Convection Oven vs Conventional Oven
Conventional ovens use radiant heat that emanates from the top and/or bottom surfaces to heat the oven chamber. By way of definition radiating heat is basically heating energy transmitted by electromagnetic waves in contrast to
Convection Oven vs Conventional Oven
Conventional ovens use radiant heat that emanates from the top and/or bottom surfaces to heat the oven chamber. By way of definition radiating heat is basically heating energy transmitted by electromagnetic waves in contrast to heat transmitted by conduction or convection. The result tends to produce hot and cold spots in the oven chamber which can often lead to uneven cooking results. For commercial cooking applications this method of transferring heat can limit both cooking results and menu options by way of achieving an even cooking result.
To achieve an even cooking result for larger meat products you are required to shift the meat product around the oven to accommodate to uneven pockets of temperature, which is why the allure of faster cooking times, evenly cooked food and the improved energy efficiency in convection ovens is hard to ignore for any commercial application.
Below we discuss how a convection oven will differ from a conventional everyday oven. I have to thank Blue Seal for their help in producing this article, and if you would like to learn more about the Blue Seal Turbofan range of convection ovens click here.
Topics of discussion:
- How hot air circulation works in the oven
- Choosing the right power
- Energy efficiency in the kitchen
- Size, capacity and output for your business
So what is a convection oven?
A convection oven deals with the problems of hot and cold spots and uneven like cooking result by using a fan to circulate air and keep the temperature more steady. When hot air is blowing onto food, as opposed to merely surrounding it, the food tends to cook more quickly. A short version of the scientific explanation for this is that moving air speeds up the rate of heat transference that naturally occurs when air of two different temperatures converge. A convection oven does just that, it is a fan forced oven which circulates hot air around the oven chamber, hence acting as a catalyst for faster heat transference and a more even cooking temperature.
Hot Air Circulation
In a conventional oven, baking three racks of biscuits or pastries at the same time is asking for trouble causing products on the lowest trays (or higher trays if the heating element is at the top of the oven) to brown too much, too fast darkening your pastries to an undesirable result. If you roast pork in a convection oven, it will brown all over, rather than just on top (roasting pork on a rack in a low-sided baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet helps to encourage this). It will also be done much more qu