The traditional oven uses one or two elements within the oven cavity. These are called radiant or thermal ovens. In its simplest form the convection oven adds a circulating fan within the oven cavity as well. This circulation of air in a convection oven has many advantages over a simple radiant system.
The reason your food will cook faster is because the hot air being moved by the fan is pushing the cold layer immediately surrounding the food you are cooking away and replacing it with hot air. This transfer of heat is happening constantly throughout the cooking cycle. This is very much the same way wind chill works on a cold and windy day. The time savings you can expect in a convection oven can vary from as little as 1 minute on something like cookies, to as much as 25 percent on a turkey or large roast. Check the use and care manual that comes with your oven as most will have a guide to help you to convert your recipes. Most people however don't purchase a convection oven to save time; they purchase them because of the superior results they get from convection cooking.
Because convection ovens transfer the heat quicker they tend to caramelize or sear meats much earlier in the cooking process. This searing effect seals in juices and flavors preserving them for the table. Pie crusts are flakier, cookies will have a nice crisp exterior with a moist and tasty center. Due to the constant recirculation of air, the oven temperature is more even in a convection oven. There are fewer cold spots and hot spots within the oven cavity. This movement of air also forces the heat into cavities or around irregular shaped items like the legs and wings of a turkey or chicken. In a traditional or thermal oven a turkey would brown more on the top and outer extremities of the legs and wings. In a convection oven the air is being forced around the wings and legs creating a more evenly browned skin. Some convection ovens also employ a third heating element located around the convection fan. These types of ovens are generally referred to as True convection or European convection ovens. The use of this third element eliminates the heat radiating from the bottom and creates the most even temperatures of all. You can put in three cookie sheets at the same time and they will turn out evenly cooked and delicious while cutting your cooking time dramatically. No wonder most top quality restaurants rely on the superb results of a good convection oven.
Not all convection ovens are "created equal" however. The extent to which you can enjoy the benefits above depend on the oven you select. As stated in the beginning of this chapter in its simplest form convection is a fan in an oven with a heat source. There are however many choices with a wide variety of price ranges. Some add third element cooking, some blow air, some pull air, some add filters to control the transfer of flavors allowing you to cook completely different items at the same time, some add microwave, some add two complete convection systems in one oven cavity, some allow choices for the heat source (top, bottom or third element encircling the convection fan) or combinations of these for specialty cooking, some come complete with step by step automatic programming taking away the guesswork, The list goes on and on. The one certainty is a convection oven can give you superior results. If you would like to learn more about the many choices available in convection cooking we invite you to stop by our store and consult with our professional sales staff. They will be happy to take the time to educate you on the different brands and models available that offer this exciting way to cook.