Understanding the Fan Symbol
If you enjoy cooking good food for yourself and your loved ones, the fan might just become your best friend. Think of its symbol as a magic wand for your oven, capable of transforming your baking experience. A kind of ‘game changer’ that will ensure you perfect dishes, avoiding a lot of inconvenience. Let’s take a closer look.
What is convection heat?
As the name suggests, fan heat is a feature of the oven, powered by a powerful fan and exhaust system that circulates hot air evenly inside the appliance as it cooks.
Importance of the Fan Symbol in Cooking
The presence of the fan symbol on your oven should make you happy, whether you’re a novice cook or a seasoned cordon bleu. And the reason is simple: You’ll make better dishes, cooked evenly. In its operation, convection heat reduces temperature variations on one side or the other (hot and cold spots). This will ensure that the grapes are cooked evenly, even on several racks. Some even more advanced fan ovens have a third heating element called ‘pulsed’ or ‘combined’ heat, which takes care of skillfully distributing hot air over the top, bottom, and sides of your dishes. The result is faster cooking times, but that’s not all. This type of oven also eliminates the need to turn and turn dishes during cooking and is generally recommended for roasting meat.
Difference Between Fan and Traditional Heat
You might have a bit of a hard time distinguishing a traditional heat oven from a fan oven by just looking at their outward appearance. Their main difference lies in the way they work, i.e. the way the heat is distributed inside.
Convection ovens are equipped with a fan that ensures an even distribution of hot air in the oven cavity as well as an even cooking of the dishes.
Traditional heat ovens use heating elements located at the top and bottom of the oven cavity to cook large pieces of meat or to grill food. As for the pastries, they are placed in the middle rack for a more suitable cooking.
This type of oven has the advantage of being economical (cheaper than a fan oven), having cooking times, settings and features that most users are used to, but also of matching the majority of recipes, being suitable for a variety of preparations. However, its use has several disadvantages such as longer cooking times, greater energy consumption due to heat loss, but also, and above all, uneven cooking of food.
In the convection oven, the fan can be noisy. Not to mention its expensive price compared to the conventional oven.
Advantages of Fan Heat
Just like traditional heat ovens, convection ovens also have the same heating elements, but with the addition of a fan and exhaust system that circulates hot air around the food, and that makes all the difference. Here are some of the benefits:
Uniform Cooking
The operation of the convection oven is based on the presence of a fan and an exhaust system that ensure a continuous circulation of hot air. This feature allows the food to benefit from a good and consistent heat distribution, ensuring that all dishes placed on the different racks are cooked evenly. So you don’t have to worry about one side of your preparation being overcooked (or burnt), or the other undercooked. With a regular oven, it is often necessary to turn the dish three or four times so that it is cooked evenly, as the heat spreads mainly vertically.
A fan oven, on the other hand, makes it possible to perfectly prepare many types of dishes. This includes preparations for theIt is based on meat, fish, vegetables, or even sweet delicacies such as desserts, pastries or even bread. But finding recipes specifically designed for this type of oven is not always easy. So here are some suggestions for dishes you can try cooking at home with a convection oven.
Some better-cooked dishes with fan heat
- Vegetarian Pizza: Pizzas are one of the dishes that can be made perfectly with a fan oven. This helps to crisp the crust quickly while ensuring that the dough and fillings cook evenly. A vegetarian pizza is therefore a great healthy meal choice to consider for you and your family.
- Tacos with Grilled Wild Cod: For this recipe that requires grilling the fish over fan, the grill mode will allow you to quickly heat up the oven. Your fish will be ready in a few minutes and you will certainly appreciate this speed at mealtime.
- Crispy Baked Fries: As you probably know, crispy fries are a wonderful accompaniment to many meals. By using the oven’s fan function, you can achieve easy and even cooking, without having to flip them mid-bake. All it takes is potatoes, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few minutes in the oven to get perfectly browned fries.
- Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts: To give a special flavour to these vegetables, there’s nothing like cooking in a fan oven, with a vinaigrette that gives it a delicious flavour.
- Chicken breasts: To ensure that they are perfectly cooked, opt for cooking in a fan oven. So yes, you can make your recipe with any oven, but with this method, you can prepare a healthy, juicy and tender meal in just 30 minutes flat!
Many other dishes, such as baked casseroles, bread and pastries, and cookies, are particularly suitable for this cooking method. If you frequently cook any of the dishes below, buying a fan oven will be a wise investment:
Saves time and energy
The convection technology, thanks to its continuous and evenly distributed flow of hot air, is a real plus for saving time and energy in the kitchen. Dishes cooked in ovens equipped with this feature are cooked faster. Fan heat therefore reduces cooking time by 25%, compared to traditional heat. This acceleration of the process comes from the hot air that constantly circulates around the food and allows for even and efficient cooking. In addition, fan ovens offer an additional advantage over traditional models, as they reduce the preheating time, allowing you to start cooking faster.
How to Identify the Fan Symbol
The fan symbol can be identified on the oven control panel. Typically, the symbol is represented in the shape of a fan inside a circle, thus representing the diffusion of hot air in the appliance that allows meals to be cooked evenly. However, some manufacturers may vary the design of the symbol slightly.
Common Symbols on Ovens
The standard symbols you may see on a fan oven vary depending on the make and model of the appliance, but also the additional options that come with it:
A fan: This is the most common symbol for fan heat. It may look like a small fan icon or a three-bladed turbine, indicating that heat is distributed evenly throughout the oven.
A fan with two horizontal lines: You can see the fan symbol accompanied by one or two horizontal lines which embody the sources and circulation of hot air in the oven. This symbol indicates that the heat is coming from the top and bottom, and the fan at the back is responsible for distributing it evenly. As a result, the temperature remains substantially constant throughout the oven, including between two trays, ensuring even cooking at all levels.
A fan with a horizontal line underneath: This symbol is also referred to as “Pizza Mode”. This is a combination of the fan and the heating element at the bottom of the oven that offers a key advantage: the heat from the bottom ensures a crispy crust to the pizza, while the heat from the fan ensures that the whole thing cooks evenly. This setting is not limited to pizza, however. You can use it in the preparation of all dishes that require a good cooking of the crust such as a quiche, for example.
A fan with a wavy line above (grill): This symbol indicates that the grill and fan are alternately activating to create a rotisserie effect. This method is somewhat equivalent to turning a spit when cooking a piece of meat. It is therefore the ideal way to quickly obtain meats and poultry with crispy and golden skin. Note that if you only use the grill for large pieces of meat or fish, there is a risk of burning the outside while leaving the inside raw.
Eco fan: On some modern ovens, you may see a fan symbol followed by ‘Eco’ which denotes energy-efficient convection cooking. This function allows you to cook over low heat, on a single level, without the need for preheating.
Here are some examples of symbols that you may encounter on ovens with the fan function depending on the brand:
Whirlpool Oven
On this Whirlpool built-in oven, the convection symbol is represented by a three-bladed turbine surrounded by a circle. It is also accompanied by another fan heat symbol represented by a turbine between horizontal lines.
Bosch Oven
The Bosch brand uses a symbol representing a fan inside a circle, to indicate the fan function.
Siemens Furnace
Siemens ovens have similar fan symbols represented by a fan. However, the style of the pictograms differs markedly from those of the Bosch and Whirlpool brands.
Brandt Oven
Brandt brand ovens usually display a fan-like symbol to indicate the convection function. This model also has several other fan heating options, including the energy-efficient convection mode represented here by the word ‘Eco’.
Kitchenaid Oven
On the control panel of this KitchenAid oven, the different fan functions are not indicated by symbols, but by words indicating the different options available.
Where to find this symbol on your oven
Modern ovens usually have symbols on their control panel. These visual representations allow users to quickly understand the different characteristics of theof their device. To spot the fan function symbol, the first thing is to take a look at the adjustment wheel or the control panel. Generally, you’ll see a small fan icon. This indicates that your oven is equipped with this feature.
Optimal use of fan heat
Using fan heat can improve your cooking skills and allow you to cook tasty, perfectly cooked meals, thanks to the benefits it offers. However, it is important to know how and when to use it. Let’s take a look at it together.
When to use the fan function
The use of fan heat should take into account the type of food you are cooking. It is therefore a good way to roast meat, vegetables, potato slices, or to reheat dishes such as fried chicken, or to cook pizzas. Let’s say that fan heat is ideal for savory foods that are cooked on a baking sheet. It’s also effective when you’re cooking food on multiple racks at once, such as making multiple cookie sheets, for example.
In the case of desserts and pastries, this cooking method may not be suitable for certain recipes. As pastry chef Paola Velez told The Washington Post, this is the case with macarons that can be tricky to bake, as those cookies that need to stand completely still to bake properly can be warped by the oven fan. The same is true when attempting to toast shredded coconut.
Custard cakes, such as flan and cheesecake, also prepare best in a humid baking environment, making fan a less suitable option for this type of baking.
Tips for perfect cooking with fan heat
To get the most out of your oven’s fan heat, here are some tips to know:
- Set the timer sooner: Thanks to a more even heat distribution in the fan oven, you can cook some foods faster. All you have to do is set your cooking timer 10-15 minutes earlier than what’s called for in the recipe.
- Lower the temperature: Reduce the temperature recommended in the recipe by 25 degrees Celsius. As mentioned above, most recipes are designed to be prepared in a traditional heat oven. This temperature reduction will allow you to cook your food at a suitable temperature, without affecting the cooking time.
- Do not overcrowd the oven: Be sure to always leave enough space inside your oven to allow hot air to circulate freely and promote even and optimal cooking of your preparations. It is generally advisable to maintain a space of at least 5 centimeters above, below, and around your food.
FAQ
Can recipes be converted for fan heat?
Yes, you can. But due to the differences in how they work, a recipe designed for a traditional heat oven needs some tweaks to be suitable for cooking in a fan oven, here are some tips to follow:
- Most baked recipes are originally designed for traditional ovens. So when you decide to use a fan oven for your preparation, some adjustment is needed. Reduce the recommended temperature by 25 degrees Celsius and monitor the cooking. For many dishes, reducing the temperature does not affect the cooking time, quite the opposite. To be on the safe side, check your dishes halfway through cooking to assess their progress.
- Some ovens automatically adjust the temperature when using convection.
- While cooking with fan, make sure you don’t impede air circulation. For this, use baking pans with low edges, such as baking sheets, to allow air to circulate freely around the food.
Is fan heat healthier?
Convection ovens are designed to optimize cooking, and their impact on preparation, mThe impact on food is also significant: cooking times are shortened, which means less waiting. Their faster action on the meat is also important, as it allows the juices to be preserved inside. In addition, fan ovens improve the nutritional quality of meals by preserving their essential nutrients, better than traditional heat ovens. Finally, their ability to cook multiple dishes simultaneously, each with its own cooking needs, makes them extremely convenient for home cooks.
How do I know if my oven has a fan function?
It’s pretty easy to figure that out. When the oven is turned on, the fan is automatically activated, with a noise that can be heard from the outside. So listen, and you will know. But even without turning on your oven, you can experience this feature by observing the outdoor control panel. Look for a three-bladed fan symbol inside a circle. This is the hallmark of a convection oven.
Which mode should you use to bake a cake: fan or traditional?
If you’re cooking with an oven that offers both traditional heat and fan, opt for the former if your dish requires slow, low-heat cooking, like cakes. Fan is best suited for quick cooking at high temperatures.
