I swear, my oven has more mood swings than I do before coffee. I tried to bake cookies on convection once and they came out looking like tiny hockey pucks—guess who forgot to drop the temp? Now I just stick with conventional for anything that’s supposed to be soft in the middle. The oven thermometer was a lifesaver though... turns out my “350” is more like 325 on a good day. At this point, I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.
Convection can be a real wild card, especially with baked goods. I’ve seen more than a few “hockey puck” cookies in my day—don’t beat yourself up over it. Honestly, you nailed the most important step already: using an oven thermometer. Most folks don’t realize how much ovens can drift from what the dial says. That little gadget is a game changer.
If you ever want to give convection another shot, here’s a trick I picked up on job sites: drop the temp by 25 degrees and check early. The fan moves heat around faster, so things brown up quick. But for anything you want gooey or soft in the middle, conventional’s usually safer. I still use convection for roasting veggies or getting crispy chicken skin, but for cookies? Conventional all the way.
At the end of the day, even pros cross their fingers sometimes. Ovens have personalities—sometimes you just gotta work with their quirks.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had pretty good luck with convection for cookies—especially when I’m baking a few trays at once. Here’s what I’ve noticed:
- Convection lets me bake two or even three sheets at the same time without having to rotate them halfway through. Saves time and energy, which matters when you’re watching the electric bill.
- If I drop the temp by 25 degrees and check early (like you said), I can usually avoid the “hockey puck” disaster. It took a couple of tries to get it right, but once I figured out my oven’s quirks, it worked out.
- For me, conventional is great for cakes or anything thick, but convection wins for even browning—especially with smaller stuff like cookies or biscuits.
I guess it depends on the oven too. Mine runs hot in spots, so the fan actually helps balance things out. Not saying convection is perfect every time, but if you’re baking in bulk or on a budget, it’s worth playing around with. Just my two cents...
That’s interesting about convection evening out hot spots—my oven’s got a mind of its own, so that might actually help. I’ve mostly stuck with conventional because I’m paranoid about overbaking, but saving time on multiple trays sounds tempting. Do you notice any difference in texture, like crispier edges or anything? I keep hearing mixed things about that...
I get the paranoia about overbaking—been there. But honestly, convection’s been a game changer for me. Stuff just cooks more evenly, and yeah, edges do get a bit crispier, especially with cookies or roasted veggies. If your oven’s unpredictable, convection might actually save you some headaches. Don’t let the mixed reviews scare you off; sometimes you just gotta try it and see what happens.
