Have you recently moved into a house with a convection toaster oven inside, or are you looking for an alternative to the large traditional oven on a hot day? Nowadays convection ovens are served even though you don't know how to use them. With a little knowledge of convection ovens, you can start cooking anything in them.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Understanding the Convection Toaster
Step 1. Know what a convection oven is
Traditional ovens have heating elements on the top and bottom. Convection ovens differ in that they have a fan in addition to the heating element. The fan circulates air throughout the oven continuously during the cooking process. The process of blowing hot air around the food as it cooks will make it cook more evenly. Traditional ovens can prevent portions of food from cooking evenly, or require you to replace the racks inside.
Step 2. Understand that the temperature and cooking time will be shorter if you use a convection oven
Convection ovens can cook food faster and at lower temperatures than traditional ovens. This is because the fan circulates heat around the food more quickly, allowing it to cook more evenly, and in less time.
Step 3. Know the benefits of a convection toaster oven
Convection toaster ovens have other advantages in addition to faster cooking and lower temperatures. Convection ovens are smaller in size so they don't take up too much space in the kitchen. These ovens also release less heat into your home, which can be a benefit in summer as using a traditional oven will significantly increase the temperature in the surrounding area. Currently the convection setting is not only available in larger ovens, but also in toaster ovens. This provides the convenience of using a toaster oven, but with the advantages of a convection oven. The heat in the home will be reduced while saving time and electricity due to a shorter cooking process, more efficient convection regulation and less appliance usage.
Part 2 of 2: Cooking in a Convection Toaster
Step 1. Lower the temperature while cooking in a convection oven
The temperature of the convection oven must be lowered when compared to recipes using a traditional oven, as hot air circulates around the food. Baking recipes generally suggest lowering the temperature by 20-25 degrees when cooking in a convection oven.
Step 2. Reduce cooking time
Because convection ovens can cook faster, reduce the time that would be used in traditional ovens. Start by subtracting 1/3 the time from the original recipe.
A convection calculator can be used to get a more accurate estimate if it can't find a recipe that matches a convection oven
Step 3. Use a suitable baking sheet
Since convection ovens cook in slightly different ways, use different pans to maximize the benefits of using them. Use a cookie sheet without sides. Make sure the baking pan has low sides so that it helps the hot air flow to reach the food.
- Baking pans without borders and screens lined with parchment paper are perfect for baking pastries.
- Place the baking sheet on the rack under the food rack to catch the drippings. This allows the hot air flow to reach the food while trapping the water droplets.
Step 4. Don't cover the food
Do not cover food when cooking in a convection oven. Covering the food will block the airflow that is part of the cooking process when using a convection oven. Refrain from covering food with aluminum foil.
Step 5. Check the food during the cooking process
As with traditional ovens, pay attention to food as it cooks in a convection toaster oven. Check about of the cooking time, or 10 minutes before you're done. This will help determine if the food in the oven is undercooked or overcooked.
Step 6. Know what foods are best cooked in a toaster oven
Most foods can be cooked in a convection oven, but some will do better than others. Convection ovens cook drier than traditional ovens, which can become more humid or steamy at times. Therefore, here are foods that are best cooked in a convection oven:
- Meat. Due to the dry heat, the meat is best roasted in a convection oven. The cooking process using the oven gives the skin a perfectly crispy, but soft on the inside.
- Pies and pastries. The cookies will cook evenly with the chocolate, while the pastries will be more crispy and fluffy. Sponge and bread are not suitable for baking using a convection oven because the dry heat produced will make the texture less soft.
Step 7. Know that most recipes can be changed
Once you know what a convection oven is, cooking with it becomes relatively easy. Almost any recipe can use this oven. Just remember the steps above: reduce the temperature and cooking time, pay attention during the process, and reduce the height of the sides of the pan. Other than that – the ingredients and preparation of serving – are the same as traditional recipes.
