Convection Vs. Infrared Ovens

Different types of ovens are better-suited to cooking certain foods over others.

Convection and infrared are two different types of ovens, used in cooking food or in industrial manufacturing of various materials. Both types of ovens transfer heat in different ways, making them well-suited for differing purposes.

Function

Convection ovens blow heated air around using a fan, while infrared ovens use radiation to transfer energy to cooler things. Both ovens are safe for food preparation as well as manufacturing.

Timeline

Convection ovens are slower to heat up the ambient air, making them take longer to raise the temperature. Infrared ovens heat up objects rather than air, and the speed at which they raise temperatures can be controlled with different wavelengths. Convection ovens can take minutes to hours when heating up and cooling down, but infrared ovens can be turned on and ready to go right away.

Convenience

Convection ovens are larger, while infrared ovens are compact and require less space. The convection oven is less expensive, but has a lot more parts that can break down and require frequent cleaning, like filters and fans. Infrared ovens may only need a filter change and less frequently.

Types

Another, more easily visualized contrast between infrared and convection heating, would be space heaters. Infrared space heaters glow red and if someone is sitting in front of one, they'll feel the heat right away, almost as if the sun is shining on them. A convection space heater on the other hand, only heats the air, blowing hot air round.

References

• Noblelight: Convection Vs. Infrared
• Epicurious: Cooking with Convection Ovens
• Process Heating: 7 Questions and Answers About Infrared Ovens

Resources

• Painting and Coating Industry Magazine: Convection vs. Infrared