Advice on using a convection oven

[pvavricka]

Help...we're moving into a brand new house this weekend and it has a JennAir convection oven in it. I have no idea about using it. I do know it has a fan to blow the heat around, but do I need to modify all my recipes' cooking time? Or do I need to lower the temp? I can't wait to use it, but would hate for our first meal at home to be a disaster!!! Any suggestions would be awesome! If I don't answer you back right away, it's just because I'm movin, so please don't hold it against me.

Thanks in advance...Penny

[sneezles]

Penny
I had a covection oven in a house we lived in and yes things do cook faster but I wouldn't lower the temp just reduce cooking time. If it's brand new you should get an instructional manual to help you or you could probably find a book at the store to help convert...it's wonderful for cooking multiple sheets of cookies all at the same time!

[Grace]

Actually, all the baking books I have, plus 2 cookbooks especially about convection ovens all say to lower the temperature by at least 50º. My experience with my little convection oven is that I do indeed need to lower the temperature, and oftentimes a LOT lower even then the 50° recommended, as the tops of cakes/muffins, etc. get burned (from the swirling hot air) before the inside gets cooked all the way. I would try a few test batches of things. For example, make a batch of relatively plain muffins (nothing that uses expensive nuts or fruits, etc.), and then bake one or two at a time at different temperatures and see how they turn out. You'll find that you'll just have to "fiddle" a lot and get used to your particular oven. Even my regular ovens have "tricks" to them - the left one runs hot, the right one runs 25º too cool, etc., etc. But for sure I'd start out at 50º lower as a starting point. Hope that helps.

Grace

[Beth]

I took a brief visit at the Jennair website, but couldn't find anything for contacting them there. Maytag makes Jennair, so you could also look there, but there is often a sticker or tag on the inside of the oven door with the model and serial numbers and an 800 number for service. If you don't get a book with the oven (new or left by thoughtful previous owners), call the manufacturer and ask for one.

I have seen recipes that lower the baking temp (usually 25 degrees, so it's not a big change), but others won't change. I think cookies and other things with shorter baking times are probably less likey to need a conversion. A loaf of bread that might bake for an hour or a roast might need a little...Until you get instructions, you could try lowering the temp by 15 degrees or so and monitoring the progress. Enjoy your new home!

[dncomom]

Hi Penny,
I have a convection oven and I absolutely LOVE it. It makes the best cookies in the whole world!They are crisp on the outside but wonderfully chewy on the inside. Mmmmmm!!! I do lower the cooking temperature by 25 degrees and shorten the cooking time by a little. On chocolate chip cookies, for example, instead of 375 for 10-12 minutes I bake mine at 350 for 8 minutes. Obviously things that require a much longer baking time (banana bread, bundt cakes, ect) will need the cooking time shortened even further.
Have fun with it and enjoy those cookies!!

[CAROL ANN]

I have a convection Jenn-air range. I have only used the convection one time. The book that came with the range says to lower the oven temp 25 degrees when baking. The time will be the same or a few minutes less. When convection roasting the times are generally 25-30% less. I hope this helps.

[pvavricka]

Thanks for your replies! I love my new house and just had to toss in a batch of cookies to thank the movers and of course to get that homey smell!!!! I did lower by 25 degrees and they seemed to bake just fine. No one complained, just lots of uuummmms!

Penny

[Joyce]

I usually lower the temperature in my convection oven by 25 degrees for baking. For roasts, etc. I do not change the temp, but food is done more quickly. The big advantage is that I can do 3 cookie sheets at the same time, or six loaves of quick bread, and all turn out evenly done. The fact that you can put things on each shelf and get uniform results is one of the big selling features.


[This message has been edited by Joyce (edited 10-30-2000).]

[jjf]

I am in a food class right now and my professor always reminds us to lower the heat by 25 degrees and reduce the cooking time - judege that depending on what the product is. i absolutely love using them - i think everything turns out better.

jen