Convection Ovens Buyer's Guide

Convection Ovens: Additional Information

Convection ovens are gaining popularity in the foodservice industry because of their basic function of circulating heated air throughout the oven using a fan, which minimizes cool or hot spots in foods. The fan motor of convection ovens is housed in a separate enclosure to prevent overheating. Convection ovens offer a 50 degree Fahrenheit reduction in cooking temperatures over conventional ovens, yet still offers quicker cooking times. The exact reduction of cooking temperature will vary slightly depending on the amount of food that is being cooked as well as the size of the baking pans. Certain convection ovens also include a proofing capability to maximize functionality.

Types of Convection Ovens

Commercial convection ovens can be broken down into three basic category types, full size, half size, and countertop varieties. Full sized convection ovens are available in either gas or electric heated varieties and offer maximum cooking capacity. These large ovens range in size from 27.9" H x 40.1" W x 38.8" D up to 68.75" H x 36" W x 33" D.

Half-sized convection ovens offer the cooking capacity of full sized ovens, yet still pack all the cooking punch of the full sized models. Half-sized convection ovens are ideal for smaller businesses that have less available space. These commercial ovens have dimensions ranging from 8 5/8" H x 18 1/4" W x 14 1/2" D up to 45 1/6" H x 30 1/4" W x 25 5/8" D.

Countertop convection ovens have 10 different varieties of ovens to choose from, offering a solution to nearly any convection cooking need. These ten varieties of countertop convection ovens offer the portability and convenience of convection cooking in an easy to use format. Countertop convection ovens can be purchased in specialty convection ovens, cheese metler ovens, pizza ovens, pizza/pretzel ovens, toaster ovens, convection ovens, food finishers, all purpose ovens, deck ovens, and slow cook & hold ovens.

Stacking Options for Convection Ovens

Convection ovens can be either single, double, or triple stacked depending on the amount of cooking space you need. Single stacked ovens will have less cooking area than double or triple stacked varieties while the triple stacked oven can provide maximum available cooking area.

Heating Methods of Convection Ovens

Commercial convection ovens have two types of heating, either gas or electric. Gas heated convection ovens have a smaller start up time with faster cooking speeds. Gas heated ovens provide exceptional cooking temperatures quickly, which is particularly useful for high volume restaurants and foodservice businesses.

Electric heated convection ovens have slightly slower start up times, but offer a greater consistency in cooking temperature. Electric heated convection ovens have a smaller risk of mechanical failure, which minimizes maintenance time.

Door Options on Convection Ovens

There are a variety of door styles available on convection ovens. Commercial convection ovens can have either 1 glass door, 1 solid door, 1 glass & 1 solid door, 2 glass doors, or 2 solid doors.

Glass doors allow you to view your product without actually opening the door of the unit, which minimizes heat loss. This clear door also minimizes energy loss while maximizing efficiency.

Double doors are also known as French style doors. These doors have handles on both doors, allowing you to open one or both of them at a time.

Convection Oven Door Types

Convection oven doors can either be dependent or independent, depending on the specific model you choose. Dependent doors are doors that cannot be opened until the other door is open. Dependent doors are essentially blocked from opening unit the front, or independent door, has been opened.

Independent doors can be opened at any time. The convection oven you purchase may have one or two independent doors. A unit with two independent doors allows you to open each door individually or at the same time.

Convection Oven Controls

Convection ovens are available with eight different types of controls. Digital, manual, thermostatic, rotary, electronic, solid state, mechanical snap action, and programmable controls are all available depending on the specific type you choose.

Deep Depth Convection Ovens

Deep depth convection ovens are typically around 28" deep, which allows the used or load standard size pans in either direction, which cannot be done with standard size convection ovens. Pans can be faced in alternating directions for a more even airflow, which allows for more even cooking.