No gas convection here. For that matter, no recent convection experience...

But I spent most of my childhood years in a house with a Farberware tabletop convection oven. My parents bought it probably because it was the simplest way of getting a working oven. (The "real" oven broke, and was not repairable--according to the repair people--although I bet with Internet resources of today, it would be fixable!) Simplest fix or not, my mother got addicted to the thing...and swore that she'd  never use anything else.

That oven was what I used when first baking, and it never failed me.

I get by fine these days with regular ovens. The only "bad" oven I ever used was a gas conventional oven that seemed to burn the bottom of anything one baked no matter what one did. But I'd be interested in having convection again--especially if I started seriously baking ever again.

I had good luck with convection mode on our 1990 Jenn-Air dual fuel range (electric oven and broiler, gas cooktop).  I used it mostly for baking.

I can't seem to get the hang of convecting with our 2008 Electrolux Icon (dual fuel; same deal) so I mainly use it if I need to kick things up a notch toward the end of conventional baking or roasting.

There's really any question but what convection makes for a more evenly baked product in all cases.

The argument can be made that those convection ovens with non-exposed heat sources (gas, electric ovens in which there is an extra element through which the fan blows directly) are better than those which have exposed elements and 'merely' distribute the heat.

No question, though - convection wins hands down in my book for everything I've ever baked.

As for breads, I've wondered if convection wouldn't work better for some breads than others. It was wonderful for regular breads years back when I used my mother's Farberware. But it seems like a conventional oven could do a better job of recreating a brick oven (once one adds a baking stone or something) than a convection oven.

Pies are one of the things that turned out great in our Jenn-Air.

I think the late, great master baker extraordinaire Kelly Beard's preference for using Kevin's Miele convection oven at the Long Beach wash-in is all the proof anyone needs that the convection method produces outstanding results -- even though Kelly would have likely been able to produce perfection with a wood-fired oven.  His preference for convection speaks volumes, and with him in mind, I've decided I should start trying to use it more often.

I've noticed pie recipes more and more advise to use foil around the crust edges for part of the baking time, or a ring designed to do the same thing. 

I know the type of material that the pie dish is made from also has an effect, like glass vs. metal vs. ceramic, but off hand don't recall how you're supposed to compensate for one type as opposed to another.

I had a gas convection range/oven (Kitchenaid) when in the condo with the ex.   As Ralph noted above, I now have a Miele electric convection wall oven (though installed in the pantry) and I love it.  So many features and a variety of modes makes baking or roasting anything "easy as pie".

Roasted a 17 lb turkey in the above Kitchenaid w/convection.  Regular roasting directions on the bird suggested it would take 6.5 to 7 hours.  With convection on it was done in just over 4 hours (used the temp probe for temp)!

I haven't done many cookies, pies, etc, but roasts, turkey, pizza, etc all come out great.  One of the cooking modes the Miele has is "auto roast".  Say the cooking temp you want is 325 and internal temp of 135 (mid rare?) you set the temps, put the roast in the cold oven, insert and plug in the probe, close the door and your off.   It it heats the oven (with the fan on) to 450 for 10-15 mins, then it drops the temp to 325.  Once the probe sees the internal temp you set, the oven shuts itself off and you have a perfect roast every time! 

Kevin

No surprise here - I've never owned a convection oven... LOL  Even the 2001 Whirlpool Gold stainless-steel thing we had in the former Montreal apartment wasn't a convection.  

I've used convection ovens at friends' homes, though, and I have to admit that the gas convection ones seemed to brown better than the electric ones.  But, again, very limited experience. 

Mine seems to have "half-convection", that Speed Bake which I may had discussed here...

-- Dave

I do use convection with my yeast breads and sour dough.   I love it when doing cookies, I can do four racks at a time, no turning and everything comes out perfect. 

For cakes I don't convect as it does tend to either cook the top too quickly, or dry it out.  In any case they don't seem to rise as high as they do when baked conventionally.

I have a GE range with true convection, with the element around the fan.  You can choose between 1 rack convection roast, or multi-rack convection bake.   Use one rack roast also employs the broil element to aid in browning, works well when doing something large like turkey.  Multi rack does not employ the broil element and is used for multiple racks, such as cookies. 

I do bake my pies on covect and have not had a problem with over browning.  I will add the hidden element on the bottom doesn't seem to brown as well as an exposed element electric.  I have had the oven calibrated twice and the thermostat is on the money, so I compensate by setting the temperature about 25 degrees higher when I need browning in a short time like with biscuits or cornbread. 

This is my second oven with convection, I will say the Maytag with exposed element would out cook the GE with hidden element, but it is something you can adjust for in time.   Having used a friends Kenmore gas convection. I would put the hidden element GE in about the same class as cooking and browning as the gas. 

Off topic:  The warming drawer on the GE is the best thing I ever purchased that I didn't think I needed.  When doing big meals, like at Thanksgiving it comes in handy keeping the sweet potatoes and green bean casserole warm while finishing the dinner rolls. 

convection fans - even those without the third element (unquestionably the best solution) - is due to the stupid decisions regarding the lower element. I have no idea what the marketing idiots were thinking, but it surely had nothing to do with actually baking. Our 1953 Westinghouse Rainbow has a 'hidden' bake element and yet bakes more evenly than any other non-convection oven I've ever used. This even baking was, in fact, Westinghouse's one and only feature which could compete with the high-end GE and Frigidaire. By the 1960s, their innovation was done.

I wonder whether manufacturers even bother to, you know, bake, with their current low-end stoves. I rather doubt it.

 Though the hidden element does give more interior space, which is what I think they were after.   The pre-heat times are slightly, not too bad, but slightly slower since the convection fan runs during preheat as well as the upper element.

Another feature, which I don't know if it makes a difference, the convection fan reverses direction about every two minutes.  This feature, I feel, helps keep a more even temperature. 

Now cleaning on the other hand, which was the main reason I chose the GE over the Whirlpool clones.  You can use Steam clean for light touch ups, but you still have a high heat (Pyloric) option.  I have owned this range for almost four years now and have only had to use high heat twice.  For the most part the steam touch up is sufficient.  The Whirlpool group with aqua lift did not offer a high heat option, as this would destroy the proprietary oven finish.

Edited RE: Cleaning.  Though the self clean feature is acceptable, it is in no way as good as the old P-7 system. 

rather, of the BOL Frigidaire made Kenmores, etc. which I put in rentals and repos and mid-range homes we fix up all the time.

Goodness, they're awful.

It gets even more complicated - convection ovens using a separate, hidden element wrapped around the fan are often called 'European' or 'True' convection ovens in the US.

Any fan is an improvement, of course.

My biggest problem is figuring out the Fahrenheit system, it's so weird.  Except for really temperamental things, I just divide in half and that's close enough to normal to work with it.

At 200°C I'd not expect too much browning in the short time you're baking something. Steam under pressure (pressure pan) can actually brown and develop a crust, but steam at atmospheric? I think you're right, it can't. My convection ovens in Germany let me add the top element to brown, that seemed the best of all worlds.