Had a client last winter who insisted on sticking with a basic oven because “that’s what I’m used to.” Fast forward to Thanksgiving, and she calls me up—turkey’s half raw on one side, burnt on the other. Ended up swapping it for a convection model a month later. She told me it was the first time she didn’t have to rotate pans or play oven Tetris. I always tell folks: if you cook big meals or bake a lot, convection just makes life easier. Removable doors are just icing on the cake... or, well, less grease on your shirt.
I get the appeal of convection, but honestly, I’ve seen some folks get great results with a basic oven—especially if they’re mindful about preheating and rack placement. Sometimes, it’s just about learning your equipment’s quirks. Plus, less tech means fewer parts to break down over time... which is a win for sustainability.
I’ve been wondering about heat distribution, actually. With a conventional oven, I always notice hot spots—like cookies on the back rack brown faster. Does convection really solve that, or is it just a matter of rotating trays and paying attention?
I’ve noticed the same thing with my old oven—back row cookies always get a little too crispy. Switched to convection last year, and it’s definitely more even, but I still rotate trays halfway through. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but it seems to help.
Honestly, I think you might be overthinking the tray rotation with convection. That fan’s supposed to keep things moving so the heat’s more even, right? I used to do the same thing—old habits die hard—but after a while I just let it ride and my cookies came out fine. Maybe your oven’s got a hot spot or two, but sometimes I wonder if we’re just too used to babysitting our old appliances.
