Convection oven baking tips

.christmas snowflake food

It's cookie season. Do you need to brush up on your convection baking knowledge?

 

Are you taking full advantage of your convection oven (if you don’t know what that is, read What is convection?)?

You probably already know to decrease your oven temperature 25 degrees and decrease the bake time about 25 percent for convection oven vs. conventional oven.

But if you already know how to use convection cooking — and you probably do if you partake in holiday baking and cookie exchanges — I bet you’ll still learn something from Dacor’s convection oven baking tips (PDF).

Also, if if your convection oven cooking times seem to be longer now than when you first bought your convection oven, perhaps you need to clean your convection filter.

In a convection oven, the fan draws air through the filter. So especially if you do a lot of roasting,  grease particles will stick to the filter and could obstruct the airflow. Check your use and care manual for instructions on how to clean your filter. Some, like Dacor convection oven filter, are dishwasher safe.

Cooking a Turkey in a Convection Oven

Dacor convection oven

Those who spent a little extra to get convection in their oven will breathe a little easier while preparing for Thanksgiving.

Convection basically uses a fan to circulate warm air, eliminating hot spots and cooking foods faster and more evenly.

What does this mean for Thanksgiving cooking?

  • The turkey’s done quicker, which is huge for those eating earlier in the day.
  • No need to baste or cover the turkey. Convection ovens quickly sear in the juices, so use foil only if the turkey is browning too quickly.
  • Cook several dishes at a time. Convection ensures air circulates among all racks.

Ever been stuck with a partially defrosted turkey (the skin, legs and wings are defrosted and can move freely, but there are still some ice crystals and the inside of the turkey’s cavity is still hard) on Thanksgiving morning? Dacor suggests using its convection setting at 150°F for approximately 8-11 minutes per pound to defrost the turkey.

Have you used a convection oven? If so, let us know what you enjoy about it in the comments.