How Does Speed Bake Work?

With every new model on the market, home-use ovens acquire more features that were once the exclusive purview of commercial kitchens. One such feature is Frigidaire's Speed Bake system, a convection-based technology that enables you to cook casseroles, meats, breads and pastries in less time than traditional ovens. The reduced baking time means reduced energy use, resulting in even more cost savings.

Frigidaire's Speed Bake cooking system relies on a fan at the back of the oven to continuously circulate heated air, distributing the heat uniformly to all areas of the oven. Frigidaire says this reduces bake times by up to 30 percent. Cooking and browning occurs more evenly throughout the food, including when two racks are in use.

In traditional convection ovens, a complex internal system controls the fan and adjusts the temperature. In Frigidaire's Speed Bake ovens, you can turn the fan on and off at will by means of a simple switch, and the oven does not reduce its temperature when the fan is on.

To turn on the Speed Bake system in conjunction with Frigidaire's Bake, Time Bake or Delayed Time Bake features, press and release the Speed Bake button. An indicator light will turn on, and you'll hear the fan begin to operate. The fan will remain on continuously until baking is complete, only turning off temporarily when you open the oven door. Cancel the Speed Bake function at any time by pressing "Clear/Off."

If you use Speed Bake with food on two racks at once, position them according to your model's user manual's instructions. Most models have four or five rack positions, not counting the roasting shelf equipped in some models. For best results, the manuals suggest placing racks on the bottom wall mount and on the second one from the top.

As a general rule, Frigidaire recommends setting the oven timer for 30 percent less cook time than your recipe calls for. When the timer's up, test your food for doneness, then allow it to continue cooking if necessary. Monitor your food closely the first time you try any recipe with Speed Bake and take notes for future reference. Frigidaire's manual for the ES200/300 electric range model gives more specific time reduction recommendations for a wide variety of foods, such as 15 percent or five minutes per lb. for meats and 20 percent for frozen foods. Consult your model's manual for specific instructions.

Speed Bake makes preheating unnecessary except in the case of breads, cookies, cakes and similar baked goods.

If using the Speed Bake feature for pastries, decrease your recipe's temperature setting by 25 degrees F.