The conventional oven and the convection oven are confused with each other due to their similar look and style, and a lot of their functioning is quite the same as well. The conventional ovens have existed for over half a century, and have derived their functioning from traditional ovens that are over 4,000 years. They function with a bottom-up heat transfer from a fixed burner source.
Conventional Oven vs Convection Oven
The main difference between a conventional oven and convection oven is that the former depends on a system that provides heat from underneath the tray. In contrast, the latter uses a system of circulating the heat around the cavity.
The convection ovens were made recently as a way to get better heating results for all types of dishes and recipes, with the introduction of a fan system along with an exhaust which allows the circulation of hot air around the cavity of the oven.
Comparison Table Between Conventional Oven and Convection Oven (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of Comparison | Conventional oven | Convection oven |
|---|---|---|
| Functioning/Design | It uses a bottom-up heat transfer technique, which is expelled by a heat source, usually a gas flame inside the oven. | It uses a fan system along with an exhaust which allows the circulation of hot air around the cavity of the oven. |
| Heat distribution | Due to the oven dispensing heat from below, the distribution of heat is uneven in some areas. | The oven surrounds the cavity with heat, so all areas receive the same amount of heat as the others. |
| Baking performance | Conventional ovens can be used to bake cakes without any hassle or worry. | Convection ovens are not the best for baking, due to the quicker heat-up of the outside of the dish than the inside. |
| Speed performance | Conventional ovens have a disadvantage in terms of speed due to the requirement of pre-heating before actually cooking. | Convection ovens can cook a lot faster than conventional ones, and at the same time, do not require pre-heating. |
| Familiarity | Many cookbook recipes are made for conventional ovens. | Due to it being comparatively newer, all the recipes have to be adjusted and converted to suit convection ovens. |
What is Conventional Oven?
Conventional ovens have been around for a long time, ever since the 1950s as a matter a fact. Their basic core design has been modified quite a lot since its first release, and a lot of its functionality can be traced back to traditional ovens dating more than 4,000 years.
They have been designed to have a bottom-up heat transferring structure. The heat source is located underneath the tray, and the source of the heat is either a burner or a gas flame.
They are available in an electric option as well, so the consumption of resources varies. Alongside, they also have a broil function that helps in the cooking of dairy infused products.
Conventional ovens are not as cost-effective as the newer versions that are available on the market in terms of maintenance, even though they cost lesser to purchase. Conventional ovens have existed for a long time, and hence why a lot of the recipes that exist are written keeping this type of oven in mind.
What is Convection Oven?
A newer and advanced version of the regular conventional ovens, the convection oven was introduced with a few added features that made cooking much comfortable. Convection ovens were not given the same internal design as that of conventional ovens. Instead, they introduced a fan dial feature, where an exhaust would help the circulation of hot air all around the dish, to provide an even distribution of heat.
Due to even distribution of heat, the convection oven became a viable option for all types of recipes that involved getting an evenly crisp texture.
But, the convection oven was found to be a lousy option for baking, due to the evenly distributed heat, sometimes the outside of the cake would heat up faster. It can still be changed with adjustment of the dial settings. Convention ovens have always posed a more significant advantage over conventional ovens, and are also a cost-effective choice in the long run.
Though being a better option, till date many cookbook recipes involve use of conventional ovens, so in order to cook with convection ovens, one must adjust all the settings and timers accordingly.
Main Differences Between Conventional Oven and Convection Oven
- Conventional ovens use the bottom-up heat transfer feature, while convection ovens involve a fan and exhaust system for heat transfer.
- Conventional ovens have existed for longer and hence why everyone Is familiar with its use, and many recipes involve their application. In contrast, for convection ovens, one must change and adjust all the settings accordingly.
- Conventional ovens are slower due to the requirement of pre-heating, while convection ovens don’t have such a condition and hence are quicker.
- Conventional ovens are preferred for baking compared to convection ovens; because convection ovens heat the outer layer faster at times.
- Conventional ovens do not perform an even heat distribution as compared to convection ovens; this is because convection ovens can surround the dish with heat with the help of the fan system.
Conclusion
The similarity in looks between the conventional and convection ovens poses a great confusion, but once a person learns the inner working, the differences become apparent. Conventional ovens have been around for many decades, and many households have resorted to their use for years.
Still, with the introduction of the convection oven, a far better option was available on the market. Convection ovens provided a fan and exhaust system which enabled an even heat distribution for dishes. It became a more viable option in every way possible, even cost-wise. Hence why, in the long run, a convection oven is a good investment as compared to a conventional oven.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16070658.1985.11720309
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.2740670302