Convection
The
Merriam-Webster definition of convection is the
circulatory motion that occurs in a fluid at a nonuniform
temperature owing to the variation of density and gravity.
In our society, we typically use the conventional oven to
cook via the convection method.
The oven warms up the air around the food and as the air
travels through and around the food, it cooks it.
(photo from Sears.com)
This
method is useful for maintaining a specific degree of heat
on your food source.
Although by definition the temperature is not uniform,
convection creates a more "regulated" cooking environment
than any other cooking method.
You can use the convection method to give yourself more
freedom as to how big or dense your food can be.
For example,
a whole chicken is a lot more dense and has more surface area
than one piece of chicken breast.
Therefore, it is a lot easier to cook the whole chicken in the
oven where the temperature of the air
can be regulated as to cook the chicken as a whole instead of
cooking one part then another using the convention method.
The food molecules
affected!
See also: Radiation, Conduction
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