Convection
Oven Tips
From Barb Hofmeister
When we first
got our American Dream motorhome, I was thankful that we had a regular
oven in addition to the convection oven. I didn't think I would ever use
the convection part of that oven. Only four months after we had our new
motorhome, we attended the FMCA national convention which was held in Pomona
California in the spring of 1997. One of the seminars I attended was the
convection cooking class sponsored by Sharp Electronics which makes a lot
of the micro/convection ovens for RVs. When I saw how easy it was to convection
cook I couldn't wait to try it on my own. And I love it; the only thing
I use the regular oven for is a storage place.
Here are some tips:
In most cases
when convection baking the temperature should be reduced by 50 degrees
and then bake as you normally would.
The exception
to the above is when the baking time is 13 minutes or less. The temperature
can remain the same as a regular oven. In the case of cookies I find they
are done one minute earlier or at least on the low side of the suggested
baking time. The great thing about convection cooking is that the shelves
can be close together and I get even cooking. I bake three shelves of cookies
at one time. One on the turntable, and then one on each of the two wire
racks which stack.
For much of
my convection baking I use those disposable aluminum pans. I especially
love the pizza pans. They fit perfectly. For cakes, Instead of using a
13 x 9 x 2 pan, I use two square pans or three loaf pans. Since they can
all be baked at once it doesn't really matter.
For great baked
potatoes that only take a little while to bake, I microwave two potatoes
(or more if we have company) for 3-4 minutes. Then I butter the outside
of the potatoes and place them on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle salt
on the potatoes and place the foil and potatoes on the turntable. Set the
convection oven at 325 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. It is like they
were baked in an oven for one hour.
Do not use
aluminum foil or metal pans when micro waving, but when convection cooking
all types of baking pans are okay.
Use caution
when micro waving immediately after baking in the oven. The rack, turntable
and walls will be very hot and may melt some microwave dishes. I sometimes
bake a roast then want to warm up some leftover vegetables using the same
oven at the microwave setting. For this I use ovenware or I have placed
the microwave dishes on a dishtowel or pot holder on the turntable.
Don't be afraid
to try the probe for roasts. It cooks them to perfection. What a treat.
When reheating
foods try the reheat button. It uses a sensor to detect when foods are
hot. It works like a charm most of the time and doesn't over heat foods.
I don't know
if I have been much help, but basically I wanted to share that the convection
oven is not a monster; it is just something new and can be learned. I think
it is wonderful.
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