Chef’s Tips Help Cooks Warm Up to Convection Ovens

By KAREN FERNAU The Arizona Republic

Convection ovens continue to attract — and confuse — cooks. Do they work only for baking? Why does cooking faster matter?

According to Amy Ahrensdorf, chef for SunWest Appliance Distributing in Tempe, Ariz., convection ovens are all-purpose kitchen workhorses, turning out evenly cooked cookies; juicy, well- browned poultry and meats; and vegetables packed with caramelized flavor.

Whether gas or electric, the ovens work their magic with a fan that circulates hot air around food. This moving blast of air speeds up the heat transference that naturally occurs when two temperatures converge.

Think wind chill, Ahrensdorf says. When cold air blows, you feel colder more quickly than on a windless day.

“People just need to take a little time to learn about convection ovens before they buy or use one in their own kitchens,” she says.

Here are her tips:

Not all convection ovens are “true convection.” The true, or best, ovens blow heated air into the oven cavity. This means they have a third heating element located near the fan in the back of the oven, in addition to the usual top and bottom elements.

Food cooked in a convection oven usually is done about 25 percent faster, so foods retain more nutrients and lose less moisture.

In a conventional oven, baking three racks of cookies is an invitation for trouble. Chances are the bottom row will burn and the top will be undercooked. Not so in a convection oven. The circulating air makes baking cookies easier, because the circulating hot air eliminates hot and cool spots, and differences in cooking times.

To reap the benefits of the circulating air, you must use the appropriate pan. The whole point of convection is to have air circulating around the food, so casserole lids and high-sided cooking pans do not work. Use the conventional oven when cooking with these pans. Convections work best with cookie sheets and shallow pans. When cooking beef, pork or poultry, use them on a rack to allow air to circulate beneath.

Cook pizza, tartlet shells and breads.

Do not bake delicate desserts, such as ladyfingers, souffles or meringues on the convection setting.

Several dishes can be cooked at the same time without flavors transferring from one dish to another.

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