Should your side by side oven be convection? Our guide to convection vs. conventional ovens will help y'all decide.

Although convection and conventional ovens await similar on the outside, it's easy to see the departure between the two when you expect inside. Conventional ovens characteristic top and bottom heating elements only while convection ovens add together a fan to broadcast hot air inside the cavity--true convection ovens include a third heating chemical element in add-on to the fan.

A convection fan circulates hot air inside a convection oven to cook food.

A convection oven has a fan and frazzle system that circulate hot air around the crenel of the oven, reducing hot and cool spots and helping dishes on every rack cook more evenly. Convection ovens can also have a third heating element, called truthful convection, to help foods cook faster.1


Some other advantage to convection ovens – the fan and frazzle system reduce the amount of moisture in the oven to help foods crisp and brown on the outside and stay juicy on the within.


Well-nigh convection ovens have a convection setting that activates the fan, exhaust organisation and third heating element. The convection setting can exist turned on or off, assuasive for greater versatility. When the convection setting is on, you're taking full advantage of the benefits of your convection oven. When the convection setting is off, your oven operates just like a conventional, thermal oven.

What's a conventional oven?

A conventional oven has two heating elements that oestrus air inside the oven to melt nutrient. The heating element at the bottom of the oven is used for most cooking and baking, while the heating chemical element at the top is mostly used for broiling. The dish closest to the active heating element cooks the fastest.

Since a conventional oven doesn't accept a convection fan to circulate hot air, pockets of hotter or cooler air can cause dishes to cook faster or slower, depending on their placement inside the oven.

Since most recipes are written for conventional ovens, people ofttimes experience more than comfortable cooking with them because they don't need to conform fourth dimension and temperature to account for hot air circulation and faster cook times.

So, which oven will best help you whip upward after-schoolhouse snacks, make cookies for the bake auction or become dinner on the table between soccer practice and ballet class? Whirlpool tin can help you decide.

What are the benefits of a convection oven vs. a conventional oven?

Both convection and conventional ovens have their singled-out advantages. Larn more than well-nigh their unique benefits.

The convection oven benefits

  1. Even blistering and heat distribution
  2. Less rotating
  3. Improved browning, crisping and roasting
  4. Faster baking and roastingi
  5. Quick preheating
  6. Meliorate cooking for multiple dishes at once
  7. Run long baking cycles without drying out foods

Conventional oven benefits

  1. More than familiar functionality
  2. Most recipes are written for these models

Chocolate chip cookies baking inside a convection oven.

Use the convection setting on your convection oven for most cooking, roasting and baking needs, including meats, vegetables, casseroles, cookies and pies.

With convection roasting, meats like chicken and turkey can go a delicious crispy outer layer, while staying juicy on the inside.

With convection blistering, cookies and brownies broil meliorate depending on their placement within the oven crenel. For optimal results, leverage multi-rack cooking by centering your baking dishes on multiple racks inside the oven cavity.

For sure baked goods like cakes, quick breads, custards and other delicate desserts and pastries, use conventional oven settings.

How to use a convection oven

Follow these simple steps for cooking, roasting and blistering with your convection oven.

Step 1: Catechumen Recipes For Convection Ovens

  • If you're cooking with a convection oven, check the recipe to see if you lot demand to suit the fourth dimension/temperature. While about recipes are written for conventional ovens, some recipes provide recommended times and temperatures for convection cooking and baking.

Step 2: Adjust Temperature

  • A skillful dominion of thumb for fan convection is to but subtract 25°F from the temperature listed. Fourth dimension and temperature adjustments tin can vary by oven cavity, simply if your favorite brownie recipe tells yous to preheat to 325°F, arrange to 300°F.

Step 3: Adjust Time

  • For true convection, multiply the listed fourth dimension past 0.75.2 For example, if your brownie recipe calls for twoscore minutes, adjust to thirty minutes. Brand certain to check your possessor's manual for exact instructions regarding time and temperature adjustments. Ovens can vary, so it'due south always a practiced thought to keep an middle on what's cooking.

Footstep 4: Preheat

  • Preheat your oven to the adjusted temperature. An added bonus – convection ovens preheat quickly.

Stride 5: Cook, Roast or Bake

  • Set your timer for the adapted fourth dimension and place your dishes on the oven racks for consistent rut and even cooking. Use the convection roast setting for a brown, crispy outer layer on meats.

Tips for cooking with a convection oven

Looking to take your convection cooking skills to the next level? Check out our list of convection cooking exercise'due south and don'ts.

Convection cooking dos:

  • Practise suit recipe times and temperatures for the all-time results
  • Do employ cookware and bakeware with lower sides to enhance air circulation
  • Do apply your convection roast setting for roasting, browning and crisping

Convection cooking don'ts:

  • Don't block the convection fan with tall cookware
  • Don't overload your oven – overcrowding can make the oven less efficient
  • Don't use your convection setting for moist, fragile desserts and baked goods – like affections food block, cheesecake, assistant bread and flan

Discover your new Whirlpool® oven

At present that you lot know the difference between convection and conventional ovens, what are you lot waiting for? Check out our top picks beneath or learn more than most our ranges and wall ovens.

Explore Whirlpool® convection ovens

Model: WFG775H0HV

Color: Fingerprint Resistant Black Stainless

MSRP: $1,469.00

Relieve $147 (x%)

Model: WEG750H0HZ

Color: Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel

Model: WEGA25H0HZ

Color: Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel

Meet the difference betwixt conventional and convection ovens

Learn more nigh conventional and convection ovens to aid choose which style is right for your family unit.

A video explaining the differences between conventional and convection ovens

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1. Compared to a traditional thermal-bake wheel on the same model.
ii. Time and temperature adjustments tin can vary by oven.