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How to Cook with Convection. [Get Confidence in the Kitchen!]

by Stephanie

How to Cook with Convection. [Get Confidence in the Kitchen!]

A couple of weeks ago during my cooking class, I talked briefly about using the convection setting on my oven. I had forgotten to pre-heat my oven for the class and I was able to pre-heat and then roast my vegetables in no time.

Someone in the class had mentioned that my oven must be fast and hot as she was still roasting.

Do you have convection? Do you use it? Do you avoid it because you don’t know what the heck to do with it?

That was me too. 

I had absolutely no clue about how to use this setting on my oven. The only time I thought about it was when I was about to cook something but had no time to figure it out.

Then one day I was watching one of my favourite cooks on Instagram, Pamela Salzman. She mentioned that if you’re going to use it, make sure to decrease the temperature of your oven by 25 degrees. 

This piqued my interest and I looked into it. I cooked a few things and after having tried it out several times, I’m now a convert!


First of All, What’s Convection?

The convection setting is found on an oven (it should be found on most newer models — I had one on my old Kitchen Aid).

The oven pulls in outside air, heats it, and then and circulates it around the food. The regular oven setting simply heats the oven without air circulation.

Both gas and electric ovens have this setting.

Convection ovens can have two or three heating elements. If you want the best ‘coverage’ for heat, look for one with three heating elements found at the top, bottom, and back of the oven.

You might notice you have two convection settings: one for baking and one for roasting. The baking setting lowers the fan speed, while the roasting setting has a higher fan speed to brown and crisp food like red meat and poultry.


What are the Benefits?

  • Pre-heat and cook much faster than a regular oven setting.
  • Improve browning and crisping of certain foods.
  • Cook greater volumes of food than regular oven settings as a result of the oven air movement.
  • Help to eliminate any ‘hot spots’ that might occur with regular heat producing a more even cooking heat.


Cooking Tips

You might still be wondering how to use this setting in real life! Here are some tips I’ve found helpful:

  • Convection can be used in two ways: if a recipe says to pre-heat your oven to a certain temperature, pre-heat it to 25 degrees less than what a recipe indicates.

    OR you can cook it for about 5-10 minutes less than the recommended time. Make sure your oven doesn’t change it automatically for you when you press the convection setting.

    For example: If a recipe says to roast vegetables at 400°F, set your oven to 375°F. Alternatively, you can keep it at 400°F, but make sure to start checking the vegetables at least 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

    Convection cooks much faster, especially if you have a smaller oven, so be sure to keep an eye out! I typically cook at a lower temperature and check the food with 5 minutes until the end of the cooking time.
  • Use a pan with low sides so the air can circulate over your food. Light-coloured aluminum pans work best to help prevent over-browning and burnt vegetables (make sure to use parchment paper, however, as you don’t want to cook directly on aluminum).
  • Don’t cover your food when using the convection setting. The purpose is to have the air hit the food to cook it faster. The oven can’t do its job if the air isn’t reaching the food.


When to Use it

  • The baking setting works best for pizza crusts, scones, and biscuits–foods that need quick heat. I also learned that if you make pies, use this setting when baking two pie crusts to help with more even baking.
  • Convection is really good for cookies, rolls, and croissants because it helps to give the food a crispy outer layer while keeping the inside fluffy.
  • Add water to a pan at the bottom of the oven if you’re making bread baked at high heat. The steam from the water helps to make a nice bread crust.
  • Use it when toasting or dehydrating.
  • Great for meats that don’t have to be cooked all the way through like beef. Convection helps to brown the meat on the outside for example, but maintain the meat’s moisture on the inside.
  • I love using it for roasting root vegetables and one pan meals. It browns the food nicely!
  • Tip! If you’re in the market for an air fryer, try the convection setting first as it uses the same technology!


When Not to Use it

  • Try not to use convection for baking quick bread, wet muffins, cakes, and sweet yeast baking however if you bake with heartier grains like I do you might be ok.

    The air from this setting can dry out the tops of cakes or create a ripple effect on them from the blowing air.

I hope this gives you the confidence to cook with convection! Try it out the next time you roast potatoes or sweet potatoes. Here’s a quick recipe for you:


Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400°F using the convection setting (I typically roast at 425°F on a regular oven setting so 400°F is 25°F less than what I usually set the oven to).

  • Chop 2-3 potatoes/sweet potatoes into 1-1.5 inch pieces (wedges are nice too).
  • Cover with salt, oregano, pepper, and 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Mix well.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes (check them at 20 minutes).
  • Top with another tablespoon of olive oil and a bit more salt when they’re done.


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Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

From what I’ve heard so far, our property used t From what I’ve heard so far, our property used to be an apple orchard called Hope Farms in the 1800s. That’s all I really know (oh and that there’s a ghost we’ve yet to experience).

I was so excited to learn there were still 3 apple trees. But when we moved here no apples came.

The former owners must have trimmed them because truthfully they can be a bit of a pain when they fall and the animals and bugs get at them.

This year we started to see apples and then more apples and now all three trees are full of them. 

Many of them are wonky or blemished but they taste good! 

I picked this one today. It looks like I bought it from a store. 

‘Is that from *our* tree?’ The kids asked.

How cool and rewarding it is to pick food from your own yard. ❤️🍎🍏
Fun garden stuff! 🌱I picked some bush beans! M Fun garden stuff!

🌱I picked some bush beans! Most of them didn’t take. I think I have a furry little muncher eating the leaves…

🌱I harvested my garlic! I planted 16 cloves in November and now I have 16 bulbs! Pretty sweet return right there.

🌱My cauliflower is coming along! Almost there. 

🌱Not pictured are my mini watermelons! They’re so cute!

I’m learning lots and already thinking of what I’d do differently next summer.
Well, guess what? Our wellness retreat was cance Well, guess what? 

Our wellness retreat was canceled on June 24 because it was calling for thunderstorms all day - we had to make a call and guess what else? It barely rained! 

Such is life!

We managed to move most of the attendees to Sunday, July 16 and we'd love to open it up one more time to see if you would like to attend with them.

We'd love to see you!

As a reminder, here is the plan for the day:

❤️Welcome Circle
❤️Yoga + Group Reiki Class with Sonya Brar
❤️Cooking Class with me!
❤️Lunch together
❤️Meditation
❤️Closing Circle

I'm finalizing the yummy recipes we'll be cooking and eating. Fresh and local ingredients as much as possible. 

I'm also keeping the recipes simple because you're coming to recharge right? 

Join us on July 16! Link is in my bio @lealoucooks 
—-
@soar_wellness
Eat the rainbow(ish). 🌈 I find kids (and adult Eat the rainbow(ish). 🌈

I find kids (and adults) are more likely to eat veggies when we offer them like this. 

Sounds simple, but I find my kids eat more like this than when I put them in lunches or directly on their plates at dinner. 

Plus, it’s pretty on the table! 

I’m serving this with pulled chicken sandwiches for dinner tonight! 

Soccer night! ⚽️

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About Stephanie

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Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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