I totally get the “science experiment” vibe with convection. I just renovated my kitchen and thought a fancy convection oven would make me a baking wizard, but my first attempt at brownies came out looking like they’d been freeze-dried. The edges were all business, but the middle was still in denial. I kinda miss the old oven’s “choose your own adventure” hot spots—at least it kept things interesting (and sometimes edible). The pan of water trick is genius though... might have to steal that next time I risk cookies.
Convection ovens are like that overachiever friend who tries a bit too hard, right? I’ve had similar issues—my cookies went from “golden brown” to “desert terrain” in record time. Did you try lowering the temp by 25 degrees? That’s what everyone says, but honestly, sometimes it still feels like a gamble. I do miss the unpredictability of my old oven’s hot spots... at least you could blame the equipment when things got weird. Ever tried baking bread in yours yet, or is that just asking for trouble?
Convection ovens really do have a mind of their own. Here’s what I’ve noticed after flipping a few houses and dealing with both types:
- Lowering the temp by 25 degrees helps, but you still gotta watch things like a hawk. Sometimes even that’s not enough—timing seems to matter more than ever.
- Bread in a convection? It can work, but you need to shield the crust or it’ll get way too dark before the inside’s done. I use foil for the first half, then take it off.
- Honestly, I miss those old “quirky” ovens too. At least you knew where the hot spots were and could work around them... now it’s just a different kind of guessing game.
If you’re baking anything delicate, I’d stick with conventional settings when possible. Convection’s great for roasting, but baking? Still hit or miss for me.
Bread in a convection? It can work, but you need to shield the crust or it’ll get way too dark before the inside’s done. I use foil for the first half, then take it off.
That’s spot on. I ran into the same thing when I was testing out a convection oven after a remodel—loaf looked perfect on the outside, but the middle was still doughy. Foil definitely helps, but it feels like you have to babysit everything. For cookies and pastries, I’ve noticed they brown unevenly unless I rotate trays halfway. Conventional ovens might be quirky, but at least you can predict their quirks... convection just keeps you guessing.
- Totally agree about the babysitting.
- I’ve found convection great for roasting veggies—super even, super fast.
- For bread, though, I still lean conventional. Less stress about burning or rotating trays every ten minutes... just feels more forgiving.
- Maybe it’s just what you get used to?
