18
Conventional and Convection Cooking
Because of variations in food density, surface texture and consistency, some foods may be prepared more successfully using
the conventional bake setting. For this reason, conventional baking is recommended when preparing baked goods such as
custard. The user may find other foods that are also prepared more consistently in conventional bake. This is perfectly
normal. Convection cooking is a cooking technique which utilizes fan forced air to circulate heat throughout the entire oven
creating the optimum cooking environment. Cooking with convection is intended when performing multi-rack baking and for
baking heavier foods. Below are tips which will allow you to get the best results out of your oven when cooking with
convection.
• As a general rule, to convert conventional recipes to convection recipes, reduce the temperature by 25°F (-3.9°C) and the
cooking time by approximately 10 to 15%.
• Cooking times for standard baking and convection baking will be the same. However, if using convection to cook a single
item or smaller load, then it is possible to have 10-15% reduction in cooking time. (Remember convection cooking is
designed for multi-rack baking or cooking large loads.)
• If cooking items which require longer than 45 minutes, then it is possible to see a 10-15% reduction in cooking time. This
is especially true for large items cooked in the convection roast function.
• A major benefit of convection cooking is the ability to prepare foods in quantity. The uniform air circulation makes this
possible. Foods that can be prepared on two of three racks at the same time include: pizza, cakes, cookies, biscuits,
muffins, rolls, and frozen convenience foods.
• For three-rack baking, use any combination of rack positions 2, 3, 4, and 5. For two-rack baking, use rack positions 2 and
4 or positions 3 and 5. Remember that the racks are numbered from bottom to top. See “
Oven Features” illustration on
page 24.
• Items cooked in a convection function can be easily over-baked. This being the case, it is usually a good idea to pull items
out of the oven just before they seem to be done. Items will continue to cook right after they are set out of the oven.
• Some recipes, especially those that are homemade, may require adjustment and testing when converting from standard to
convection modes. If unsure how to convert a recipe, begin by preparing the recipe in conventional bake. After achieving
acceptable results, follow the convection guidelines listed for the similar food type. If the food is not prepared to your
satisfaction during this first convection trial, adjust only one recipe variable at a time (cooking time, rack position, or
temperature) and repeat the convection test. Continue adjusting one recipe variable at a time until satisfactory results are
achieved.
Pan Placement Tips
• When using large (15" x 13") flat pans or trays that cover most of the rack, rack positions 2 or 3 produce the best results.
• When baking on more than one rack, it is recommended to use one of the convection modes and the 2nd and 4th
position or the 3rd and 5th position for more even baking. When baking on three racks, use any combination of positions
2, 3, 4, and 5 for more consistent results.
• Stagger pans in opposite directions when two racks and several pans are used in conventional bake. If possible, no pan
should be directly above another.
• Allow 1 to 2 inches of air space around all sides of each pan for even air circulation.
Single Rack Pan
Placement
Multiple Rack Pan
Placement
Using the Oven
