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elmullen5

Does anyone NOT like their convection oven?

elmullen5
12 years ago

I have heard so many positive things about convection ovens and how many people just love them. But I would like to know how many of you have convection ovens and find that you are not using them and/or regretting the extra money spent. I am confused on which way to go with our new oven purchase. Although I cook a fair amount, I have to say that I have never found myself thinking "wow, this meal is cooked very uneven" with our current non-convection oven. While I am sure I can get by without convection, I feel compelled to at least consider it because of all the rave. The unit we are looking at is an LG model #LDG3015ST. It is a gas range with double ovens. The convection model runs about $400 more. We are on a tight budget with our remodel and so the extra money could be well spent elsewhere. So, I just would like to know if there is anyone who does NOT like their convection oven, or feels they could have definitly gotten by without one? Thanks in advance!

Comments (32)

  • wekick
    12 years ago

    I think there is quite a bit of difference in convection ovens. Some have the elements covered. Some have two fans/elements. I think there must be a difference in the velocity of the fans and there are differences in the modes and the way they have the heat comes on and off.

    The two statements seem to say two different things.

    "...forced convection does not actually make baking more even, as many people seem to think."

    "Forced convection cannot completely solve the problem of uneven baking because the air is not the only source of scorched spots -- radiant heat is."

    The fan definitely contributes to directing heat. In most cases this will contribute to evenness in baking, so I would agree more with the second sentence. I actually had a Dacor oven that in using the "convection only" made a hot spot towards the back of the oven.

    The primary reason I like mine is for that drying effect. This makes things crisper. That same effect can be bad for cakes and muffins because it can inhibit the raising of the cake by "setting" the outside.

    I do agree that there is no set rule about how to convert recipes. It is sort of trial and error.

  • elmullen5
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you so much for both of your replies- this is the exact information I needed. I think in my case, the convection will not be worth the extra expense. Maybe if we get a toaster oven in the future, we will go with convection for that. Thanks again!

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    I have GE electric double oven. The top one is convection. I've learned to use it but only for certain things.

    For one thing, if I set it on convection the actual temperature is automatically -- and non-adjustably -- reduced by 25 degrees. If I want actual 325 with the convection on, I have to set it at 350. When making some dishes, I do turn it on the last 15 or 20 minutes sometimes to crisp up the surface -- being sure to reset the temperature 25 degrees higher so that it remains the same inside. In other words, I've learned to work with it and have learned it does have some value. However, shortened cooking times is not among its virtues.

    I also resent the space the fan takes. The convection oven is smaller than the second oven which does not have the feature.

  • zartemis
    12 years ago

    Wekick wrote "The two statements seem to say two different things."

    They don't, but I didn't give much context (in their books this is after an entire chapter in book 1 on heat and definitions of terms and then a further 10 pages in book 2 discussing how ovens heat). MC uses the scientific terms for heating and so is differentiating among heating by conduction, convection, and radiation (infrared).

    By the term "radiant heat" they are refering to the infrared radiation from the heated walls of the oven, not heating from the air.

    They argue that the main source of unevenness in oven is actually the walls of the oven itself. And in this there are many variables, e.g. how well preheated the oven (and after discussing the importance of preheating, they confine further analysis to fully preheated ovens), whether the walls are dark or light or shiny, and yes, how dirty the oven is -- a blackened spot on an otherwise shiny oven will radiate more heat and create a hotter spot in the oven for items close to it. Whether the fan is on or off does not change the color or configuration of the walls and the radiant heat they contribute.

    It gets confusing, since terms like 'convection' and 'infrared' have scientific meanings that are different than the marketing terms used to sell these appliances and categorize them.

    All (non-microwave) ovens heat with both infrared and convection, whether there is a fan or not. So some scientific studies refer to what we call 'convection ovens' as 'forced-convection ovens' since even ovens without fans will have convection heating. And all broilers heat via infrared whether or not they are marketed as 'infrared' broilers or not.

    It's similar to the differing uses of 'granite' in the scientific and countertop marketing worlds.

  • mdispensa
    11 years ago

    This information helped me. I decided to go with an LG range LRG3093ST with standard oven instead of this convection version LRG3095ST which is a bit more expensive. I'm more of a stove top cooker.

    There are also fewer buttons on the control panel to worry about.

  • SaraKat
    11 years ago

    I got it when it first came out some years ago and NEVER EVER use it. I just can't think of a good reason for the everyday cook to have one. A waste of money, at least for me. They were very expensive when they first came out. Wish I had just saved the money. I tried it at first and it actually seemed to take longer to cook things not less and nothing was getting done evenly. After a couple of service calls and them telling me that it was working the way it should I can say with certainty that I would not purchase one again. My regular oven works just as well.

  • wekick
    11 years ago

    I would never be without it again if I could help it and I've baked and roasted with a regular oven for 47 years before this. It does not benefit some kinds of baking like cakes, muffins and quick breads because it can cause them to cook quicker on the outside or blow the top over so I don't use it for that. Mine cooks very evenly and makes things so crispy.
    Maybe the technology has improved.

  • coco4444
    11 years ago

    I use mine all the time, from force of habit (always press the conv bake button as opposed to the plain ol' bake button. I do not notice any faster cooking consistently. I do notice the drying... sometimes in a bad way (ie: roast or chicken in an uncovered pan with water in bottom... water's gone in no time! The other thing I notice is that it gets dirty... I think the fan aerosolizes all the grease, etc., so the oven walls are much dirtier than in my previous regular oven.

    I agree with you OP, I wouldn't spend the money for it. However, it's hard these days to get a range with a nice cooktop without convection oven (and my induction is well worth the trade-off).

  • angie_diy
    11 years ago

    Oh, Zartemis, I am so jealous that you got Modernist Cuisine! I hope you enjoy it!

  • marcolo
    11 years ago

    Loved my old convection; miss it and will get another in my remodel. Tastiest chicken I ever made.

  • aliris19
    11 years ago

    I have the same experience as wekick with the fan drying out cakes and muffins. I've found that it works to turn on the fan for coming to temperature but then turn it off when the cakes go in the oven. I wonder if a pan of water might help if you wanted the fan to stay on? Without the fan on preheating takes *way* longer and is way more uneven. I have a 36" oven which is a lot of space to fill evenly with warm, convecting air (hope I'm using that term properly).

    Also I agree that the oven itself matters. There's quite a difference between my "true" electric convection and the gas stove with a fan in it. I imagine the difference between manufacturers of the same kind of oven would matter a lot too.

    As others have noted, by the same token the fan makes for really beautifully crisp skin and terrific granola, etc.

  • macybaby
    11 years ago

    I liked my first convection oven so much that I required both my double ovens to have that option. I think I use it about half the time.

    I never consider it as a way to cook food faster, but more even. However some things cook best with more bottom heat, or more top heat. My oven has two options, convection roast and prefect turkey, and they both produce excellent results, and do use the fan during the cooking cycle.

    I cooked fine for years without convection, but I have much more fun baking with that option when I want it.

  • AnnaA
    11 years ago

    This thread is helping me discern when convection works best. This past week I have used my convection oven for the 1st time, playing around with items I think might benefit from the air circulation. Made baked potatoes (for the first time via oven in over 20 years - had to look up a recipe! :), kale chips, and roasted vegetables. ALL of them were wonderful! The last 2 items I did regularly in an standard oven; both much better in the convection.

    Who knew how wonderful a simple potato smells as its baking - and the skins were so crisp, I'm sold!

  • kressnut
    10 years ago

    I just got a convection oven & cooked a small turkey breast in it. How do you keep the skin from getting so crispy & tough. It was tied up with quite a few strings around it, which I left on, & they were extremely hard to remove. The turkey was delicious however.

  • bowyer123
    10 years ago

    I have convection and like it. It seems to definitely brown the top of food better than when just set on the regular oven-mode. Just for kicks, last night my daughter made two batches of chocolate chip cookies, one without the convection fan, one with.

    The batch without convection took longer and didn't brown as nicely. The convection cookies definitely cooked faster.

    Sometimes to avoid over-browning, I'll start the baking cycle with the fan off, then later turn it on. It's definitely trial and error, but overall I'm glad we went with it. It really makes great roasted veggies!

  • bpollen
    10 years ago

    I have a Frigidaire gas convection oven with two fans. I hate it. Contrary to shortening cooking time, it seems to lengthen cooking time. And I didn't notice any improvement in quality or evenness of cooked food, but never noticed a problem with that before. I admit I don't cook much, and I rarely bake, which I think is what convection is mainly for?

    Like an above poster, the temperature is automatically, and unadjustably, reduced by 25 degrees, when I use the convection feature. I even have a separate convection feature for roasting vs. regular.

    I never use the convection and will never get it again. I'm convinced those fans being in the oven lets heat escape, whether using the convection feature or not, although I don't know that for a fact.

    It might work better in a toaster oven.

  • motorbikemikegw
    8 years ago

    I had to sign up to comment on this even though it's old. I used a convection oven for the first time today and I burned the heck out of cinn rolls. So When I cooked some pork ribs I reduced the temp and made sure to cover with foil really well. The pork ribs ended up being dry as a piece of jerky and took longer to cook vs my regular oven at home. This was a commercial oven so maybe it's different than some of the non commercial models, but I've lost all interest in convection ovens.

  • plllog
    8 years ago

    Mike, any time you use a new oven you have to learn its quirks. Commercial ovens do work differently than residential ovens, and my oven works differently than yours. It's not the convection. It's the learning curve.

  • stir_fryi SE Mich
    8 years ago

    I like it because my oven preheats faster.

  • Gloria Pope
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I hate convection ovens. I have used them for 10 years now and I can't wait to get rid of them. Here's why: 1. The temperatures are always wonky. They get to the temp you want at first and then race to temperatures that can burn your food if you're not omnipresent and watching the temp gauge constantly. 2. They are HORRIBLY NOISY! This is my worst complaint. My husband and I are building a new home and have the chance now to replace appliances we hate. We have been researching non-convection ovens in hopes that someone makes a quiet oven. I do not think a faster or more even bake (the positives that people tout) can offset the problems we have encountered. I'll never buy another one. By the way: Our brand is currently Viking. Maybe it's just this company. If you've had better luck with another brand, I'd like to hear from you.

  • dadoes
    4 years ago

    GE Profile range with convection oven that has several operational modes ... various combinations of the regular lower bake and upper broil oven elements with or without the fan, and a third, circular element around the fan. 15 years old. Very quiet. Temperature control is perfect.

  • Gloria Pope
    4 years ago

    Thank you!


  • HU-18023463
    3 years ago

    Convection ovens are horrible if you enjoy baking or are a serious baker. The temperatures are uneven, as the oven gets to the desired temperature, then drops off as soon as you add whatever it is that you need baked or roasted. Roast keeps a higher temperature than the bake function, so you can basically still follow your recipes for roasting meats. For baking? Forget it. Every recipe for baking that you have (either handed down in your family or from a reliable source like a Betty Crocker cookbook) will be off, because 350 never actually holds at 350 in a convection oven, plus there is no bottom element, and it is the bottom element that ensures that the bottom of your baked goods are cooked through. Baked goods will be raw or soggy on the bottom, but browned on top with a convection oven, or will take an extra 30 minutes to bake, which is absolutely ridiculous, cookies should not take 45 minutes to bake. Can't wait to buy a conventional oven again if at all possible - I've been shopping and almost everything is convection.

  • wekick
    3 years ago

    HU- and suburbanguy, what brand of ovens do you have? Also are they gas or electric? I’m guessing electric.


    HU, can you use nonconvection modes in your oven?


    Convection can be uneven depending on how the manufacture designs the oven. “Eveness” is way oversold. If you have a fan and especially if it has a third element, it sets up an air current that dries and browns one side of what you are baking/roasting. Many companies use baffles, dual fans or reversing fans to deal with this. Some ovens have a slower fan with the conv bake mode. This gives you more control over the browning. I love convection but just use it part of the time when I want something to brown more.


    I agree the hidden bake element is horrible. You lose a lot of radiant heat. Bad for pies but the hidden element is just the way they make ovens. Very few have the open element.


    I would get a thermometer and check how far off the temperature is. Also read the manual as some have an auto correct for convection modes that turns the temperature down by 25°F. Sometimes this can be turned off. Make sure the oven has preheated for 30 min before baking.


    Convection should make things cook faster because they accelerate heat transfer unless you have the auto correct.

    Also some ovens once they are preheated do not have a way to bring temperatures up quickly if you open the door. This is really bad. It is really just poor design on the oven not the convection.

    I had a Dacor oven that did this. If you were baking cookies or appetizers and had to open the door, the temperature drifted down. It had to drop 150°F before the preheat would come back on. It would just oscillate the element on and off to maintain otherwise. Capital electric oven was like this and Wolf is but only has to drop about 50°F to come back on. Wolf can be turned off and on and it seems to make the preheat back on. If you just turn up the temp, it takes forever to move up 25°F.


    __________

    Suburbanguy,

    Not all ovens are like that. That is the problem. It is very hard to figure out what the different ovens actually do. Sometimes reading the manual, before you buy helps and sometimes it doesn’t.


    You have two or more fans in your oven. One type is the convection fans but the other is the cooking fans for the computer boards that run your oven. Not a good thing to disconnect those.


    Many ovens do have a rapid preheat so that your oven preheats in 7-8 min. It does need to continue to preheat for 30 min to fully heat the bulk of the oven for baking.

  • HU-18023463
    3 years ago

    GE, electric, and there is no option to use non-convection. It is a convection oven with a fan, and no bottom burner element inside. I use my oven a lot for fresh baked goods. My old conventional oven with the bottom and top elements was reliable for baking, and tried-and-true recipes came out just fine. This is absolute nonsense to pay $200 or more extra for all of these whizz-bang features that do not deliver. I have also read the manual. It is not me that is the problem. This GE electric convection oven is OK for roasted meats, but baked goods are a disaster. I cannot fiddle with temperatures for an extra 30 to 40 minutes so that a recipe turns out the way it is supposed to. If the recipe says 350 for 45 minutes and you have been using this same recipe for 20 years, it is not the recipe that is wrong, it is the oven. Saving up my money for a conventional stove just as soon as I can.

  • Rachel
    3 years ago

    I've had my GE Profile convection for about 13 years. The first few years I did not use convection mode much, but then I learned how to convection bake fresh veggies. Now I couldn't live without it.

  • wekick
    3 years ago

    HU, I’m not saying it is you. It is the oven but sometimes the manual might give you clues about how to work around. These ovens,GE and otherwise are nothing like one would expect. Are you in the US? I never have heard of an oven that didn’t have just a standard “bake“ in the US but I have heard that some in Europe do. I would leave reviews saying that because that would be a deal breaker for most. You might also try to return. I got Dacor to buy my appliances back because they were horrible. My appliance dealer got them to do it. Is it a wall oven or range? If it has been less than 60 days and on a charge you might dispute the charges and have leverage There. 60 days after you got the bill.

  • dadoes
    3 years ago

    HU-18023463,

    What is the specific model number of your unit? I've never run across an oven that operates only in convection mode so I'd like to look up the specs & details on it.

  • HU-427041227
    2 years ago

    I definitely don't like my convection oven and can't wait to break my lease

  • akrogirl32
    2 years ago

    I have only had ovens with the convection option for over forty years now, and love it. I do a lot of baking, and have never had a problem. I could manage without it if I had to, but that would not be my preference.

  • awm03
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I'm with you, akrogirl32. I've loved convection baking. Never had a disappointment. Pie crusts in particular turn out well with convection, I find.

    In reading the comments, I guess there's tremendous variability in convection ovens. Lots of mediocre ones. I had a KitchenAid that was excellent, & my new GE Twin Flex is excellent too. I'm experimenting with the non-convection upper oven, relearning how to bake my standards without a fan. The differences aren't extreme, but I still like convection baking a bit better.