Convection Oven Cooking Times
As to cooking times using a convection oven, here are some guidelines for roasting different kinds of meats and poultry:Pre-heating is Unnecessary
Black-Decker-CTO6335S-Countertop-Convection-Toaster-OvenAnother convenience of using a convection oven when it comes to cooking with meats and poultry is the “no pre-heating” first step. You just place either meat or poultry in a roasting pan for best browning results. The roasting time is cut down between 20% and 30% if temperature is not reduced. There are some convection ovens that provide special roasting mode features with initial heat surges in addition to their fans and yield optimal results in only a short time.Unstuffed Poultry and Small Roasts Don’t Need Reduced Temperatures
Temperatures for unstuffed, small to medium-sized poultry (chicken, turkey, duck or other gamey fowl) as well as for small roasts like pork loin need not be reduced. A three and a half pound chicken can be roasted at a temperature of 375°F for an hour – around 20% less time than a conventional oven would turn out – to result in a succulent, golden browned roasted chicken.When Temperature Reduction is Required
On the other hand, bigger turkeys that are stuffed and denser, larger roasts will need temperature reduction by 25 degrees either in the middle or all of the indicated roasting time. Lowering the temperature will make these types of meats and poultry juicier and more tender but it would also mean a longer period of cooking time.Remember that regardless of which cooking method you use, always adjust the either the temperature or cooking time when using a convection oven. You can use your desired cooking method even with a small convection oven for as long as you know and understand how it works. Toasting and drying foods, for instance, can be easily done with a convection oven.
The oven’s internal fan helps dry out beef jerky and thinly sliced pieces of fruit quickly and in a more uniformed way that is way better a conventional oven or dehydrator can. You can turn out golden, perfect granola bars, for instance, with your convection oven with far less turning or tossing around than if you made them using a conventional oven.
There are a few tips to remember you have convection oven recipes which you want to try out:
- Food cooks between 25% and 30% faster in convection ovens with less loss of both moisture and nutrients.
- Knowing how to use a convection oven determines the dish, container or pan type you cook your food in; any one of these three should not block air flow around the food.
- Shallow pans, covered dishes or pans for casseroles, deep-roasting pans, and cookie sheets work best when cooking with convection oven models.
- Always follow instructions in the user manual which comes with your convection oven purchase; if your oven doesn’t come with said manual, contact the manufacturer to get your copy.
- Never cover your convection oven’s racks with foil and allow between an inch and 1½ inches around baking pans as well as below and above pans used when baking on multiple racks.
- One of the most important convection oven baking tips is the use of rimless cookie sheets and pans with low sides to maximize even browning. Place the pans’ long sides parallel to the oven’s door for best results.