Convection Oven Buying Guide

How to Use a Convection Oven?

• Reduce the temperature that the recipe calls for by at least 25 degrees
• Reduce cooking time by up to 25%
• Always keep an eye on the food. Smaller batch cookies may only take a few minutes less, but larger cuts of meat may take up to an hour less depending on size.
• Use baking pans with low sides for better air circulation. Our full size and half size sheet pans are a great addition to your convection needs. And remember, the more you buy, the more you save.
• Use low fan speed or pulse fan speed for delicate items like muffins and souffles.

Convection Oven Benefits

The major benefit of convection ovens, when compared to a standard radiant oven, is their ability to reduce cooking time by up to 25% and cooking temperature up to 30%. These units are so versatile that they can be used to cook, warm, roast, re-thermalize, and bake.

1. Convection ovens work so efficiently because they're equipped with fan technology that actively circulates the hot air in the oven around the food, creating a uniformly even temperature and cooking every surface with equal heat. Standard radiant ovens let air move around the food at random, which creates hot and cold spots, resulting in burnt and undercooked parts of the food. This system of moving air and equal heat also helps to ensure that the bottom of food doesn't get burnt to a crisp while the top is left nearly raw, a frequent occurrence with many regular ovens.
2. You can cook everything in a convection oven that you can cook in a standard radiant oven; oftentimes, items cooked in a convection oven are much tastier, crispier and juicier. Since the cooking time and temperature are less, the butter and flour in a pie crust and other delicate bakery goods won't have time to fuse, creating flaky layers. Ultimately, you can use convection ovens for baking, roasting, browning, and rethermalizing.
3. The skin of a roasting chicken renders its fat and browns more quickly, so the meat cooks faster and stays juicier. Meats also have a higher yield, which means it shrinks less, leaving more product for you to sell. Saving time and money will help your foodservice establishment be more profitable.

Convection Oven Purchasing Considerations

You'll want to compare the different types of convection ovens to determine which kind you need for your restaurant and menu items. Some aspects include:

Choose the Correct Utility

• Pure electric convection ovens: The most accessible on the market, as most kitchens and other establishments are ready for installation with little-to-no preparation time. That said, high-power models require a large amount of energy, which can lead to higher long-term costs.
• Natural gas convection ovens: These units require pre-existing hookups and appropriate connectors, but natural gas is usually the cheapest available option. Gas ovens also heat up noticeably quicker than electric versions.
  
  Remember that if you choose a gas model, you'll still need an electrical connection to run the fan, but it comes at a fairly minimal cost.

  When considering a gas versus an electric model, keep in mind that gas models generally require 1" or more of clearance around all sides of the pans for proper airflow in the cooking chamber. This caveat is because of the placement of the heating elements.


• Liquid propane convection ovens: If you lack an adequate natural gas connection in your facility, you could still take advantage of a LP convection oven as a viable alternative. Propane typically heats faster and runs more efficiently than natural gas, but it's also more expensive in most regions. Like natural gas, liquid propane ovens still need electricity, and you will need to ensure that your building has the appropriate equipment (such as tanks, gas lines, and regulators).

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Convection Oven Sizes

Floor model and countertop convection ovens come available in a vast range of sizes in terms of overall dimensions, interior capacity, and deck number. You will likely consider this facet of the purchasing process at the same time, or right after, settling on the utility. Carefully measure your available space and consider your volume output.
• Full or Half Size: Full size ovens, whether they be floor models or countertop, typically hold five or more standard 18" x 26" sheet pans. These sizes are the most common variety. Half size ovens are aimed toward lower-volume operations, as their interiors usually hold one or more half-sized 18" x 13" sheet pans.
• Single or Double Deck: Single deck ovens provide a moderate amount of cooking space for lower-volume kitchens, and they're often economical from a space perspective. When talking about floor models, single decks often have space underneath, which allow for placement of other accessories, equipment, and storage. Double deck ovens are perfect for kitchens with high output demands, as you can place double-digit cooking racks inside simultaneously. They are bigger in size, however, and that might make it more difficult to accommodate.
• Standard or Deep Depth: If your demands are consistently high, you might benefit from upgrading to a deep depth convection oven. Also referred to as a "bakery depth," this variation has an interior cavity that's 4" deeper than standard versions, and that seemingly small distance can make the world of difference for some facilities. Deep depth ovens allow you to load pans in left-to-right or front-to-back positions for improved air flow and adaptability. Take note that these units do jut out from the wall more, which demand a modified, overhanging exhaust system.

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Safety Precautions

As efficient and useful as they are, convection ovens still propel grease-laden particles into the surrounding air. Without proper safety equipment, you will likely violate multiple regulations and create an occupational hazard for your employees.

Regardless of power sources, you must install any required hood or fire suppression system that an item's manual specifies. It's always a good idea to check your local codes and closely review the installation requirements of the models you are interested in purchasing.

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Importance of Convection Fans

The effectiveness of a good convection oven hinges on its fans. Without them, convection ovens are nothing more than simple radiant ovens. Fans come in various variations and capabilities.

Fans can have one speed, two speeds, or they can be intermittent to automatically switch direction when the oven door opens. The air flow drastically effects how food will brown, and some units use fans that circulate in two different ways.

Fan settings will impact particular foods. For example, muffins and flan both need little-to-no fan blowing to cook adequately, which would make two-speed options preferable. High, continuous speeds are good for roasts and other meats. You can find reverse air systems with advanced instruments that allot more precise more precise control, which improves overall accuracy.