Convection ovens circulate hot air, which helps cookies, roasted vegetables, and many pastries brown evenly. But moving air is not ideal for every bake. At our store, we recommend using a conventional bake setting, if your oven has one, for foods that need a gentle, undisturbed rise or a soft surface. If your oven is convection-only, you can still make many of these recipes, but use a lower fan setting when available and watch the first batch closely.
Skip convection for angel food cake, chiffon cake, soufflés, and other airy mixtures that rely on a steady rise. A strong fan can set or brown the outside before the center finishes rising, and it may leave the top uneven. Conventional heat gives these bakes a calmer environment.
Crème brûlée, cheesecake, and similar custards do best with slow, even heating. Convection’s faster surface heating can contribute to browning or cracking before the center is set. Follow the recipe’s directions for a water bath, and choose conventional bake when you can.
A fan can move loose breadcrumbs, coconut, herbs, or lightweight pastry decorations before they adhere. It can also blow an unsecured sheet of parchment toward a heating element. Press toppings into place where appropriate, and keep parchment fully weighted by food and contained within the pan. Never preheat an oven with an empty sheet of parchment inside.
Some soft rolls and delicate sponge cakes are meant to stay tender rather than develop a pronounced crust. Convection may brown them sooner than you want. Conventional bake is the easier choice when the recipe specifies that setting or calls for minimal browning.
You do not need to avoid convection altogether. For sturdy foods baked across multiple trays, airflow can be useful. Leave space between pans, avoid overcrowding, and rotate trays if your oven heats unevenly. For more on setting up batches, see our guide to multi-tray batch baking in a countertop convection oven.
Yes. Convection works well for many cookies, especially when you are baking more than one tray. Start checking a few minutes before the recipe’s stated time because they may brown faster.
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