Convection Ovens for Food Service Applications

Convection ovens are general-purpose (standard) ovens used to cook food products by forcing hot dry air over the surface of the food product. Convection ovens originated from standard ovens and were developed to increase the amount of food production as well as to solve the problem of uneven heat distribution in the cooking cavity. The fans inside convection ovens ensure that a uniform temperature reaches all parts of the food and transfers heat more evenly and efficiently, allowing food to cook faster and at a lower temperature. Convection ovens are popular in both full- and half-sizes. This project assesses the energy efficiency level of the Blodgett Model SHO-E electric convection oven and seeks to determine an appliance baseline and a minimum energy efficiency level necessary to qualify for the food service qualifying product list. During this project the Blodgett Model SHO-E oven, a full-size commercial electric convection oven with a capacity of eleven pans, was examined for various performance metrics. A test procedure was conducted in order to characterize the Blodgett convection oven's energy input rate, preheat energy, idle energy rate, cooking energy efficiency, production capacity, cooking uniformity, and browning uniformity according to the American Society for Testing and Materials F1496-99(2005) Standard Test Method for Performance of Convection Ovens. Testing was performed at the Southern California Edison Foodservice Technology Center (FTC) in Irwindale, CA. Cook time, oven temperature, oven power input, and the weight and temperature of the test food were carefully measured. The test food used during the procedure was potatoes. From the extensive measurements collected, oven efficiency and numerous heat rate and uniformity factors were calculated. The test data provides key information to help determine the operational costs and the percentage of total kitchen productivity a single appliance can deliver.