A convection oven is an oven that has fans to circulate hot air around the food to create an evenly heated environment. The increased air circulation causes a convection oven to cook food faster than a conventional non-fan oven, which relies only on still air to transfer heat. A convection oven has a fan with a heating element around it, and a small fan circulates the air in the cooking chamber. This allows for a reduction in cooking temperature compared to a conventional oven, as the circulating air transfers heat more quickly than still air of the same temperature.
Convection ovens can also have a third heating element, called True Convection, to help foods cook even more evenly when using multiple racks. Since True convection ovens have the potential to cook faster, they may require both time and temperature adjustments if you’re using a recipe written for a conventional oven.
Its important to note that not every recipe will give you instructions for both types of ovens, and some delicate batters can be altered by blowing air on them, so it's best to avoid cooking them in a convection oven.
