Whats the difference between a conventional and convection oven

The oven is often the center of the kitchen, and having a quality model will match your cooking skills and interests as well as provide accessories and capabilities that will allow you to take your cooking skills to the next level. However, if you’re new to the oven game, you're likely to be surprised at the sheer number of models to choose from. Choosing the right type of heating element can be a challenge, let alone picking the size and style of your new oven. Thankfully, when it comes to ovens, there are only two main types, traditional and convection, although there are specialty ovens, such as those with steam heating, which come in both standalone and combination options. Keep reading this in-depth comparison to learn more about traditional and convection ovens and narrow down your choices. 

What is a traditional oven? 

Also known as conventional ovens, traditional ovens usually contain two heating elements on the top and bottom of the oven. These heating elements heat the air inside the oven in order to cook your food. Conventional ovens, as the name suggests, are the most common and are available in a wide price range. For conventional ovens the bottom heating element is used most frequently while the top one is almost exclusively used for broiling. Like convection ovens, traditional ovens can be powered by gas or electricity, and come in all shapes and sizes. 

Traditional oven pros 

Because traditional ovens have been around longer than convection ovens, they tend to be more intuitive for the average user. Plus, most recipes are written for traditional ovens, which is ideal for anyone who’s learning how to cook. Traditional ovens aren’t as dry as convection ovens either, which is especially helpful for anyone who wants to keep their meat juicy. 

Because convection ovens can cause baked goods, especially those with yeast, to rise and cook too quickly, traditional ovens tend to be better for baking. In this vein, traditional ovens are capable of baking a wider variety of goods than convection ovens are. Whether you’re planning on baking a blueberry pie with a flaky crust or a dense loaf of rye bread, a conventional oven can handle it all. 

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Last, and certainly not least, traditional ovens tend to be far cheaper than their convection and combination counterparts. 

Traditional oven cons 

Although traditional ovens have a lot of upsides, and are a great way to make your first foray into the world of necessary kitchen appliances, they aren’t without their drawbacks. First and foremost, the main con of traditional ovens is that they don’t cook as evenly as convection ovens do. Because the heating elements are located on the top and bottom of the oven, it’s likely that you will have to rotate whatever you are cooking a few times to ensure evenness. This is true for traditional ovens that include a fan in an attempt to ‘mimic’ convection heating. People who are interested in a combination oven should note that there aren’t any combination ovens that provide both convection and traditional heating elements. 

Another con of traditional ovens is that it’s difficult to cook multiple dishes at once because if one is too close to the heating element on the top or bottom, it’s likely that it will burn. Furthermore, because there will be pockets of cold and warm air in a traditional oven, cooking multiple dishes makes the heating even more uneven. 

Lastly, traditional ovens don’t cook as fast or as efficiently as convection ovens do. Regardless of whether you choose electricity or gas to power your oven, traditional ovens tend to require more energy to heat up and cook as well as more time, making them less ideal for anyone who usually cooks on a time crunch. Plus, the increased need for gas or electricity to power your traditional oven may cancel out the savings from opting out of purchasing a more expensive convection oven over time. 

What is a convection oven?  

Unlike traditional ovens, convection ovens use a fan and exhaust system to surround your food with continually circulating hot air. This method of heating allows you to cook faster and achieve a more consistent result. Convection ovens completely eliminate the pockets of cold air that traditional ovens have to deal with by using an exhaust system in conjunction with a fan that circulates the air. Aside from the difference in heating method, convection and traditional ovens are quite similar. It should also be noted that you can simply turn the convection feature off and use your convection oven as a traditional oven. Like traditional ovens, convection ovens come in all shapes, sizes and styles and can be powered by both gas and electricity. 

Convection oven pros

First and foremost, Convection ovens cook faster, more evenly and require less energy than their traditional counterparts. Although they are more expensive on average, the time saved cooking and money saved on electricity or gas can make a convection oven cost effective for certain people. 

Because convection ovens surround your food with hot air, you don’t have to worry about rotating your food while it’s cooking. Convection ovens are better at browning and crisping than traditional ovens. Also, if you want to invest in an oven that can do it all, there are combination convection ovens that also have a steam function. Expect to pay a premium for high quality combination ovens. However, convection ovens are quite versatile on their own and are more than capable of cooking multiple dishes at once. 

Convection oven cons 

As previously mentioned, convection ovens, on average, are more expensive than traditional ovens, which significantly raises the barrier to entry. Furthermore, because convection ovens require an exhaust vent that leads to the exterior of the building, installing them may be costly and in some cases, not possible. 

Another downside of convection ovens is the fact that they’re also harder to use for many, especially since most recipes aren’t written for convection ovens. In fact, it’s likely that if you use a convection oven you will have to adjust the suggested cooking time and temperature to avoid burning your food. 

Furthermore, convection ovens are limited in that they aren’t quite as good at baking as traditional ovens are. This should be taken into account for anyone that primarily uses their oven for baking as opposed to cooking meals. Lastly, convection ovens are louder than the traditional ovens thanks to the fan and exhaust system. 

Should you get a traditional or convection oven? 

Choosing between a convection and traditional oven is intimidating. Thankfully, it’s not as difficult as it seems. What it boils down to is understanding what you want to get out of your oven, how much you want to spend and how often you will use it. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t intend on using your oven on a nightly or even weekly basis, opt for a traditional oven that will get the job done without breaking the bank. On the other hand, if you’re willing to shell out some extra cash and enjoy cooking, a convection oven is a great way to maximize your oven. Convection ovens can always be used as traditional ovens by simply turning the fan off, which means you can get the best of both worlds.