Does a Convection Oven Cook Faster than Conventional Oven? (2024)

Convection ovenscook food faster than conventional ovens. To cook in a convection oven, follow this easy formula: reduce the temperature by 25 degrees or reduce the cooking time by 25%. Some ovens today even offer convection conversion, eliminating any guesswork!

Conventional ovens bake and roast by surrounding food with heat from the bottom of the oven cavity. Broiling food has intense heat coming from above, either in the oven or behind a small door under the oven.

There are two types of convection ovens, regular convection andTrue convection. Regular convection ovens work the same as a conventional oven with the addition of a fan in the back of the oven that circulates heated air around the food in a swirling pattern. When the fan activates, hot air blows around the inside of the oven. It’s the fan that promotes even heating and more rapid cooking than a conventional oven.

True convection ovens (also referred to as European convection ovens) provide faster and more even heating than regular convection and conventional ovens. True convection ovens have a heating element behind the convection fan in the back of the oven. This element heats the air that comes in contact with the fan to the exact temperature. True convections are the best at eliminating flavor transfer as well. If you need to cook multiple dishes in the same oven, you are less likely to have dessert taste like dinner. Both Regular convection and true convection ovens will cook your food faster than a conventional oven. However, true convection ovens are the fastest.

So does a convection oven cook faster than a conventional oven? The short answer to the question of which cooks faster is simple: theconvection ovencooks faster. Studies show that though cooking times vary slightly from oven to oven, generally convection ovens cook 25% faster than conventional ovens at a lower cooking temperature of about 25 degrees F.

Why Does This Process Produce a Faster Cooking Time?

The definition of convection answers this question. Convection is the transfer of heat by the circulation or movement of the heated parts of a liquid or gas. By circulating heated air through a fan in the oven, the convection principle takes hold.

In a conventional oven, the heated air is stagnant. There is no rapid flow, thus producing a slower cooking time.

The convection oven creates a dry atmosphere that caramelizes faster when roasting, so foods like meats and vegetables get browner, but the interiors stay moist. Cookies also bake to chewy, delicious perfection.

Convection Ovens are More Energy-Efficient

Convection ovens use less gas or electricity because food cooks quicker and at lower temperatures than in a conventional oven. Translating into savings in both dollars and energy usage.

Shop All Cooking Appliances