How much difference does a fan make?

Physically, the differences between convection ovens and regular microwave ovens are minor. One has a fan and the other does not. This seemingly minor difference, however, results in a much larger difference in capabilities between the two ovens. So much so that it’s often worth paying a little extra for that convection oven and its fan than for a regular oven. Here’s what you need to know…

How an oven works

The design of an oven is quite simple. You have a heating compartment that’s lined with heating coils. These are usually placed at the top and bottom of the compartment. A control panel on the side or top allows you to set a target temperature, set a timer, and more. Multiple layers of trays (2-3 in a regular oven) are available on which to place the food you want to bake.

It’s a simple and effective design that has gone largely unchanged for decades.

How a convection oven works

Except for one difference, a convection oven is virtually identical to a regular oven. That difference is a fan which gently circulates air around the even, and in some cases even exhausts it.

This fan helps move hot air around the volume of the oven and goes a surprisingly long way towards improving baking quality. 

Advantage software a convection oven over a regular oven

The biggest advantage is that the convection oven helps with more even heating. There are no hot and cold spots and all trays get even heating. In a regular oven, food placed on the top tray gets less heat from the bottom. If you’re using multiple trays, the tops and bottoms of those trays are easily blocked by other trays in a regular oven. A convection oven easily mitigates these issues.

Secondly, owing to the fan, baking or cooking foods often take less time in a convention oven as the heat distribution is more even. This makes convection ovens more efficient than regular ovens. This is especially true when cooking multiple items in the oven as, again, the heat is distributed more evenly so all items cook faster and more evenly.

Lastly, and this is more of a special case, but owing to the airflow from the fan, some convection ovens have a dehydrator option which can be used in conjunction with a low-heat coil to very effectively dehydrate foods.

If you already have an oven, there’s no reason to toss it out and get a convection oven. Yes, a convection oven has significant advantages over a regular oven, but a regular oven is still quite effective. If you need a new oven though, that’s when you’ll want to ensure that you’re getting a convection oven and not a regular one.