Appliance Debate: Should I Buy a Convection Oven or Not?
Are you wondering if a convection oven is a good pick for your kitchen? Or what a convection oven actually does?
Keep reading for the pros and cons to see if a convection oven is really worth having, some top-rated brands, and what our whole team thinks about them (I was surprised by the responses)!
What’s the difference between a convection oven and a conventional oven?
Convection ovens:
A convection oven cooks food by circulating air via a fan placed in the back of the oven. Continuously moving air results in faster cook times and more evenly cooked food.
I love how Fine Cooking put it: “To help understand this further, consider the wind chill: When cold air blows against you on a blustery winter day, you feel colder more quickly than you do on a windless day of the same temperature.”
Conventional ovens:
Conventional ovens cook via radiant heat originating from the inside top and bottom of the oven. There is no fan to move air.
Pros (and Cons) of Convection Ovens:
Pros of Convection Ovens:
- Faster cook times.
- Foods cook more evenly.
- You can place 3 racks of cookies in at a time without rotating the pans for even cooking.
- Acceleration effect positively impacts cooking.
- Browns meats faster and keeps them juicier.
- Butter is released more quickly, creating flakier bread.
- Vegetables become nice and crisp on the edges and stay juicy in the middle.
- Food cooks about 25% faster than a traditional oven.
- Temperature inside stays more consistent.
- Self-cleaning feature.
- No flavor transfer, so you can cook multiple types of food at once.
Cons of Convection Ovens:
- Some fans can be louder than a traditional oven.
- They’re more expensive than traditional ovens.
- The fan can sometimes blow around foil or parchment paper, interfering with your food.
- Food is more susceptible to burn if the cooking time is not properly adjusted.
- Baked goods may not rise properly.
Here are 3 highly-rated convection wall ovens:
1. GE
GE – 30″ Built-In Single Electric Convection Wall Oven | $1,569.99 (open box from $470+)
“I swapped out my 15-year-old black GE profile for a stainless steel version. My old one still worked perfectly, I just needed the stainless color to match my kitchen renovation. This new model is so great and even quieter than my old one! I also love cooking with the convection option, which is nice for roasts and saves me time.”
– Steve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. KitchenAid
KitchenAid – 30″ Built-In Single Electric Convection Wall Oven | $1,899.99
“I’m very pleased with my new KitchenAid oven! It bakes very consistently and the temperature is extremely accurate, unlike a previous oven where the temperature fluctuated frequently. The features are great and make baking all my cookies so simple, and the oven overall is very easy to use. Plus, the glide-out rack is great, too!”
– Stacy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Bosch
Bosch 800 Series 30 in. Single Electric Wall Oven with European Convection | $2,250
“I bought my Bosch wall oven earlier this year and really love the convection features I didn’t have on my previous oven. The built-in thermometer is amazing – my meats always come out perfect, and I like the fact the oven shuts itself off, so I don’t accidentally overcook anything. I also rely on the proof setting when I’m baking bread and rolls, and it has been so helpful on a few occasions where I’ve had to use the delay cook feature and loved coming home with a meal completely done! I’d buy this oven again in a heartbeat!”
– Drew ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So what’s the Hip2BeHome team verdict about convection ovens?
Convection Ovens 
Conventional Ovens
“I do use the convection setting on my oven quite regularly. I’ve noticed that things cook faster and at a lower heat. I’ve also noticed with cakes, cookies, and even pizzas that they cook more evenly with the convection setting on.” – Jenna
“We don’t have one at our apartment but my parents do, and I love using the convection setting. I think it cuts down a third of the cooking time, which is not only great to have food ready quicker, but you don’t need to have the oven on as long. It can make all the difference in the summer! I know that when we move into our new house, it’s going to be a must-have for us!” – Emily
“I went to look at my oven to see if we even had a convection setting and – come to find out – that’s ALL I have ever used! Now looking back, I can say I think it has made a huge difference in baking. I’ve never had a baked good cook unevenly, and almost everything I made has come out perfectly. And here I thought it was my good cooking all these years. LOL.” – Sara
Conventional Ovens Convection Ovens
“I paid more for a standard oven with convection capabilities because of the resale opportunities. I honestly never used the feature myself unless it was on accident. That said, the blue interior was AWESOME, but the convection fan was noisy. I wouldn’t pay more for convection again.” – Jamie
“One time my aunt tried using hers, it ruined Thanksgiving dinner (LOL) but being in an Italian family, there is always pasta stocked, so we didn’t go hungry.” – Alana
“The house that we bought came with a convection oven, BUT even after 7 years, I still do not know how to use it properly or even what the purpose is! I just hit the Bake button when I want to cook something and do not even pay attention to whether I am hitting regular bake or convection bake. I am kind of embarrassed to admit this, but it’s the truth!” – Bryn
“I admit I forget about the convection oven setting! I do use the air fryer all the time, and I hear it works in a similar way with hot air. Thanks for the reminder – I should use it more. LOL” – Lina
“I have a convection oven (I have had both convection and a conventional), and I never use the convection. I don’t like how it cooks the food, and I personally would have never picked that, but it came with our house.” – Michelle
The verdict? Convection ovens – 3 vs. Conventional ovens – 5
It seems most of our team prefers cooking with conventional ovens, whereas some of us can’t live without our convection oven! Overall, many team members didn’t even realize they had the convection option on their oven or have never used it before.
What do you think? Do you use a convection oven?
Do you prefer convection or a conventional oven? Let us know in the comments below!
We have a convection oven and I almost never use it. I bake a lot but the regular oven works just fine.
Thanks for the honest feedback, Jennifer! I only have a conventional oven and it works just fine for me too!
I have had both but missed the convection oven. I am building a new house and will have the convection feature with my new ovens.
My stove is 50 years old so conventional oven for me, however I did buy a toaster oven that has the convection option on it and it does cook the self rising pizza better, it actual make the crust rise where as my old toaster oven did not.
Oh cool! Thanks for sharing! SO awesome that your conventional oven has held up so well through the years!
I have a combo oven oven and always choose the convection. Mine has a automatic temperature converter, so it is easy to use.
Awesome! Thanks for taking a moment to comment!
I use the convection component only when I am going to be staying in the kitchen. I can not predict how long anything should bake. All of the conversion charts for baking times never seem to be accurate. I’ve had mine for around 10 years. Seems a little too frustrating.
Oh darn! Thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve never cooked with one before.
I got a whirlpool convection oven last year and the fan constantly kicks on and off. I hate it. It seems like such a waste of energy. Just stay on, darn fan!
Oh bummer! That does sound frustrating! Thanks for the honest review, Meeko!
I have this one https://www.sears.com/ge-appliances-jbs360dmbb-30inch-free-standing-electric-range/p-A029069458?sellerId=SEARS&prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3 or really lose- love it so much, I bought one for a friend- I use both modes frequently – hard to beat the price and has been a work horse for over three years
https://www.sears.com/kenmore-790925730j-5.4-cu-ft-self-clean-electric/p-A028093700?sellerId=SEARS&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 correct link- I wanted a coil top and convection, which lead me to this on Sears, also happy to not pay over a grand for oven, my convection fan is quieter then high end models
SWEET! Thanks for the recommendation! Good to know how well that one has been working for you!
I have a Samsung gas oven that has some convection-like capabilities, though I’m not entirely sure it’s truly a convection oven, despite their claims. Whatever it is, I LOVE it. I always use the “convection” mode for baking and it automatically adjusts the temperature to work with normal recipes. So, although I’m not saving any time, I do feel like things bake more evenly. My cookies look much prettier than they did in my old conventional oven.
Interesting! Thanks for the helpful comment, Michelle! Good to know how much nicer your cookies have turned out!
When we updated our kitchen about 15 years ago, I splurged on my oven. I love gas burners for the cooktop. Great decision. The oven however is electric (same stove) as electric is better for baking. The oven also has a convection option, all in one. I love it still and use the convection option often.
Happy you have been enjoying the convection option! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I may look for that feature for my next oven!
Convection allows you to cook your recipes at lower temp (25 degrees) (most self adjust) for the same amount of time. Food cooks evenly. It is amazing for baking. I have had a Samsung for 9 yrs. We are just now seeing that we have to recalibrate the thermometer.
SO glad yours has held up so well through the years, Angel! Thanks so much for the helpful feedback!
I recently got a convection oven about 3 weeks ago. I haven’t used it much yet because we just got it out of the box the other day because our oven went out. So thankful we had purchases it because it really helped us not be in a bind and we will be able to take our time and research what we want to replace the oven with. The oven we have is a Frigidaire Professional and we have only had it for four years. We also just had to replace our Frigidaire dishwasher. We are not going to purchase Frigidaire ever again and replaced the dishwasher with a Kitchenaid. Any suggestions on a good oven?
Thanks for asking, Angela! I will be sure to pass that on to the team! Stay tuned!
It depends on if you have a true convection oven with multiple heat elements around the food and a fan or just one standard lower element and a fan. We bake a lot and everything bc of food allergies etc and a true convection oven usually has multiple elements but many brands just throw in a fan and that’s it. Huge difference we have a maytag pro aka Kitchenaid (same company) true convection and every thing comes out better and you cannot hear the fan at all. I can do three trays of cookies and all are even or a full turkey dinner at once on convection roast and it’s amazing. It auto adjusts the temp too so it doesn’t overlook. My mom has the same oven under the whirlpool label and she has the same experience – that said we cook a lot and everything from scratch so maybe not the same for other people