When deciding on the type of oven to use, it’s important to understand that there are two distinct categories; convection or conventional. While both types perform the same tasks, one may suit your individual needs better than the other depending on factors such as the size of your kitchen, how often you cook and what you expect from the oven. The following article compares and contrasts these two types of ovens.
How Each Oven Works
In a convection oven, air is heated from all directions equally, which creates an even cooking environment. In conventional ovens, heat is radiated and creates hot spots.
Food cooked in a convection oven will brown quicker and more evenly due to the movement of air. With conventional options, the area above the food is hotter than the area below, and the food on top is browner than the food below.
A small amount of moisture will be lost with convection ovens but conventional ovens help maintain moisture
Match the oven to what you cook most.
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Roasting vegetables
When roasting vegetables, convection usually gives you the best result when you’re looking for a crispy edge on your caramelized vegetables. The movement of air through the convection fan helps to remove the moisture from the surface of the vegetable, thus promoting more even caramelization.
Baking
Convection ovens bake bread and pastry products more evenly than a traditional oven, but there is a risk of drying out, or setting too early. Thin, light-weight items are better suited for conventional baking, while thicker and heavier items are better suited for traditional ovens.
Reheating
Convection ovens help re-heat leftovers like roast chicken, pizza, and French fries, without sogginess.
Slow Cooking
The ideal choice for slow and forgiving (set-it-and-forget-it) cooking is conventional oven because it provides the same predictable performance that people have come to expect from standard-sized oven units.
Space, Budget and Real Life Issues
A full-sized convection range oven generally occupies the same area on your countertop as a conventional oven. However, its cost is typically greater. If the available area in your kitchen is limited, small countertop convection ovens may be a better option for you.
Countertop convection ovens perform the same functions as larger ones. You will want to look into an assortment of professional convection ovens online to determine how they stack up against one another based on your need for usable workspace, watts used, and the dimensions of the racks.
A conventional oven is a great option if you’re looking to lower your initial investment in an oven. While the upfront cost may be higher, in time you will save on utility and food expenses.
Affordable countertop convection ovens provide the necessary workspace to bake while being significantly cheaper than physically constructing or renovating a full size kitchen particularly in a rental property or RV.
Here are some specifications that will affect how you will use your compact or countertop convection oven on a daily basis:
- What’s the internal capacity? Will it fit a quarter size sheet pan, or a small roast?
- How strong is the fan? A more powerful fan will move the hot air in the oven around more evenly and produce more even cooking and baking results
- What is the range of temperatures?
- Do you have multiple rack positions for baking? The more rack position options available, the more versatile the countertop convection oven can be
- What is the footprint vs. output of the unit? If a countertop convection oven has a large footprint but produces low volume output, it may not be the right option.
Which Type of Oven is Best for You?
Select a conventional oven if:
- You bake often
- You prefer a simple design and lower initial investment
- You’re familiar with rotating baking sheets and making adjustments due to your own kitchen’s ‘hot spots.’
Select a convection oven if:
- You frequently cook, roast, or reheat food
- You expect to be able to cook your dishes fast, especially in a smaller kitchen
Endnote
Since every individual has different requirements for a home kitchen appliance, no type of oven will work for every customer. For instance, conventional ovens provide a dependable way to cook food, while convection type ovens heat food via the use of heated air being blown around, to allow users to prepare food at a faster rate using less energy than traditional ovens. A customer’s cooking habits and their available workspace will determine which type of oven best serves them.
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