As cooking is faster with convection ovens, there is a lot of confusion over the right cooking time when following recipes meant for normal ovens.

As cooking is faster with convection ovens, there is a lot of confusion over the right cooking time when following recipes meant for normal ovens. The general guidelines for converting cooking times of recipes meant for normal ovens are as follows:-

OPTION 1 – Bake at the same temperature that the conventional recipe recommends, but for 25-30% less time (so the cake that normally bakes at 350°F for 30 minutes in a conventional oven will bake at 350°F for 21-23 minutes in a convection oven).

OPTION 2 – Bake for the amount of time that the conventional recipe calls for, but reduce the temperature of the oven by about 25°F (so the cake that normally bakes at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes in a conventional oven will bake at 320-325°F for 30 minutes in a convection oven).

OPTION 3 – Bake for a little less time than the conventional recipe calls for, and also reduce the temperature of the oven.

• If the cooking time is 15 minutes or less, maintain the cooking time but still reduce the temperature by 25-30°F.
• When roating, it is best to maintain the temperature but the cooking time be reduced. Example: A recipe calling for a roast to be baked at 400°F for 50 minutes should be cooked at 400°F for approx. 30-35 minutes.
• Always preheat oven before putting in food, unless specified otherwise by the recipe.
• Always use pans with lower sides to get the full benefits of convection.
• You can fill up the racks of your oven.
• Cut your meat into long and thin slices to increase surface area.
• Take note that dark or dull pans absorb heat, resulting in darker browning.
• Always leave some space, about 1 inch between the pans and between them and the oven walls to allow the hot air to circulate freely.
• You can mix different food such as fish and other food without worrying about the flavor crossing over.
• If you are using parchment of foil to wrap your food, place a spoon on top to prevent them from being blown around.

You can get excellent results when roasting a turkey with a convection oven. The turkey will turn nicely brown all over. It can be used to cook all types of food. Convection ovens are better than microwave when cooking meat, poultry, fish and seafood. These foods are cooked faster, browned beautifully, nicely crusted and juicier. The crusted surface of meat prevents the juices of the meat from escaping resulting in a tastier roast. Biscuits and pastries are more crispy, beef are juicier, roast potatoes are more delicious, pizza are more brown and the list goes on.