Convection Oven

This has prolly been discussed before, but I'll give it a go.

What do you use your convection oven for, assuming you own one?? Our range has one and haven't used it since we moved here 9 months ago, but perhaps I'm missing something. I'm inclined to ignore it, but am willing to listen to reasonable alternatives.
'Winger the Luddite

Yes, both of my Dacor ovens can be used as convection. I tried it several times and can't say that I liked it much. The noise of the fan was bothersome, it was a whole new learnig curve and as of yet, I'ven not seen any of my new cookbooks with convection instructions, nor any of the "for fun" cooking classes that I've taken mention convection cooking. The oven in our RV is convection and it drives me nuts. When we don't use it for a few months I have to look up instructions so I just use it as a regular oven. It is also a microwave, so there are a lot of things to remember - which I don't

I have the convection option on my gas range, but I've never used it. Don't know why. Don't know under what circumstances I would!

I have one. I have only used it a couple of times. On those occasions, I could lower the oven temp by 25 degrees and cut the cooking time by 15-30 minutes. The noise was minimal. I saw no real advantage, but, as I don't know its true strengths, I may not have picked recipes that showcase what it can do for me.

Convection is in my oven. I've never used it in 2 1/2 years. My late sister (she was the Serious Cook (tm) in the family) had one and tried it once or twice, and never used it afterward. She used it for a turkey once, and the turkey wasn't as good as her ordinary keep-eating-until-you-pop effort.
If I had an idea what it might be helpful for, and what it might be, ah, not so helpful for, I might try it.

John

I have a combo microwave-convection. I've baked cakes and roast chicken in it. It is also very good for re-heating wings, which get rubbery when reheating using the microwave.

Our range has an oven that's convection-only. We've found that it works well for just about everything we've made in it but we do have to reduce the temperature from what's called for in most recipes.

My last two Dacor ovens have "true" convection settings. I find them most useful for crisping (tater tots, anyone?) and for baking multiple sheets of cookies at the same time.

[Jenise]

My last two Dacor ovens have "true" convection settings. I find them most useful for crisping (tater tots, anyone?) and for baking multiple sheets of cookies at the same time.

Baking cookies would be the #1 pick for me on convection usefullness. Also, any activity where some dehydration is optimum, like oven-dried tomatoes if any of you do that. The constant flow of hot air over the surface can do some magic (the tater tot comment made me laugh). I'm otherwise a fan of low and slow, so rarely use it.

Karen: re the convection/microwave combos, my mother in law had one as her only oven. Now I'm sure they're made better these days, but hers, as far as working like a real oven, was a joke. All roasted meats turned to rubber (she was happy, I was horrified). Now mind you I know nothing more about them, but if the power source of your convection is microwaves and not electric heat, then I can't imagine how it could do a much better job.

As Jenise says, I use the convection oven primarily when I want to dehydrate or brown the exterior of something that I'm baking. I use it mostly for cooking some frozen foods (Tater Tots and chicken fingers for Andrew), but I also use it for oven roasting potatoes and baking rolls and bread. It does allow you to lower the cooking temperature and shorten cooking times somewhat.

Mark Lipton

Both my ovens are electric with the convection option. I don't use the oven below my range(Wolf) very much unless I am entertaining. I use the wall oven(GE Profile) all the time. I use the convection bake and the convection roast quite frequently. One nice thing is that the GE Profile adjusts the convection temperature to get the same result as the standard oven. It just takes less time. This function makes using it very easy. The convection cycle speeds everything up. It's great for entertaining and also for people with a lifestyle like ours. I never know during the week what time I need to have dinner on the table. It could be as late as 11:30 pm or as early as 6:00 pm. When my wife calls me telling me she is leaving work I know that in 1hour 15-30 minutes later I should have dinner on the table. This gives her time to drive home, change clothes, and walk the dog before we eat. In the summer I add another 15-30 minutes because the dog walks are longer.

Convection brings what is in the oven up to oven temperature much faster. Also due to the wind it can dry things out more. Therefore many times I have a pyrex 9x9 baking dish on a lower shelf filled with water. This keeps the humidity up.

Convection is also great to have for entertaining. Having it in your cooking arsenal gives you a lot more flexibility in your planning and timing. It also can save the day when you discover that you have "choked" on your timing. A few years ago we had my cousin (a Norwegian/Dane) and her husband over for dinner. They live in another suburb on the other side of the city. I was preparing king crab legs. After they arrived and as we sat down for the first course my cousin reminded me that she was allergic to crab. I apologized for not remembering and asked if lobster was alright. She responded yes, so I then asked my wife to grab a lobster tail out of the freezer for me. My wife response was "small, medium or large?" I replied, "medium" and my cousin giving me a hard time said, " Don't I deserve a large?". I replied, "yes but I can have a medium lobster tail on the table at the exact time as I was planning to serve the crab." I apologized for not having the time to stuff the tail! Aren't convection ovens great!!

I knew by the next day all the relatives in Norway and Denmark had heard the story. News travels fast in my family!

I love the roasting convection cycle. I can get the meat temperature I desire in a thick cut of meat without having a almost burned surface.

I probably use the convection cycles 2-4 times a week.