Convection and Regular bake: What’s the difference?

You can now use the convection baking option in your oven if you haven’t done so before.

Convection baking cooks some foods faster and with better results. Think crisp skin and juicy meat.

Let’s begin at the beginning by defining the differences between convection and regular bake options.

What is convection bake?

Convection bake uses an exhaust system and fan to circulate heat. A regular bake, on the other hand, does not require a fan. A standard oven uses hot air to fill the cavity. This can cause hot and cool spots.

Convection bake mode allows you to cook your food faster by having the air circulated by a fan. It sounds great, right? It is!

Convection baking is great for roasting meats and vegetables and baking pastries, cookies and cakes, as well as toasting and drying.

Here’s why:

Convection Bake is the best way to roast meat and vegetables. You will get your meat to cook quicker and more evenly. Convection oven meats have crispier skins, and they are more tender.

Bake Pies, Pastries and Cookies: Convection baking has many advantages when it comes to baking desserts. You can bake multiple sheets of cookies simultaneously because the temperature is evenly distributed in the oven. Pastries are also better baked by convection because the dough puffs up more.

Convection Bake: Casseroles are a great way to save time. Convection bake can cut down on your baking time by 25-30 minutes. Perfect for weeknight meals.

Convection baking or Toasting: A convection bake removes more moisture than a regular bake. When making dried fruit, jerky or croutons, always choose convection mode.
But what about the cake?

Convection bake works well for quick, juicy meats but not for delicate foods such as bread and cakes. The oven can create a draft because the fan circulates air.

Drafts can cause cake batter to blow about, which can lead to lopsided cakes or splattered souffle’s. Avoid convection baking for custards, flans, cakes, and souffle’s.

How to Cook With Convection

There are some simple rules that you should follow when using the convection oven option to cook.

1. Use a lower temperature. Many recipes don’t include “convection baking” instructions. Make sure to lower the temperature by at least 3 degrees Celsius.
2. Reduce the cooking time. Convection ovens heat more efficiently so your dish will cook faster than the recipe indicates. Check the dish for doneness at the end of each hour.
3. You need to ensure that you have adequate circulation. Air circulation is key to convection baking success. Air circulation is key to convection baking success.