Choosing between a convection and conventional oven can make a real difference to how your food cooks. From the way heat circulates to how quickly food cooks and browns, the two oven types work quite differently. Here’s what sets them apart, the benefits of each, and when to use a convection or conventional oven for the best results.
Convection vs conventional ovens: How it works
The biggest aspect of an oven that differentiates it from other types is whether it has a fan.
Convection ovens
These are also known as “fan ovens” as they contain a fan element and an exhaust system. These two aspects, together with one heating element, help to circulate hot air around the food.
The benefits of convection ovens include:
- Cooking or baking foods evenly (which is needed for many breads, cookies, cakes and other pastries)
- Quicken cooking or baking times
- Create an even, golden and crisp exterior – especially in baked and roasted foods
- Save electricity by faster pre-heating times and cooking times
- Cook multiple items on different oven racks at the same time (the evenly distributed heat allows for a multi-rack design and simultaneous cooking)
- Modern designs have an eco mode to help reduce the amount of energy used
Conventional ovens
Also known as a “traditional oven”, conventional ovens have no fan and not one, but two heating elements. Both the ceiling and floor of the oven have a heating element, delivering intense top-down and bottom-up direct heat. Without a fan to evenly distribute hot air, some hot spots may occur (depending on the model and brand). This means that placement becomes particularly important: foods placed close to the top element will receive more top-down heat/grilling action, while foods close to the bottom element will receive more bottom-up heat/slower cooking time.
The benefits of conventional ovens include:
- Easy to use
- Budget-friendly and cheaper than most other types of ovens
- The two elements create a temperature gradient that provides improved control and flexibility when cooking
- The top element doubles up as an excellent grill
- The bottom element roasts meats and vegetables beautifully, making slow-roasts and braises go-to recipes for this oven
- Modern designs have a self-cleaning mode that can help with stubborn grease stains found on the glass door
