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The Difference Between Convection Oven vs Conventional Oven

The Difference Between Convection Oven vs Conventional Oven

The countertop convection oven is now considered an essential small appliance for most households, especially those who live in smaller dwellings. This oven’s compact size saves up not only on space but in energy consumption as well. Typical built-ovens in residential homes may consume between 3,000 and 9,000 watts when used everyday, while their countertop convection cousins will use only 1500 max, translatable to lower electricity bills.

These ovens have internal fans which circulate the heated air, thus, reducing cooking time. With a countertop convection oven, you no longer have to use a larger cooking appliance that heats up your kitchen while gobbling up electricity by drawing in more current. With energy prices continuously on the rise, a countertop convection oven is your better option to save money and, at the same, to decrease your carbon footprint gradually.

It helps to know the pros and cons of both conventional and convection types before plunking in your investment. Listed below are the general differences between these two to help you make an informed decision – one which works best according to both your budget and particular needs – based on your own assessment (note that there may be variations in some brands or models which are currently available on the market).

Heat Source


Technically speaking, all oven types cook using the convection method wherein interior hot air cooks the food. Both conventional and convection ovens use radiant heat to cook food with burners heating the air, first inside, and then transferring it to the food’s surface.

Insulating layers of air – cooler than the overall interiors of convection ovens – surround the food while it cooks. Convection ovens has additional heating elements and additional motorized fans which blow heated air during cooking time and diminish cooler air next to whatever is cooked.

These features significantly decrease the cooking time of convection oven recipes due to the lower, back, and upper heating sources of this type of oven. Convection cooking’s rapid browning action, however, may make it hard to determine food’s doneness by appearance.

The best countertop convection ovens will come with their own temperature probes that cook roasts until reaching the internal temperatures which are set by the user. If your oven doesn’t have this, use an instant-read type of thermometer to ensure food is cooked at safe temperatures.

Internal Temperature

Convection ovens have regulated internal temperatures from fans which circulate hot air consistently and continuously. A uniform temperature is obtained by a convection oven before it even enters its cavity; its third heating element’s location around or near a fan in its back prevents hot spots. Conventional ovens tend to overcook or burn food because of proximity to their heat source.

Similarly, conventional ovens are prone to overcooking food when it is placed near their tops since these are closer to their upper heating elements. Additionally, rising heat from conventional ovens has the tendency to accumulate at their tops. Simply put, you have to ensure that you place food exactly near the center of a conventional oven to yield successful cooking results.

Cooking Time

Convection ovens speed up the food’s chemical reaction as it cooks. Baking in a convection oven releases steam quicker in baking, renders fats sooner when roasting meats, and caramelizes the sugars in fruits and vegetables much faster. Convection ovens cook food 25% faster than conventional ovens.

Cooking Quality

Meats have more of their juices retained when cooked in a convection oven; they have deeper flavors and crispier edges and are tenderer in texture because they have been cooked more evenly. Conventional ovens tend to dry meats with undercooked insides and burnt outer parts. Unlike conventional ovens, convection ovens are able to cook various foods in different pans and on different racks evenly and simultaneously without transferring their respective tastes or aroma.



Types

A conventional oven comes in the deck and range types. The latter is a general-purpose kind of oven that uses either a gas or electric source for its heat. A range type oven comes with a top stove and the oven at its bottom, with some models equipped with a convection or microwave oven incorporated at its center.

The deck type is either built-in or freestanding, uses either gas or electricity as its heat source, and come in single, double or triple decks. Convection ovens are either the range or deck type to suit cooking preferences. You can also buy a portable convection oven even if you already own a conventional oven.

Price

Convection ovens are generally more expensive then their conventional cousins. Customers who purchase a convection oven, however, will find it a better investment since they can always recover their higher initial expense from faster cooking time which translates into lower electricity bills.

Countertop Convection Oven vs Gas Oven
Since you already know the basic principle on how a convection oven works, you may want to know the difference between it and a gas oven. The main difference is the heat source; a convection oven may use electricity or gas as its heat source while a gas oven, obviously, uses gas to increase the temperature in its interior in order to cook food.

Gas ovens typically have thermostats on their main gas lines. When their oven knobs are activated, gases are released to their pilot lights and ignite small flames. These thermostats monitor temperatures within the ovens. When the desired temperatures are met, their safety valves cut off the gas flow to the pilot lights. Gas ovens have main lower heating elements joined by broiler elements.

The main drawback of a gas oven would be lack or insufficient air circulation since it is not equipped with a fan to circulate the air, causing heat blockage as a result of having large-sized pans and pots in it. This situation creates hot air pockets which cook food in certain areas faster than in others and results in uneven cooking.
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