Speed ovens are a popular appliance choice because they have all the functionality of a microwave but they can also be used as a convection oven or a toaster oven. In addition, the microwave power can be combined with convection or broil for speed cooking. Some speed ovens have preset programs for speed cooking while others give you the option to choose from different microwave power levels to customize the combination of convection heat and microwave power.
What are the Benefits of Cooking with Convection and Microwaves?
Convection is a great heat source to cook with because the heated air circulates around the food cooking it evenly from the edge to the center. Because there is no direct heat coming from a baking element, there is less chance of food drying out when cooked in Convection. Adding a low to moderate level of microwave power simply speeds up the cooking and the results are impressive.
Do I Need to Cover Foods Cooked in the Combination Mode?
Covering food cooked in the microwave mode is recommended to help evenly distribute the heat and prevent food from drying out. Circulating Convection heat actually helps prevent food from drying out during cooking, and since the microwave power is relatively low covering the food is not required.
How to Cook Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts in the Speed Mode
The benefits of Convection cooking really shine when it comes to cooking lean meats such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In this recipe, mustard mixed with olive oil and seasoning is spread over the chicken and then topped with grated Parmesan cheese, transforming the plain chicken into amazing.
My Speed oven has a glass tray that is large enough to cook enough chicken and vegetables to feed four people, so for an easy one dish meal I added some sliced cauliflower and carrots tossed with olive oil to the tray to cook along with the chicken. I cooked the meal in the Convection mode at 375F (190C) with 360 watts of microwave power for 15 minutes. To give the chicken a golden finish and slightly caramelize the vegetables I finished the cooking in the Convection Broil mode at 425F (220C).
The Gaggenau Speed oven I cook with does have some special features including the option to set a sequential operation. Setting a sequential operation allows me to program the cooking steps so the oven will automatically change the mode and temperature according to the time I had programed for each step.
Be sure to check your user guide so you can take advantage of any special features that your oven has to support your cooking.
Even though the cooking time is shorter with a little added microwave power, it’s very important to allow foods cooked in this mode to rest when they come out of the oven. Resting the food, allows the heat to even out and for the juices in meats to redistribute.
The amazing ovens available nowadays provide many opportunities for exploring different cooking methods. Take shrimp for example, shrimp can be quickly poached, steamed or broiled in the Steam oven, or it can be vacuum sealed and cooked slowly in the sous vide mode and that's the method I will review in my next blog post.
Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast
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