They have a wide range of interesting functions and modes, depending on the gas ones.
Let's look at the main modes of ovens.
This mode ensures even heating working chamber before use from above and below. This mode is standard, it is available in almost all models. In this mode, dishes are cooked on the same level oven. Great for making pies or pizza. In convection mode the fan operates and heating element, constantly and evenly distributing heat. At the same temperature, you can cook different dishes at the same time. This mode is suitable for baking pies and pastries, using up to three levels simultaneously. It is also good to use when preparing frozen dishes. With the help of convection we reduce cooking time.
In addition to the lower and upper heating elements, there is also an internal fan. Using this mode, you can cook various dishes on two levels, because the heat distribution is not only uniform, but also constant.
Top heating
We complete the preparation of the dish using the upper heating element. Also in this mode we can cook delicious cookies, give the dish a golden brown crust.
Bottom heating
When using bottom heating, we get a delicious pie with a crispy crust, browning it using the "top heat" mode. In this mode, heat comes only from below.
Using the grill mode we can get gourmet dish. With its help, we not only fry the cinnamon, but also brown it, which makes the dish more original. There are such types of grill as small grill, large grill and turbo grill.
Using a small grill you can cook a toaster.
In this mode, heat is radiated from a large grill surface. This mode is suitable for cooking large quantity thin products.
Unlike the “large grill” mode, it is intended for large pieces of meat, while frying well and bringing to a golden brown crust. With this mode, there is no need to rotate the spit, because the prepared dish, for example meat, turns out tender and juicy.
Grill with convection
Here modes such as convection and grill heating element work alternately. With the help of a fan, heat is distributed around the food being prepared. In this mode it is recommended to cook large pieces of meat, poultry, and you can also cook fish.
Top heating plus convection
In this mode, the fan and the upper heating element operate. Convenient for preparing dry baked goods, including pasta.
Bottom heating plus convection
Works using a bottom heating element and convection. Suitable for preparing all kinds of semi-finished products, as well as for preparing food from fish or frozen foods.
"Accelerated heating"
Using this mode we quickly heat up the oven. It is not recommended for use in cooking or cooking. Using this mode, we save not only time, but also energy.
Designed to heat the internal area of the oven. This mode is not recommended for cooking. In this mode, as in the “Accelerated heating” mode, you cannot cook.
With this mode you can prepare pizza in just a few minutes. Also suitable for preparing pies and other dishes, whatever your imagination allows.
Before purchasing any equipment, you should think about what innovations have appeared in it. After all, progress does not stand still. Every year, companies develop models, supplemented with new and very useful features. In ovens this is the convection mode.
What is convection mode in standard and mini ovens?
In order to understand what this mode is, you need to understand what convection is. Convection refers to the process of circulating warm and cold air inside the oven: warm air rises and the cold one falls. This happens until the temperature inside it becomes the same.
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Based on the above, it turns out that this function is available in every oven, and this is partly true. So what is a convection oven? It would seem that this is an ordinary oven, but in reality everything is not so simple, because convection in the oven can be different.
Types of convection
There are two types of convection: free and forced. The first, as mentioned above, is available in every oven, but the second is the same additional mode. The role of the convector in in this case dedicated to the fan, which is built into the rear wall. As a rule, it is turned on separately and runs on electricity. Let's look at the pros and cons of each type.
| Free | Forced | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Presence in every model | Slow heating due to free air circulation | Fast heating achieved by the built-in fan | High cost |
| Small price | Uneven cooking of food | Uniformly frying food | |
| Burnt bottom of baked goods along with unsuitable top | The bottom and top of the baked goods fit at the same time | ||
| There is no possibility to prepare multiple dishes | You can cook several different dishes using different baking sheets | ||
| The cooking result is unpredictable | The cooking result will always be amazing | ||
As can be seen from the table, forced convection in the oven is much better than free convection.
Subtypes of forced convection
A built-in convector in an oven can be either simple, the main task of which is to evenly distribute heat inside the oven, or distinctive. This may include:
- reinforced convectors provide fast flow of hot air;
- with a heating circuit equipped with additional heating elements;
- with steam distribution function allowing maximum cooking healthy food(almost steamed, with a minimum amount of oil).
Each of these convectors is . For example, reinforced ones are especially well suited for roasting meat. In this case, a rapid flow of hot air promotes the formation of a crust, which in turn prevents the meat from drying out. Convectors with a heating circuit add heat to the oven, thereby allowing it to evaporate if necessary. excess liquid when baking dishes with tomatoes or zucchini.
The oven is like a furnace: the principle of operation of the new mode
For this purpose, the panel of the plate has special button. After pressing it, the fan turns on, which accelerates the air flow, thereby helping to warm up the oven faster.
The convection mode in the oven undoubtedly has its advantages. One of them is improved air circulation, which allows you to achieve the desired results with a minimum of effort. Consider in comparison:
- V regular oven when the baking sheet is inserted, the bottom of the dish burns, but the top is not yet ready;
- In an oven with a fan, even several inserted baking sheets will not interfere with the uniform cooking of any dish, including baked goods.
It is worth noting that as soon as the temperature inside the cabinet reaches the required limits, the fan will turn off on its own. Therefore, you should not be afraid of additional energy costs.
Built-in gas oven: with or without convector?
Most housewives prefer gas stoves and this is not without reason, because gas is cheaper than electricity. So what is convection? This is a regular gas oven, supplemented by a fan, usually powered by electricity.
Despite the fact that a stove with convection costs an order of magnitude more than a conventional one, it is best to give preference to it. Find out if your chosen oven is equipped with a gas oven the desired function a special icon will help. It will also indicate what kind of convection in the stove: enhanced, with a contour or wet.
What does the convection icon look like?
There are special icons on the front panel of the oven that indicate all its functions. They are quite simple and straightforward. So the heating elements are marked with a dash, and the convector looks like a fan or an airplane propeller, so it’s not at all difficult to guess what kind of sign this is.
Tabletop electric oven with convector
Despite the fact that an electric oven with a fan often has two heating elements at once (top and bottom), it also has a significant drawback - uneven cooking. Baked goods, as well as other dishes, burn from the bottom and the far wall. To avoid such a result, the housewife has to constantly change the sides of the baking sheet and turn the dish itself over.
Convection in an electric oven will not only help avoid such troubles, but will also give the baked goods a golden brown color. Thanks to the fan, the heat in the oven is distributed evenly, and not just around the edges. This is what allows you to get excellent results even when preparing several dishes at the same time.
Combined oven: grill and convector
The grill function has long been known to all housewives. But a grill with a convector is a completely new concept. The oven with convection and grill has the following advantages:
- no pre-defrosting of meat, this saves time for housewives;
- possibility of baking large pieces of meat;
- the formation of a crust that prevents juices from flowing out of the meat.
Conclusion: Is a built-in convection oven necessary?
To summarize, let's highlight the main points:
- What is convection in a stove? This is the process of circulating warm and cold air inside the oven. Speaking in simple words, the process of heating the oven is convection.
- Why is there a fan in the oven? A convector, also known as a fan, accelerates air circulation and evenly distributes heat throughout the internal volume of the oven.
- What is convection in the oven for? This function is necessary to simplify the preparation of dishes and obtain excellent results with a minimum of effort.
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A convection oven is a dream for every housewife.
In stores household appliances You can find a huge variety of ovens today. However, a modern oven sometimes has so many modes that many women have no idea how to use them. Therefore, in this article we decided to understand in more detail all the modes and understand how they affect cooking.
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Photo gallery: How to use the oven. Part 1
Don't forget to reheat
Many manufacturers recommend preheating the dish to the desired temperature before putting the dish in the oven. This is right. But there are exceptions when the product can be placed in a cold oven. For example, fatty meat. In this case, a couple of minutes before the end of cooking, the oven can be turned off. The dish will be cooked due to the residual temperature. During cooking, the oven door should be opened as little as possible to maintain the desired temperature inside.
Heating modes in ovens for cooking
Every oven has different modes heating Let's look at them in more detail:
- Mode 1: bottom + top heating. This mode is present in all ovens. It may also be called classical, traditional or static heating. The lower and upper heating are turned on simultaneously, with a hot flow rising from below and a cool flow falling from above. The cooking process is slow, and the heat is not always distributed evenly. But for cooking some dishes this mode is completely suitable. For example, for savory baked goods, muffins, cakes, bread, cookies, biscuits, stuffed vegetables, fish, lasagna, roasts, poultry, pork ribs and lean beef.
- Mode 2: bottom heating + top heating + fan. The operating principle of this mode is a little similar to the previous one. However, due to the fan, which is installed on the back wall, the flow of hot air is distributed evenly throughout the oven. If you are planning to cook a dish using this heating mode, keep in mind that the food short time will brown quickly. Thanks to this, you can maintain the juiciness of the dish and get a crispy crust. The cooking process is reduced by approximately 30%.
This mode is suitable for dishes that require even cooking on the outside and inside, such as cakes, roasts, casseroles, roasts and pork knuckles.
Just a note. Ovens with a fan are called multifunctional, and without it - statistical.
- Mode 3: lower intensive heating + upper heating. This is another variation of the classic mode. But the lower heating element is more powerful. Therefore, it is recommended to cook in this mode when you need to quickly fry a dish from top to bottom. In addition, it is excellent for forms that do not conduct heat well: aluminum dishes, glass, and so on.
- Mode 4: bottom heating Bottom heating is present in every oven, but depending on the complexity of the model, it plays a different role and has different levels power. It is recommended to be used for drying pies with wet filling. Low heat is also chosen for long-term baking.
This mode has its drawbacks: it takes more time to prepare the dish and the housewife must control the baking process (move the baking sheet higher or lower, unroll it).
- Mode 5: bottom heating + fan. The principle of operation of this mode is almost the same as that of low heating. However, due to the fan, the cooking process proceeds more quickly. The heat from below rises to the ceiling, and at this moment the air currents created by the fan lift it and spread it throughout the oven. Chefs recommend using this mode when you need to quickly finish baking or bake an open pie. This mode is also convenient for baking low-rising pastries made from yeast dough. Advantages of this mode: the baked goods are evenly toasted on all sides and at the same time juicy on the inside.
Note: in order not to disturb the circulation of heated air over the dish, it is recommended to use low pans when baking in this mode.
- Mode 6: top heating This mode is convenient because the heating is not too intense. It is almost suitable for frying on top ready meals(for example, for casseroles, browning breadings, cakes), as well as for grilling lightly fried vegetables. Top heating is good for cooking julienne, as well as those dishes that need a golden brown crust on top.
- Mode 7: top heating + fan. This is an “accelerated version” of the previous mode of cooking. Thanks to this mode, you can achieve a light golden crust on the surface of the dish with uniform internal heating. Therefore, you should choose this mode for dishes that are baked in molds: vegetable soufflés, casseroles, lasagna and meat.
- Mode 8: ring heater + fan. The spiral heater is located on back wall oven, and there is also a fan inside it. Thanks to this, the air is distributed horizontally and quickly fills the entire chamber. The horizontal movement of hot air flows allows you to cook several dishes at once, which are installed on 2-3 levels of the oven. But at the same time, the temperature for all dishes should be the same. The advantage is that even when preparing different dishes, their aromas and tastes will not mix. This is because drier air inside the oven and the removal of humidity prevents this from happening.
This mode combines efficiency and high speed. This is very convenient on the eve of various holidays, when you need to prepare many dishes in a short time. This heating is very gentle and does not cause the food to burn on either side. The operation of a ring heater with a fan is excellent for drying herbs, fruits, mushrooms, puff pastry, sterilizing home-canned food and all dishes that should be juicy inside and well-baked.
Note: in this mode you should set the cooking time a little less, as the dish cooks faster.
- Mode 9: ring heater + fan + bottom heating. This cooking mode uses intense and even heat. But unlike the previous mode, only the middle level of the oven is used here. It can be used to cook French fries, semi-finished products, strudel, and pizza. The dish will be well cooked: the filling will remain juicy and the dough will be browned. In addition to pizza, you can cook cheesecakes, buns, pies with glaze and fruit pies, cheesecakes, baked potatoes.
In addition to cooking, this mode can be used to heat, defrost and keep food hot.
- Mode 10: ring heating + fan + bottom + top heating. This function is very rare and only in expensive models. Many may have a question: why so many functions at the same time? Everything is very simple. Firstly, it allows you to reach the desired temperature in a short time. Secondly, the food is also cooked much faster. This function is needed for technical dishes that require the formation of a golden brown crust and deep baking. Sometimes the heaters are used only halfway, and sometimes to the maximum.
When you're shopping for new appliances for your kitchen, salespeople invariably try to offer you the newest, most feature-rich, and expensive models. Some features are considered almost essential, but is this true? Let's talk about what convection is in an oven and why it is needed. And is it necessary at all?
How the oven works
If your kitchen has an ordinary gas stove old model, then in her oven everything is arranged in such a way that it couldn’t be simpler: at the bottom there are one or two burners, above which you can install shelves with baking sheets at different heights. Heating occurs only from below, the upper part of the baked product is browned only in natural convection mode. By the term we mean the movement of heated air masses, accompanied by heat exchange.
In such an oven, this very often happens: on the one hand, on the far wall, the pies or roast have already begun to brown and burn, and the part located closer to the door has not even browned yet. You have to take out a baking sheet or pan and turn it over to even out the heat. But not all types of tests can withstand such manipulations without consequences. For example, your sponge cake may well fall off. There is no need to talk about the capricious meringue - it needs a very careful baking regime so that the delicate foam does not settle.
A more modern gas stove may also have a top burner in the oven. Sometimes the top heating element may be electric and the bottom burner may be gas. Having an additional heat source greatly simplifies the cooking process. If necessary, you can adjust the heat in the oven from above and below and cook grilled dishes.
Electric ovens, even not the latest models, have more than one heating element. But even this does not ensure high-quality, uniform baking of the products you cook in your oven.
This happens because natural convection in a household oven occurs slowly and depends on other factors. For example, on the width of the baking tray placed - if there are no gaps left on the sides, hot air from the bottom of the oven simply will not get into it top part. The bottom crust is doomed to burn, and the top crust will remain uncooked.
And then the compulsory regime comes to the rescue. This is exactly the mode that home appliance sellers praise so much when they offer you to buy an electric oven.
What is forced convection
In this case it means mode forced circulation air in the oven. The movement of hot air masses is provided by a fan.
IN closed space The oven blowing creates a real vortex of hot air. This vortex evenly heats the product from all sides. Nothing else burns on the bottom; the top is covered with a beautiful crispy crust.
The fan is usually located on the back wall of the stove and is turned on separately.
What is this mode used for?
It allows you to successfully bake large pieces of meat, bake wonderful pies and large pies, make delicate meringues, and even simply dry herbs, citrus zest or crackers. You can even do without heating, just cold convection. Its low heat allows you to quickly defrost meat or vegetables from the freezer. The enabled mode will allow you to use with maximum efficiency the entire volume of the oven: even if you put two or three baking sheets inside, everything will bake evenly.
It is not necessary to use this mode every time you cook. It can be turned on in cases where it is really necessary:
- to ensure a crispy crust;
- to dry up too much secreted juice;
- for good baking of a large pie or poultry carcass.
Types of convectors
Most often your electric oven This opportunity is provided by a fan of simple design, the function of which is simply to drive air through the volume. A fan surrounded by an additional heating circuit is more efficient.
Some models of Miele electric stoves have a convenient wet convection function. When this mode is turned on, the air inside the oven is saturated with steam. Dishes do not dry out, the dough rises better, and you can generally steam anything without the harmful frying.
In Neff brand cabinets, manufacturers build in reinforced fans that create a rapid flow of hot air. Rapid heating gives a good effect in autumn: the product is quickly covered with a dried layer, which prevents the juices from evaporating during further baking.
All of the above applies to electric ovens. Until recently, the usual gas stove was deprived of a convenient forced mode.
But recently the Electrolux company launched a new product on the market: now a gas stove can be equipped with a fan. So far, only a free-standing gas stove can have this function, but it is not a fact that manufacturers will stop developing new models.
The fact is that a gas stove still outsells an electric one, at least if we're talking about about separately standing slabs. AND Russian market- is no exception. Gas in our country is still cheaper than electricity. Therefore, a gas stove is used in 80 kitchens out of 100. Now those for whom a gas stove is more suitable will also be able to appreciate gas oven with convection.
How to understand what the icons on the control panel mean
Usually to designate each of possible modes a specific icon is used. Despite some differences, these icons are always similar and indicate the same operating modes.
Indicator table
| Icon | Designation | How it works |
| Lighting | Lamp interior lighting turns on regardless of the selected cooking mode | |
| Static oven | Traditional convection cooking | |
| Low fan heating level | Hot air cooking, only the bottom heating element works | |
| Grill | The grill heater is working | |
| Grill with fan | Convection grilling | |
| Hot fan | Cooking with hot air, which is distributed quickly and evenly by a fan | |
| Upper and lower fan heating levels | Cooking by convection with a fan, both the upper and lower heating elements work. | |
| Defrosting and reheating | The convector and the lower heating element work simultaneously. |
Video: in simple words about what it is and why it is needed in the kitchen
Designations on the oven in the form of icons or icons help the housewife to choose the appropriate mode of operation of the device for the occasion. Explanation of symbols must be present in the operating instructions.
Modern ovens delight their mistresses with abundance. But understanding them can be not so easy, especially when you have to read not advertising brochures, but small icons on the control panel. Pictograms around the rotary knobs, on the buttons and even on touch screens are numerous and varied - so you won’t be able to remember them all the first time, much less figure out what they mean. Of course, you should first read the instructions for yours, but sometimes even it may not contain the answer to this simple question.
Designations often differ depending on what type of control is implemented in a particular model. Therefore, we will divide them into groups according to the same principle to make it easier to navigate.
Mechanical control panel
Conventional rotary knobs are most often found on inexpensive ovens with a small number of modes, as well as on gas models, since they also do not have rich functionality. The number of icons here is usually small and it will be easier to understand them. The easiest way to navigate is with the indicators of a timer or thermostat, around which the manufacturer has simply prescribed the heating temperature. You will have to get acquainted with other icons.
The most popular designations:
- “Light” – turns on the lighting in the oven for visual control of food preparation.
- “Snowflake” or “Snowflake with drops” – defrosting food.
- A horizontal line at the top of the pictogram, at the bottom, or simultaneously in two parts of the square - respectively, heating by the upper, lower heating element, or both at once.
- If the lines are dotted, this is a low-temperature or gentle cooking mode at +70..+120 °C.
- The fan symbol indicates convection mode, that is, blowing hot air into the chamber. As a rule, it is supplemented by the position line of the working heating element.
- The wavy line or teeth symbolize the grill. Additional horizontal stripe above the icon is the fast grilling mode, and the convection icon corresponds to the turbo grill program.
- Double-sided horizontal arrow with a pair of arms – skewer.
When using convection in the oven, it is recommended to choose a heating temperature 20-40 °C lower than in the case of conventional modes.
Sometimes on the oven panels there are simple and recognizable symbols of modes for specific dishes, for example, for baking pizza, bread or pastry. It’s easy to guess the purpose of the selected option, but its characteristics (cooking time and heating temperature) are best clarified in the instructions.
Electromechanics
This control panel allows you to more accurately set and control the operating modes of the oven. That's why we use our own icons here - much more more. And although different manufacturers may have their own set of icons, large and most popular brands like Siemens, Bosch, Electrolux and Hotpoint-Ariston preferred to simplify the task for their customers and adhere to approximately the same designation system.
- A horizontal line with a wavy “stream of steam” rising above it (one or three) – maintaining the temperature of ready-made dishes at +60..+100 °C.
- A pie shaped with three vertical wavy lines is the so-called Gratin mode, which allows you to create a brown baked crust on the surface of the food.
- The same three waves, but on their own, or the “Sun” icon indicate the drying mode.
In addition, on the panels of multifunctional ovens you can find icons corresponding to such modes as: heating plates before serving, and starters (“Glass”), proofing yeast dough, sterilizing canned food.
Today there are quite a few additional icons for different modes convection. The following symbols may appear next to the fan:
- LTC – Slow cooking, which results in juicier, larger roasted cuts of meat.
- Three drops – additional processing of products with hot steam.
- “Leaflet” - the so-called eco mode with minimal costs electricity.
Electronic PU touch screen
LED symbols look attractive and intriguing on the screen of such a panel. And all because there can be an unlimited number of them, which is what manufacturers take advantage of, coming up with new designations for the cooking modes being introduced. In addition, the features of the sensor allow you to set for individual programs additional options, which are also displayed as icons.
- "Hours" or two vertical stripes with an arrow pointing to the right - indicate that the cooking time can be set for the selected mode. If the arrow points to the left, it means you are required to set the end time for the oven.
- “Bell” – a sound notification about the end of the program and the readiness of the dish.
