When you need to heat food, or bake a cake, the oven is first kitchen appliance that comes to mind. However, in today’s generation, ovens are not just made for reheating cold snacks or baking but also for broiling, grilling, and roasting. These cooking functions are the main purpose of a convection oven.
Compared to a traditional toaster oven, the convection oven works faster and is more efficient. They keep your dishes appetizing and sumptuous by circulating the hot air evenly. Since its popularity has grown, many manufacturers created their own versions of convection ovens.
The many varieties of convection ovens and brands make it difficult to find the right one. It is recommended that you learn more about the different types before making a purchase.
Advantages of a Convection Oven
Cooks evenly
The main difference of convection oven from an ordinary oven is the method of heating. Instead of coils on the top and bottom part of the oven, this item uses a fan to circulate the heat throughout the oven, which allows it to cook food evenly.
Unlike using a traditional oven, where only one side of the food is cooked, the convection oven leaves no portion of the food uncooked. Even if you use two racks inside, the convection oven can still cook evenly.
Less cooking or baking time
Since the heated air is circulating throughout the oven, it creates an acceleration effect that cooks the food faster and at a lower temperature. For example, rather than setting the oven at 350 degrees, you only need 300 to 325 degrees.
Maintains the heating temperature while in use
Some ovens have a tendency to drop temperatures when two or more items are being cooked. This is not a problem with convection ovens.
With this function, you can bake multiple items together, especially if your convection oven has a wide capacity. Even if you use trays, the heating temperature will stay the same from start to finish.
Keeps food look appetizing and juicy
Another beneficial factor to the convection oven is its ability to help meat retain its juices. It can even help the chicken skin get brown quicker. Aside from these, the convection oven is also great for baking goods, such as croissants, pies, and cookies.
Disadvantages of a Convection Oven
Baked goods may not rise well
It is still more advisable to use a traditional oven in baking cakes and bread. Based on some user experiences, the convection oven does not raise the baked goods as well as a traditional oven. In other words, your cakes might not have the fluffy effect you expected.
Fragile
Since the fan does the majority of heating, it is susceptible to damage. The fan can fail and break down if overly used unless it is made of high-quality materials. If you are not careful enough in using your oven, it might not last as long as a traditional oven.
More expensive than the traditional oven
Though some brands are creating cheaper convection ovens, their price is generally higher than the traditional oven, and It could cost hundreds of dollars.
Recipes
The convection ovens are not the usual ovens you use at home. Although it provides consistent results, it could be hard for a first time user who is not accustomed to its process.
It takes time for you to master all the recipes intended for convection ovens. You should practice converting temperature and time appropriate for convection ovens to avoid overcooking.
Care and Maintenance for Convection Ovens
Since your convection oven is not cheap, you need to ensure you are going to use it in the years to come. As with other kitchen appliances, it needs proper maintenance and cleaning, too.
The key to keeping its cooking performance great is preventing it from getting damaged or dirty. So below are the 5-step cleaning techniques you should do regularly to make your convection oven look great and perform at its best.
Step 1
Take the racks from the oven and set them aside. You are going to clean them later.
Step 2
Use a wet cloth or washcloth, combine soap or oven cleaner with water and carefully follow the specific instruction. Wear gloves because the chemicals can be harsh to the skin.
Step 3
Scrub the spills carefully in the direction of the polish lines. Remember to not use too much force or wire brushes to preserve the interior coating. For burnt-on food, place a wet cloth over the spill until it loosens. Scrub it afterward.
Step 4
Rinse the interior using clear water and dry it with a soft clean cloth.
Step 5
Wash the racks and scrub off the spills thoroughly. Dry them clean before putting them back in the oven.
Top Convection Ovens – My Recommendations
Top Convection Ovens – Reviewed
The following products are among the most recommended convection ovens based on other review sites and customer feedbacks. Get to know their features, pros, and cons, to find the best convection oven for you.
BLACK+DECKER CTO6335S Digital Convection Countertop Toaster Oven
This convection oven from Black and Decker offers an array of features that will make you love baking. In fact, it is useful for other methods of cooking, too. Its one-touch feature allows you to switch from one function to another.
These functions include baking, broiling, toasting, making pizza, and even heating frozen snacks. In addition, the easy-to-use control buttons and 120-minute timer provide precision control over time and temperature to ensure that the food you are making won’t get burnt or overcook.
Some ovens are too small to fit your whole casserole dishes and other items however, this is not the problem with this convection oven.
It has a curved interior that provides enough room for you 12-inch pizza, one whole chicken, and 6 slices of bread. The oven is medium-sized and can perfectly fit your countertop.
Aside from these, the powerful convection fan allows faster and even baking as the warm air circulates throughout the oven. The oven is versatile enough to cater to all your everyday cooking needs whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts.
When it’s time to clean, just find a cloth and wipe the nonstick interior as well as the removable crumb tray. Coming complete with all the necessary pans and racks, this product is surely a great addition to your kitchen.
Pros
- Easy-to-use buttons and automatic settings
- Has a variety of cooking functions
- Has a powerful convection heating feature for faster and even baking
- Includes 2 rack positions for broil and other cooking needs
- Easy control of time and temperature
- Wide interior for large items such as a 12-inch pizza or 6 slices of bread
- Nonstick interior and removable tray crumb makes cleaning a breeze
- Includes a baking pan, broil rack, and toasting rack
- Reasonable price and comes complete 2-year limited warranty
Cons
- Display panel does not have a backlight
- Icons are too small and could rub off easily
- Could get too hot
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Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven
If you are looking for a convection oven that has a slow cook function for food that requires long cook time at low temperatures, your best option would be the Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven.
However, aside from this amazing function, the oven offers a variety of features, too. Like the other brands in the market, it has an excellent convection heater that evenly circulates the heat throughout the oven and speeds up the cooking process.
There are 10 preset menu functions; each suggests the ideal time and temperature you need. You may also adjust them according to your preference and customize the time and temperature. This allows your pizza, oven, cookies and more to look and taste exactly the way you want them to be.
The oven has a wide interior that makes room for your Dutch oven and a 13-inch pizza. Furthermore, Breville also added an interior light for easy monitoring, too. With the auto timer shut-off a color-changing LCD, temperature conversion, and a magnetic auto-eject rack, you can cook and bake more conveniently.
The whole package comes complete with enamel baking pan, enamel broiling rack, and a nonstick pizza pan. You can also buy this oven with an additional cutting board made of bamboo material.
Pros
- Easy-to-use function selector dial
- Powerful convection fan for fast and even cooking
- Element IQ technology that adjusts heat according to function selected
- 10 preset menu functions for your everyday cooking
- Amazing slow cook function not included in other brands
- Interior oven lights with replaceable 25W G9 halogen bulb
- Wide interior
Cons
- Expensive compared to other brands
- The side of the oven can get too hot
- Issues with the toast function
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Oyama TRO-110C Turbo Convection Oven
If you are looking for an excellent convection oven that fit your budget, then this one from Oyama is your best options. The TRO-110C Turbo Convection Oven is one of the most affordable in the market that promises to make your everyday cooking manageable.
Need to bake, grill steak, steam fish or roast chicken? Let the oven do all the cooking and rest assured that you will get an appetizing and tasty meal. The heater is placed in the lead with built-in timer and a separate dial for setting temperature.
These features allow you to control the heating convection that circulates the hot air to heat your food evenly. Just remember to be careful in using it for the whole oven can get too hot while in use. This oven also keeps your food moist and retains their flavors.
The convection oven has a 12-liter heat resistant cooking bowl and can fit a whole chicken and a variety of foods inside. The package includes two cooking racks which are ideal for cooking vegetables and meat at once.
Since it is made of glass, it is easier to tell if your steamed fish or roasted chicken is ready. Aside from this, it also comes with plate tongs so you can safely get the food after cooking without getting burned. With its ease of use, even students and kids can enjoy cooking their favorite meals.
Pros
- Cheaper than the other convection cooker
- Can do baking, grilling, steaming, or roasting
- Tempered heat-resistant glass provides a wide space for a variety of food
- Cooks evenly while keeping the food’s flavor and juice
- Includes a two wire cooking racks, plate tongs, and an instruction manual recipes
Cons
- Cooks slower than the other brands
- Some issues with grill functions
- The heating function in the lid is not removable which makes it harder to clean
- The whole convection oven can get too hot while in use
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KitchenAid KCO234CCU 12″ Convection Countertop Oven
The KitchenAid KCO234CCU 12″ Convection Countertop Oven is an amazing product that is simple and easy to use. With its incredible functionalities and features, you and the kids will enjoy spending time in the kitchen more.
Designed to meet your everyday culinary needs, this convection oven can be used for baking potatoes, broiling steak, toasting bread, roasting chicken, and warming cold or frozen food. These are all possible because of the powerful convection heating feature that evenly circulates the hot air evenly throughout the oven.
There is an adjustable timer with a 60-minute limit which you can set to remind when the dish you are cooking is finished. Aside from these, the oven can make baking faster, too.
Another way to help you save time is by utilizing the included racks. The oven is large enough to make room for two layers of cake or two, 12-inch pizzas at once. It can easily fit six slices of bread, too. This way, you have a plenty of time to prepare other dishes or meal for your lunch or special occasion.
The convection oven does not only make cooking easier but also makes cleaning a breeze. Its nonstick coating is easy to wipe clean by using a cloth. Completing the whole package is the one-year hassle-free replacement warranty which allows you to ship back the item in case you got a problematic convection oven.
Pros
- Great for baking potatoes and roasting one whole chicken
- Can hold two, 12-inch pizzas or two cake layers at once
- Easily fits six slices of bread
- Includes two racks
- Nonstick interior and coating for easy cleaning
- Has one-year hassle-free replacement warranty
Cons
- Issues with consistency of toasting bread
- Too large for some buyers
- Gets too hot during use
- Needs to preheat before toasting
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Cuisinart TOB-200 Rotisserie Convection Toaster Oven
The TOB-200 Rotisserie Convection Toaster Oven of Cuisinart is a great introduction to rotisserie cooking. With this amazing convection oven, you can cook tasty and juicy roasted meals such as chicken, duck, meat, and more.
In case you are not familiar with this style of cooking, the oven has settings for a variety of food or your main entree. Aside from this, the package includes a recipe booklet, too.
Rotisserie cooking is a great cooking technique because its ability to keep the flavor of the meat while the hot air evenly cooks it and with this oven, the whole process is made simpler and easy to follow.
However, the Rotisserie feature is not the only thing that makes this product a great buy. It offers cooking functions that will make you have an everyday kitchen adventure. With this oven, you can bake desserts, make a pizza, broil meat, toast bread, as well as make your favorite bagel.
It has a wide interior and four racks which are adjustable according to your needs. The clock and timer operate through digital controls for your convenience.
Furthermore, the thermostat can be set to temperatures ranging from 200-450F for cooking & 500F for broiling.
The oven rack, baking/drip pan, broil rack, spit and skewers, skewer grip, and crumb tray are also included, providing everything you will need for your cooking. Lastly, your purchase also consists of a 3-year limited warranty.
Pros
- A great oven with an incredible Rotisserie function
- 12 cooking functions for your everyday kitchen needs
- Digital settings for more precise controls and accurate temperatures
- Beep volume control to remind you when the food is finished
- Nonstick interior to make cleaning simple
- Includes important accessories
- Includes a 3-year limited warranty
Cons
- Quite pricey for some
- Small for Rotisserie cooking that it cannot handle larger food
- Gets too hot while in use