A conventional electric oven uses radiant heat to cook food, but an electric fan oven uses a fan to circulate the heat. This results in much more efficient cooking of food, allowing more food to be cooked at one time. This type of oven is often called a convection oven and is quite popular as an efficient means of cooking almost any kind of food.
An electric fan oven uses electricity to create the heat for cooking, as well as to run the fan that circulates the hot air inside of the oven. The fan insures that the food in the oven doesn’t block the heat, so to food on the top shelf cooks at the same speed as the food on the lower shelf. It also insures even heat from front to back, allowing food at the back of the oven to cook at the same rate as the food that is placed by the door. This eliminates the need to turn food during the cooking process.
Homeowners may choose from several different types of convection ovens depending on how much space is available, the budget, and how much cooking is likely to be done. Cooks that are remodeling or building a home from scratch often choose to install a built-in electric fan oven. This type of oven may be either a single or double oven that is set into the wall of the kitchen where it is handy to use but is also out of the way. Built-in ovens tend to be the most expensive type, but they are usually of high quality, are attractive once installed, and offer many different features.
When a built-in appliance is not practical, a freestanding oven and range combination can be a good choice. This type of electric fan oven can usually replace a freestanding oven that does not have convection capability, typically without any major changes in wiring. In most cases the new oven will run on the same circuit as the old one, but will add the benefits of convection cooking to the oven’s capabilities.
A far less expensive option, and one that requires nothing except a place to put it and an electrical outlet, is a countertop electric fan oven. Such appliances come in several different sizes and styles, and may combine other types of cooking methods into a single unit. Consumers may be familiar with the round countertop ovens that have been called wave ovens. These usually use radiant heat, infrared heat, and convection heat in combination in order to cook food quickly and efficiently. There are other types of countertop units as well.
It is not uncommon for an electric fan oven to offer multiple cooking methods in a single unit, beyond those that are found in the wave-style unit. Common options can include microwave ovens, rotisseries, and broilers as part of the basic unit. Settings allow the cook to choose which method or combination of methods to use for the food being cooked, and typically the oven can be programmed and then left alone until the food is done.
