A conventional oven has heating elements at the top and bottom of the oven that heat up to cook your food. If you have a large oven, you may be wasting a lot of time and electricity when you cook in this manner. Convection ovens, such as the countertop versions made by Cadco, can be a more efficient way to cook. A convection oven has a fan that circulates hot air throughout the oven. The heated airflow can cut down on cooking time and thus your electric bill. Cooking in a Cadco countertop convection oven is a little different from using a conventional oven. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Buy some shallow sheet pans to use in your Cadco convection oven. Convection ovens do not operate well when food is placed in high-sided pans because the air flow is interrupted. Cadco countertop ovens can accommodate 1/4- to 1/2-size sheet pans and pans that have sides up to 2 1/2 inches high, depending on the model number.
2. Familiarize yourself with the controls on your oven. Most Cadco countertop models have a light that illuminates when the oven is heating. The light will extinguish itself when the temperature is reached. The on/off knob is manual and must be turned to the "off" position when cooking is completed. A temperature knob adjusts the cooking temperature, and there is a separate top-brown or broiling setting.
3. Preheat your Cadco countertop convection oven before you begin to cook your food. This ensures that the heated air is already circulating and will reduce your cooking time. Use oven mitts when putting your food into the Cadco oven to avoid burning yourself.
4. Either decrease the oven temperature or reduce the cooking time when converting a conventional recipe for use in a Cadco countertop convection oven. If you cook your food at the same temperature, reduce your cooking time by 25 percent. You can achieve the same effect by lowering the oven temperature by 25 or 30 degrees F and keeping the cooking time the same.
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