What is a convection oven & how do you use it?

What is a convection oven?

Convection ovens feature a built-in fan to circulate hot air and help reduce moisture within the oven cavity. True convection ovens also feature an additional heating element. They can help promote the browning of meats, caramelized roasted vegetables and flaky baked goods.

True convection vs. regular convection

A convection oven uses a built-in fan and exhaust system to move hot air throughout the interior, making it especially useful for cooking on multiple racks at once. True convection features a third heating element at the back of the oven. This takes the fan from simply creating better airflow within the oven to actively blowing hot air into the mix. The additional heat source contributes to temperature consistency and can help cook some dishes faster.

True convection is sometimes called European convection because it is more common in Europe. Brands may have their own unique name for this kind of convection oven, but look for an indication of a third heating element to determine if it offers true convection.

Shop true convection ovens from KitchenAid brand

When shopping KitchenAid^® ovens, look for ranges and wall ovens with Even-Heat™ True Convection. This is a true convection system featuring a unique bow-tie design with a heating element and fan. This system provides optimal temperatures combined with airflow for crisp, flaky baked goods, juicy, well-browned roasts and caramelized vegetables.

Convection cooking options can even be found on select KitchenAid^® countertop ovens and microwaves for convection cooking results in a smaller footprint than a range. Countertop ovens have many other benefits besides space saving and cook similarly to their bigger oven cousins. Learn more about convection ovens vs. microwaves.

Convection ovens vs. conventional ovens

A conventional oven has heating elements on the top and bottom only. A convection oven introduces a fan to circulate the heat more evenly across multiple racks. A true convection oven also features a third heating element located at the back of the oven.

Conventional oven heating

Conventional oven heating elements produce radiant heat. Dishes placed closer to them may become hotter and possibly cook faster than dishes placed further away. If you are cooking multiple dishes on different oven racks, you may experience uneven cooking from dish to dish.

Convection oven heating

A convection oven’s fan can help move heat around the oven and your dishes, delivering more consistent results when you need to cook on multiple racks. The fan and third-element move heated air throughout the cavity, helping to maintain optimal temperatures. This, in turn, can help remove excess moisture from the surface of your food, which helps you get crispy skins on meat, a mouth-watering caramelized finish on roasted vegetables, and baked goods with a golden-brown crust and soft, fluffy insides. Learn more about convection bake vs. bake settings.

Convection oven benefits

Convection ovens aid in browning and crisping for a variety of dishes, making them an ideal appliance for cooking roasted meats, flaky pastries and more. The circulating air means you may not need to rotate dishes during the cycle. The intense heat can also sometimes cook your food faster, depending on the recipe.

Shop KitchenAid® induction ranges

KitchenAid^® induction ranges are designed to simplify cooking while delivering delicious results. Some KitchenAid^® models offer features like No Preheat Slow Cook, which seals in flavors of juicy roasts, stews and braised foods for savory comfort meals without the need for a countertop slow cooker.

Are there any disadvantages of a convection oven

Certain dishes, like delicate cakes, benefit from being cooked in a still environment without blowing air from a convection fan. However, the convection setting can sometimes be deselected and you can use a convection oven with conventional settings—making it the best of both worlds.

How to use a convection oven for cooking or baking

Convection ovens may cook some foods faster, so start by converting your recipe temperature, cook time or both. You should also place your dishes in a way that allows for maximum airflow and check dishes early for doneness. Make sure you’re getting the most out of your convection system by following these three steps.

Step #1: Adjust recipes for convection cooking or baking

Some recipes provide a convection oven conversion. If not, a general rule of thumb is to reduce the recipe temperature by 25°F and begin checking for doneness with 20-25% of the time left. For example, if your recipe instructs you to bake at 350°F for 60 minutes, and you want to use a convection oven, you would convert this to 325°F and begin checking it for doneness at about 45 minutes.

It is not necessary to reduce the temperature for meats or proteins, so leave the temperature as is per your recipe and just make sure to look in on it sooner.

Note: Time and temperature adjustments can vary by oven, so be sure to check the user manual for your model. 

Step #2: Keep an eye on dishes when first using a convection oven

When trying out a new recipe, it doesn’t hurt to turn on the oven light so you can keep an eye on your dishes. Using the light helps you avoid opening the door, which can interfere with the temperature.

Step #3: Position dishes for maximum airflow

One of the main benefits of a convection oven is the circulation of hot air for even results across multiple racks. Here are some ways to help take maximum advantage of this feature:

• Use low-sided or perforated pans and dishes for better exposure to the heated air.

• Avoid placing dishes too close to heating elements. 

• Avoid overloading the oven or in a way that blocks the flow of air around dishes.

• Keep 3 inches of clearance between dishes and the outside oven walls.

Shop KitchenAid® ovens with Easyconvect™

To take the guesswork out of conversions, some KitchenAid^® ovens feature an auto-convert option called the EasyConvect^™ Conversion System. This oven system automatically converts conventional settings to their convection equivalents, ensuring you can get exceptional results when experimenting with new or familiar recipes. Learn more about different oven settings and how they work.

When to use convection cooking or baking

Certain recipes benefit more from convection cooking than others. Here are the types of dishes that are well-suited to this method.

Roasting meats

The circulating air helps crisp up skins quickly, giving you a crackly exterior while insides remain juicy. This same process can help you enhance browning, locking in flavorful juices on cut meats, as well.

Roasting vegetables, fruit and more

Convection ovens also cause the caramelization of sugars on the outside of ingredients for beautifully roasted carrots, parsnips, potatoes and more. Deliciously roasted vegetables let you add new depth to standards like hummus with roasted cauliflower, or serve up a comforting bowl of roasted vegetable soup.

Sheet pan dinners

Since convection cooking is great for roasting meats and veggies, a sheet pan dinner that features both is an ideal weeknight dinner. The low-sided pan allows air to envelop your ingredients in just the right heat for incredible flavors and textures.

Toasting or dehydrating

Convection cooking provides a dry environment as it drives fast-moving, heated air directly over food surfaces. This makes it ideal for recipes involving dehydrating or toasting ingredients.

Light and flaky baked goods

Pies, scones, flaky pastries, and other dense, non-yeast mixtures often benefit from the intense heat of convection ovens to help maximize rise and golden browning.

Multiple batches of cookies and more

Convection ovens use a fan to drive hot air throughout the cavity so you can let multiple sheets of cookies bake up beautifully without rotating or shifting them around in the oven. This goes for multiple dishes in general, too. With convection ovens, you often get consistent results when cooking on multiple racks.

Casseroles and pasta bakes

The enhanced distribution of heated air in a convection oven makes it an ideal environment for most baked dishes that star a variety of ingredients like pasta, vegetables, sauces, meats and cheese. Get a bubbly, just browned finish on cheese-topped dishes or a touch of caramelization on tender bakes like vanilla bean sweet potato gratin.

When to use conventional cooking or baking

Conventional cooking and baking are the right choices for making certain dishes. This section shows when you might want to use them.

Delicate or wet mixtures

The movement of circulating air within a convection oven may disturb delicate bakes or very liquid mixtures like angel food cakes, custards or souffles. These recipes are often better off in the still baking environment of a conventional oven versus a convection oven.

Yeast breads

Mixtures that rely on the expansion of air bubbles to rise also tend to fare better in the stillness of a regular oven.

When you’re unsure

Convection ovens may cook some dishes faster than conventional ovens. If your recipe is written for a conventional oven, you’ll have to reduce heat, time or both to achieve optimal results in a convection oven.

If your oven doesn’t automatically convert the settings for convection and you’re unable to calculate it yourself, stick with regular cook settings. However, there are some basic rules you can follow for simple conversion. Because convection ovens circulate heat evenly across multiple racks, they can shorten the cooking time for many dishes. As a general rule, lower the baking temperature by 25°F, and when roasting, plan to cut the total cook time by about 20%. This is less of a worry with meats and proteins, although you should still check early to see if your dish finishes quicker than you anticipated.

Can you use a convection oven as a regular oven?

You can often deselect convection settings to use your appliance as a conventional oven, depending on the model. Check your user manual to be sure. However, even with the convection settings on, you can achieve excellent results for nearly any dish in a convection oven. It’s even helpful for grilling in the oven.

Here are some recipe modifications you can make for dishes which are sometimes considered to be better suited for conventional ovens:

• Crusty artisan breads can be baked in a convection oven by popping in a pan of water. This will create steam to offset lost moisture and help form that oh-so-satisfying outer crunch.

• Quiche and custard pastries will develop a golden-brown, melt-in-your-mouth result in a convection oven, but their egg-based fillings may come out too dry. One solution is to cover the dish for the first half of the bake to help retain moist centers.

Shop KitchenAid® convection ovens

KitchenAid^® ovens with Even-Heat^™ True Convection can help you with roasts, baked goods and more. The unique bowtie design with heating element and fan circulates hot air throughout the entire oven, providing optimal temperatures combined with airflow for crisp, flaky baked goods, juicy, well-browned roasts and caramelized vegetables.

Take the guesswork out of convection cooking with the EasyConvect^™ Conversion System on select models. This system automatically converts conventional settings to convection settings for you. Find these features and more on select KitchenAid^® ranges, wall ovens and even convection microwaves to help make your everyday creations extraordinary.