A convenient device that circulates hot air evenly to cook food. Then you need this device that can thoroughly and flawlessly cook your food. This article reviews the five best convection ovens to aid you in your search. In addition, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs), including:
- What foods do convection ovens cook best?
- Can I use a baking stone or pizza stone in a countertop convection oven?
- Do countertop convection ovens make food crispy?
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
Ninja DT201 Convection Toaster Oven
- It has a large size capacity that provides a two-level consistent cooking
- It provides 360 degrees even cooking without the need to flip it
- It features a digital display to select options
- It makes a perfect appliance for baking
The Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven is a massive toaster oven and air fry oven with True Surround Convection. This device provides ten times the convection power of a conventional convection oven to let you prepare perfectly and crispier cooked meals faster on a two-level without the need to rotate.
Another excellent feature of this high-quality, versatile appliance is its ten cooking functionalities, including air fry, air roast, whole roast, bake, pizza, toast, broil, bagel, dehydrate, and reheat.
What we like
True Surround Convection: This convection oven provides up to ten times the convection energy of a conventional big-size convection oven to get quicker, crispier and tasty results without even flipping the pans.
Versatility: Its versatility allows 10 cooking functions in one efficient 1800-watt device.
Quicker cooking: It can cook up to thirty percent faster than a full-sized convection oven taking only ninety seconds to preheat.
Large Capacity: Its massive size allows cooking two meals in one go on the dual oven racks, making it ideal for use during large gatherings.
Pros
- It has a large size capacity that provides a two-level consistent cooking
- It provides 360 degrees even cooking without the need to flip it
- It features a digital display to select options
- It makes a perfect appliance for baking
Cons
- The convection may take longer to cook than expected.
What foods are best cooked in a convection oven?
There are many kinds of foods that are best cooked in a convection oven, such as
- Grilled meat
- Baked vegetables
- Baked fried potatoes
- Casseroles
- Baking sheet meals
- Granola and roasted nuts
- Baked biscuits or cookies
- Baked pies and pastries
- Baked cakes
- Toasted foods
Can I use a baking or pizza stone in a countertop convection oven?
The answer is a definite yes. You can use a baking or pizza stone in a countertop convection oven with success.
It is easy and a delight to prepare pizza stones in a convection oven. To bake your frozen pizza in a countertop oven, you can use a pizza stone as these pizza stones evenly make the crust brown at the base of your pizza.
A convection oven generates and circulates hot air evenly and thoroughly to allow consistent browning, whereas the pizza stones allow a uniformed browning on the pizza crust at the base.
Does a countertop convection oven make food crispy?
You get that crispy texture and taste if you roast meat or vegetables. A convection oven helps to cook faster and evenly and allows equal heat distribution to the food resulting in a caramelized and crispy crust.
When the convection oven is turned on, your food cooks with the hot air of the convection, but once you turn it off, it becomes a conventional oven that bakes your food at a standard rate.
When you roast foods in countertop convection, the exhaust unit absorbs the moisture in the oven, so you get crispy and brown results. Use a sheet pan or roasting pans to bake your cookies or roast vegetables for best results.
Do professional chefs use convection ovens?
Many professional chefs use convection ovens depending upon the food they are preparing. They have their individual preferences on the cooking ovens they use.
Chefs worldwide prefer a convection oven as it efficiently heats their food evenly and quickly, saving them a lot of time.
In addition, professional chefs like using convection ovens because the fans on the oven can be turned off and used as traditional ovens when desired.
What are the disadvantages of a convection oven?
The disadvantages of convection ovens are
- A convection oven can be pricey compared to a conventional oven
- Some convection ovens can be loud and noisy
- Convection oven does not raise baked foods perfectly
- Some convection oven fans can be fragile and likely to break
- Baked foods are more prone to get burnt or overcooked if the cooking timer is not correctly set.
- Baked goods may not rise properly in a Convection oven.
What are the differences between convection and infrared ovens?
Convection and infrared ovens differ in price, noise, maintenance, storage convenience, energy efficiency, cleanups, etc.
Let us look into the details one by one.
Price: The price of these two devices depends on what brand and model you are purchasing. The price of the convection oven and infrared appliances may vary or cost the same.
Noise: Convection ovens are louder and noisier than infrared ovens. The fans in the convection ovens generate more sound and noise, whereas infrared ovens have lower air circulation, which is less noisy.
Space and storage: Infrared ovens are compact and have fewer parts, whereas convection ovens have more parts and are bulkier and larger. Thus, an infrared oven takes less space, while a convection oven needs a bigger space for storage.
Maintenance of device: Maintenance of these two appliances differs due to their build designs. Convection ovens are costlier as they have more features than infrared ovens, with lesser components.
Temperature control: A convection toaster is more oversized than an infrared toaster oven, which means it takes time to generate heat and cook your food efficiently.
On the other hand, an infrared toaster oven is compact and has a smaller-built design. As a result, the hot air in the oven concentrates on a smaller area allowing perfect and even cooking.
Energy efficiency: Convection ovens use more energy as they are large and generate more heat than infrared ovens. Also, convection ovens take longer to reach the desired temperature resulting in significant energy use, unlike the infrared ovens, which take less time to heat up. Thus, an infrared oven is more energy-efficient than a convection oven.
Convection toaster oven or air fryer?
The answer solely depends on your toasting requirements and what you are cooking. The convection toaster and air fryer have similar functions and features, but slightly different sets them apart.
Firstly, a convection toaster oven is used for baking, toasting, broiling or roasting and circulates heat using fans.
In contrast, an air fryer is a compact device that uses convection airflow to cook meals, and it comes with in-built efficient fans that circulate heat to make your food crispy.
Compared to the fans in convection toaster ovens, the air fryer has efficient heating that distributes heat evenly and quickly.
The convection toaster oven is your best choice to cook large meals in one go, unlike an air fryer where you can’t cook various foods at once.
An air fryer is your best bet if you want your food to be cooked faster, which cannot be achieved when you cook on a convection toaster oven as it takes considerable time to cook the food thoroughly.
Concerning price difference, the convection toaster oven is more affordable than an air fryer, which is more expensive.
How to adjust air-fryer recipes for a convection toaster oven?
Adjusting air fryer recipes for a convection toaster oven is simple.
Follow the steps below to adjust air fryer recipes for a convection toaster oven to get accurate results.
- Thoroughly clean the air fryer and the convection toaster oven.
- Preheat the convection toaster oven and the air fryer completely.
- Choose the BAKE function on the convection toaster oven and run the convection fan.
- Now, set and position the oven rack at the bottom of the toaster oven.
- To imitate the air fryer basket’s airflow while toasting on the convection toaster oven, place your food on the wire rack fitted inside the baking tray.
- Once everything is set, push the Air Fry button on the digital control panel.
- Set the specified temperature at or between 350 and 500 degrees and press the START button.
What to look for when purchasing a convection oven?
Follow the instructions below to choose the best convection oven for yourself
- Durability: Look for a sturdy and durably built device for more prolonged use.
- Interior design: Go for an easy to clean interior design that allows effortless cleaning.
- Check the knobs properly
- Get an ideal size best suited for your needs.
- Select options between electric or gas options
- Go for an appropriate vent system
- Look for a user-friendly device
Can you switch off the fan in a convection oven?
It depends on your cooking requirements. Most convection ovens come with fans that circulate heat to your food faster, but they also feature an option to turn the fans on or off, allowing you to choose what suits you best.
Why buy a convection oven?
- A convection oven cooks food evenly.
- A convection oven cooks meal quicker and more efficiently
- The versatile function of the convection oven allows for cooking
- more than one food simultaneously.
- You can place the food anywhere in the convection oven.
Can you cook pizza in a convection oven?
A convection oven comes with unique settings and options to cook different foods, including pizzas. Meals like Pizzas, cookies, bread and pies can cook perfectly in a convection oven, unlike the soft and delicate foods that take time for the dough to rise.
Is preheating necessary for a convection oven?
Yes, all convection ovens need preheating before use. Some convection ovens use multiple components during preheating, resulting in burnt food or overcooking. Regardless, preheat your convection oven before you cook your food.
The BLACK+DECKER 8-Slice Extra-Wide Stainless Steel Convection Countertop Toaster Oven is a unique kitchen appliance that efficiently performs significant baking tasks. It has a vast interior that can accommodate a full 13″ x9″ pan so that you can toast lasagna, brownies, or 12″ pizzas faster and efficiently.
It comes with four distinctive cooking functions: bake, roast, broil, and keep warm, allowing you to set the desired temperature and timing.
What we like
Wide interior: It is specifically designed to accommodate most typical 9″ x13″ oven pans, several slices of bread and a 12″ pizza. The interior oven dimensions are roughly about 16.5″X12.5″ X9.5.”
Multiple Functions: This convection toaster oven has four distinctive functions: baking, toasting, broiling, and keeping warm.
Pros
- It is user friendly
- Its spacious size can accommodate most oven pans with handles
- It features a detachable crumb tray for effortless cleanups.
- It comes with a dedicated toast timer.
Cons
- It may show faulty temperature readings.
The Mueller Austria Toaster oven is durably built with high-quality parts specially designed for precise toasting. It comes with a vast interior that can fit up to four slices of bread and a 9″ pizza at once.
It comes with a compact and elegant design that sits perfectly on your kitchen countertop. With a 150 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, the toaster oven distributes hot air and cooks your food evenly and faster.
This versatile toaster oven features multi-function settings that allow you to bake, toast, broil and keep warm.
What we like
Wide interior: This convection toaster oven has a vast interior that can fit up to 4 slices of bread and a 9″ Pizza.
High-quality parts: The toaster comes with top-quality components and has stainless steel finish that guarantees durability.
In-built timer: It comes with a dedicated 30-minute timer with automatic shutoff and correct toast settings and functions.
Versatility: It includes two oven racks that provide you with a versatile choice to cook your favorite foods simultaneously.
Pros
- It has a sturdy structure with a durable stainless steel finish
- It is easy to use and effortless to clean
- It is energy efficient
Cons
- It is a bit smaller than expected.
Chefman Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a unique appliance suitable for large families. It is an extra-large unit with a capacity of 20 liters and accommodates four slices of bread, a 10” pizza or an entire chicken, thus enabling you to cook many foods for the whole family.
It comes with two cooking functions that accurately and evenly cook your dishes efficiently and quickly.
Another excellent feature is its versatility, which allows you to cook 9 different cooking methods such as baking, air frying, broils, convection broils, convection bakes, etc.
What we like
Nine versatility presets: This versatile toaster has multi-functions that allow you to make your foods crispy choosing the 9 in one presets.
Large capacity: This air fryer toaster oven has a spacious interior to cook your favorite foods for the whole family. It can accommodate up to 10” pizza and four slices of bread.
Automatic shutoff: It has an automatic shutoff feature for additional safety. It comes equipped with overheating protection if the heat rises above the set temperature.
Pros
- It efficiently cooks food faster
- It is easy to clean
- It features an automatic shut off feature
Cons
- It may not be that quiet.
The Oster Convection Oven offers convenient cooking to cook your foods evenly and quickly. It is spacious enough to fit large casseroles, baking and roasting oven pans, and even two big Pizzas.
The Oster convection oven has a temperature range of 200 to 450 degrees with toast, bake, pizza, defrost digital settings, and a 90-minute timer with automatic shutoff.
What we like
Convection Technology: It comes with a convenient convection technology that circulates hot air to cook your meals faster, evenly and efficiently.
Wide interior: The convection oven has a vast interior that can accommodate several foods to feed the entire family. It can fit a whole chicken, two big pizzas, and eighteen portions of bread.
Digital settings: It features digital settings for bake, broil, pizza, defrost, or toast with a 90-minute minute timer that automatically shuts off when it’s done.
Pros
- It has an easy cleaning interior.
- It is user-friendly
- It comes with an expansive interior to accommodate many foods at a time
- It uses convection technology for quicker and even cooking
Cons
- Poorly designed door
Verdict
We understand that it is essential to go for the best convection oven to cook your food evenly and efficiently. Our final and top pick is the Ninja DT201 Foodi Convection Toaster Oven.
We recommend you go for this excellent appliance as it comes with a potent convection power to deliver you perfectly crispy foods that you have always wanted to have. Its versatility allows you to cook different foods simultaneously, saving you time and energy.