Why use a convection oven?
Imagine cooking meats, vegetables, casseroles, cookies, and pies to a golden brown on the outside while keeping them juicy on the inside. That’s all possible when you equip your restaurant with a high-quality convection oven. This blog will tell you everything you need to know about the adventures of cooking with convection. Let’s dig a little deeper.
What is a convection oven?
A restaurant-grade convection oven cooks with hot air that is circulated using high-powered fans. These fans cook your customer’s food up to 25% faster than conventional cooking methods. Convection ovens preheat in a flash and allow you to cook multiple dishes at once without an issue. Here are a few more benefits.
The benefits of cooking with convection
- Saves energy: Convection ovens cook at a lower temperature and use less energy than regular ovens. This is an important feature for those interested in efficiency and sustainability.
- Cooks faster: Regular ovens rely on ambient heat; that is not the case with a convection oven. With a convection oven, hot air blows directly onto your food, which cooks it much faster.
- Cooks evenly: Regular ovens use heating coils that create hot or cold spots in the oven. This is not the case with a convection oven. With convection cooking, no matter where the food is, the fan will circulate the air around it ensuring even heat.
- Achieves better browning: Convection cooking creates a dry atmosphere so foods like meats, vegetables, and baked goods get brown and crispy on the outside while staying moist and juicy on the inside.
What can I cook with a convection oven?
Convection cooking is recommended for cooking practically everything. The fast-moving hot air accelerates cooking times and is ideal for cooking the following menu items.
- Cookies: Convection cooking was made with cookies in mind. Its even heat allows you to bake multiple trays of cookies at a time without having to rotate cookie sheets.
- Casseroles: If you’re cooking food that needs to be covered like a casserole, or a braise, the faster cooking times will be perfect.
- Meats and vegetables:These foods really benefit from convection cooking because they cook faster, in a drier environment, which makes them crispy.
- Pies and pastries: Convection cooking creates steam that helps lift the dough of pastries and pies. This process also makes them turn a delicious golden brown.
Should you buy a convection oven?
Excluding the cooking of cakes, custards, or soufflés, which do not benefit from the use of forced hot air, the purchase of a convection oven makes perfect sense for your commercial kitchen or restaurant. With the holidays fast approaching, your imagination will run wild with menu items that are sure to dazzle your customers.