, and they're much healthier than deep-fried. —Rickey Madden, Clinton, South Carolina
Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard ChickenThis sheet-pan chicken is an easy gluten-free, low-carb meal ideal for busy weekdays. The chicken is tender, juicy and so delicious! It's now on the list of our favorite meals. You can substitute any low-carb vegetable for green beans. —Denise Browning, San Antonio, Texas
Smoked Sausage and Veggie Sheet-Pan SupperThis recipe is tasty and quick, and it can easily be doubled for last-minute dinner guests. Cook it in the oven or on the grill, and add the veggies of your choice. —Judy Batson, Tampa Florida
Chicken Veggie FajitasOur family loves the spicy flavor of these fajitas. I also appreciate the fact that they’re fast to fix. —Eleanor Martens, Rosenort, Manitoba
Sheet-Pan Tandoori ChickenThis tandoori chicken recipe is easy for weeknights since it bakes in one pan, but it is also special enough for guests. The best part? There isn’t much to clean up when dinner is over! —Anwar Khan, Iriving, Texas
Cod and Asparagus BakeThe lemon pulls this flavorful and healthy dish together. You can use grated Parmesan cheese instead of Romano if you'd like. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey
Sheet-Pan Pineapple Chicken FajitasFor our fajitas, I combine chicken and pineapple for a different flavor. These fajitas are more on the sweet side, but my family loves them! —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
Crispy Dill TilapiaEvery week I try to serve a new healthy fish. With its fresh dill and delicious panko bread crumb herb crust, this dish with mild tilapia is a winner. —Tamara Huron, New Market, Alabama
Chicken Veggie PacketsPeople think I went to a lot of trouble when I serve these packets. Individual aluminum foil pouches hold in the juices during baking to keep the herbed chicken moist and tender. The foil saves time and makes cleanup a breeze. —Edna Shaffer, Beulah, Michigan
Sweet & Tangy Salmon with Green BeansI'm always up for new ways to cook salmon. In this dish, a sweet sauce gives the fish and green beans some down-home barbecue tang. Even our kids love it. —Aliesha Caldwell, Robersonville, North Carolina
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Poblano PeppersSince I do not like green bell peppers, I decided to create a filling that would go well with my favorite pepper, a poblano. After a few taste tests with my family, this stuffed poblano peppers recipe is now one of our favorites. I have also added black beans, used Cubanelle peppers and served with cilantro lime rice. —Lorri Stout, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Mediterranean TilapiaI recently became a fan of tilapia. The mild taste makes it easy to top with our favorite ingredients. And it’s low in calories and fat. What’s not to love? —Robin Brenneman, Hilliard, Ohio
Garlicky Chicken DinnerFlavorful bone-in chicken is enhanced by herbs, lemon and hearty vegetables in this savory meal-in-one entree. —Shannon Norris, Cudahy, Wisconsin
Orange-Glazed Pork with Sweet PotatoesWhen it's chilly outside, I like to roast pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes, apples and an orange. The sweetness and spices make any evening cozy. —Danielle Boyles, Sparta, Wisconsin
Parmesan Chicken with Artichoke HeartsI've liked the chicken and artichoke combo for a long time. Here's my own lemony twist. With all the praise it gets, this dinner is so much fun to serve. —Carly Giles, Hoquiam, Washington
Chicken Caesar PizzaDressed greens on top of warm pizza may sound a little strange but trust me, it's fantastic. —Tracy Youngman, Post Falls, Idaho
Balsamic Roasted Chicken Thighs with Root VegetablesI will always remember the way my grandmother's house smelled when she made these balsamic chicken thighs every Sunday. Ever since she gave me the recipe, the heartwarming flavors always take me back to my childhood. — Erin Chilcoat, Central Islip, New York
Roasted Kielbasa & VegetablesI like this dish featuring kielbasa and veggies for two reasons: It's so hearty, and it’s a one-pan meal. That’s a win-win dinner! —Marietta Slater, Justin, Texas
Originally Published: April 29, 2020
