Cooking & Kitchen Tips : Convection Oven Tips

When using a convection oven instead of a conventional oven, set the temperature 25 degree lower than usual, and reduce the cooking time by 25 percent. Discover the nuances of cooking in a convection oven with help from a professional chef in this free video on cooking techniques.

Expert: Michelle Karam
Bio: Michelle Karam is a professional chef and TV culinary host.
Filmmaker: Steve Geffner

Series Description: Understanding how to use different types of ovens and pans is essential to creating delicious meals. Learn the difference between conventional and convection ovens, and whip up a few winning appetizer recipes with help from a professional chef in this free video series on cooking techniques.

[Pegsboy]

Very instructional Michelle. Very helpful to those of us who know next to nothing about convection ovens. Thank you.

[christophermattox]

Short and sweet! I LOVE IT !!! Thank you so much!

[lottatroublemaker]

Just bought a microwave the other day and it arrived today. The listing on the website said just that it was a microwave with a grill element/pizza function, so I thought the only thing I got, was a microwave which could crisp up the (heated) pizza some. Imagine my surprise when it arrived and I actually got a microwave, grill AND convection combination oven! I'm so happy, tried a convection oven at my sister's abroad, and it was great also for heating left overs after Christmas, the roast potatoes didn't turn all soggy etc. But they've been so expensive here, I never thought I'd have one for years at a price I could afford, but darn, here it is - completely by surprise. It is great, it's a Kenwood K30CSS14. One thing I really love, is that when you use it and want to set the time, you don't have to use a keypad, it has the traditional wheel of a manual microwave, only the time shows up on the digital display... So much quicker! I can't wait to test it for cooking a frozen pizza, so much quicker to heat than my conventional (but with a hot air fan though, NOT convection) oven! This will be used a lot, perfect for reheating things and make a quick pizza! I am still in (a good) shock though! Sellers usually rather exaggerate, not the other way around... ;)

[joeallen]

Just ordered a convection oven, it will arrive in a few days. Thank you for the tips as I didn't realize it made that much difference.

[NextBestSuperstarr]

I am also not entirely sure of this but after a lot of googling and trial and error I will try and help those who are confused as well as I can. To sum it up: (I am not talking about Heating or Roasting food or baking chicken. This is only for baking cakes and souffle's etc:
1. Switch off convection mode option if your oven has it.
2. Only reduce temperature by 25 degrees FAHRENHEIT!!
3. Follow bake time same as the recipe.

If your oven doesn't have the option to heat without convection: Try reducing both, temperature by 25 F and baking time by 20 % and see if you can get away with baking simpler cake recipes where precision with rising evenly doesn't have to be spot on. Good luck!

Getting more
I use the E-lite electric/convection oven which I bought on promotion for less than $120. It's apparently a best selling item and was significantly bigger in size compared to all other toaster ovens available at every shop. The overall area provides much more spacious baking space which can be divided in half adjusting the trays/racks easily baking two items at a time and possibly more.

Now to the important question. Whether to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees or time by 20 % or both. That depends if your oven has the option to switch off the convection mode which mine did. This way the hot air is not circulated through a fan to heat food items evenly. The electric rods heat up to red hot instead making it ideal for baking cakes and souffle's which cannot be done as well on the convection mode and delicate recipes which need to rise evenly are not recommended and its best for food, pizza heating chicken roast etc. I am speaking in terms of strictly baking cakes.
My first baking attempt baking a cheesecake was disastrous because the convection mode resulted in the fan already starting to burn the top of my cheesecake in patches even though it barely entered the final 20 % mark for time remaining drying and burning the top and making it rise very unevenly looking botched. So I read the instruction manual and switched off the convection mode now simply using hot rods to bake resulting in perfect rising and baking. However. I reduce the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit but do not reduce the baking time and so far the results have been more or less consistent for baking cakes pleasing me. Had I not had this option I doubt I'd be happy with my oven and would definitely try both reducing the temperature by 25 degrees and reducing time as well by 20 percent given how quickly my cake started rising from one side and getting dark scattered patches.

[philanddeb]

Thank you for this video! We just acquired a small convection oven and didn't know ANYTHING about it! Your video was VERY helpful!

[zairdawn]

Thank you this was very helpful for me I just bought one of these ovens and had no idea how to use it. Thanks you so very much. God Bless you...Your face is so sweet and this video was easy to watch because your so sweet. :)

[EllahRah]

Thank u for this video. I just bought a second hand conv oven and i was baffled by the fan. Very helpful

[PlsCilla]

Nice, quick info, covered the main points in a short video. Thumbs up

[ellenhofer]

I have a convection oven on my stove, a convection toaster oven and a convection microwave.
I have yet to have anything cook in a shorter amount of time in any of them using convection method.

Also, many ovens already lower the temp 25° when you select convection cooking so manually lowering it by 25° means its lowered 50°.

Its important to check owner's manuals.

[grammadrm]

Thank u. I'm gonna try & use that setting.

[soniad.]

Thank you for demystifying a "convection" oven and how to use it.  Great Job!!!

[SomD]

I like how happy she is about this tips lol

[hijaabch]

Just amazing.  So helpful.  Highly appreciate it.  Thank you so very much.

[kayceecapana]

Good day, what heating mode should I use to bake pizza? Thank you ☺️

[xubberant]

Thanks Michelle. Ur video is useful even today as it helped me understand how convection oven works. Can u please tell me what to do if the convection oven stops by itself during preheat. I recently bought one of Canon and it stops mid way to preheat. It doesnt restart rather gets cold if i don't restart the burner.

[Zisjejk]

Is it better to use the convect or bake option for baking

[Nervousnancy]

Hello can I cook chicken cutlets in it and can I put as many trays as it can hold and will they ALL cook evenly ?

[modernfaiyaz]

Can we use this as tandoor and which brand is this

[beautyandbeyondwithavon]

Awesome advice, thanks! I love my convection oven.