I've done as many as 3 in my Thermadore, but have 5 racks and am suppose to be able to do 5. Also, I've been told that you have to turn the pans around and switch shelves half way thru', but I haven't done this and so far have had nice cookies.

The monogram ovens have 5 rack positions and three racks. I'm not giving up yet! :~)

I have a GE convection oven with three racks. I do cookies on all three every time I bake, and they all come out exactly the same.

Feel free to slap me for asking this but are you sure you pushed "convection bake"? My oven has a regular bake and a convection bake so if I pushed regular, I don't think they would come out evenly.

LOL! It never hurts to ask. I think it was multi-rack convection mode. I may call the store and talk to their chef. These are the brand ovens he uses all the time. If there is something not right, I want it fixed soon.

Is your oven a true convection? Having a third burner in the back not just a fan? That might make a difference as to how evenly the cookies bake.

Ann

Next stupid question - the manual I saw online says three racks should be on bottom, middle and top. Did you do that or did you use middle three?

Confession time...I have a GE convection oven. Have had it for 6 months and havent used the convection part of the oven yet.

cotehele glad you asked this question. May help me to understand convection ovens.
lowspark what temp. do you set your oven at to bake the cookies?

Ann, I just got a stake in the heart! I don't know if it has a third element. There are to vertical slots the length of the oven. Looks like something is in there. I'll check when I can.

FOAS, Yep, I used the top, middle and lowest positions for the three racks.

Trudy, time to bake bread or cookies or something!

I've gotta go to a meeting in a few minutes. Won't be home until 10p. I'll check back later. Thanks!

cotehele - If I were you I'd call the store where you bought the ovens and talk with the chef (as you said). If it is true convection, it should bake evenly. Hopefully, it is not something major that is wrong, but it's better to get answers and/or have them check the oven now.

My oven came with 3 racks and I use all 3 every time I bake cookies. The oven I bought had been on the showroom floor and at times (special sales) they had used the oven to demonstrate how it works and they used all 5 racks with no problems.

Trudy,
Whatever temp the recipe calls for, that's what I punch in. The convection mode automatically sets it to 25 degrees less. I also usually take off about 10% of the time called for in the recipe when I convection bake.

Now, when baking something that takes an hour or so, 10% is about six minutes. But cookies which take ~12 minutes to bake, you're talking reducing baking time by like one minute. So, it depends on how picky you are.

Best thing to do is begin using the convection on things and check after about 90% of the time has passed, keeping an eye on it till it's done. You'll figure out how to adjust time after a while and won't have to hover over it anymore. That's what I did.

Believe me, once you get used to the convection mode you will love it. I got a convection oven as a second choice to having two ovens in my remodel and I would say, for my purposes, the convection has come through with flying colors! Use it, learn it and don't be scared! It's great!

It's true convection.

I have these double ovens for over two years and bake cookies all the time using three racks with no problem. Be sure to use the 'multi-rack convection' mode.

I have a MIele and I've done as many as 4 sheets at a time

I have noticed some faster cooking on the back upper right corner but that's about it. These ovens don't cook any faster on convection over short times so not sure if it's true convection or not

I have a Kitchen Aid and use three racks for cookies - they do great on all three...

Do you all think the cookie sheets should all be exactly the same when baking 2, 3, or 4 sheets at a time?

mer4205 - Is your Kitchen Aid a regular and convection in one?

I was told that it's really important to use the same sized cookie sheets and place them in exactly the same position on the rack.The air circulates around them and the pattern will be skewed if you alter the positions. That will result in uneven baking.
I have a double Thermador convection and don't bake very much but I use at least two racks at a time. I do rotate the cookie sheets for even baking.And I always use the convection setting to preheat the oven!

"I was told that it's really important to use the same sized cookie sheets and place them in exactly the same position on the rack."

Really? I use 20+ yr-old cookie sheets of two different sizes and new cookie sheets of 2 different sizes and they still bake evenly on convection (and NO, I don't rotate the cookie sheets - I thought convection was supposed to eliminate the need for that).

Thanks lowspark for the info on baking times on convection baking.
I guess worrying about messing up 3 sheets of cookies has stopped me from using the convection.

Time to get baking....well maybe next week as the temps outside this week are in the low 60's. Have lots of fall clean up to get done.

Happy baking

I used three different cookie sheets. I wondered if this had any effect on convection baking. I notice a difference in the results among the three sheets when baking a single sheet in my old oven. When I used two different sheets on convection baking, there was no appreciable difference between the two.

My husband said last night he was so sick of this project he couldn't stand it any more. He is off work today, so I will wait until tomorrow to call the store. They are taking a third crack at getting the floors done right today.

Let me reiterate that I'm NOT a baker-- relatively a few pans of cookies a year. But when I purchased the ovens the placement and equal size of the pans was emphasized often. And yes, I know that convection means that you don't have to rotate the pans, but the baking in MY oven is uneven if I don't.

Okay all - I am the epitome of a newbie when it comes to Convection, but you have all given me inspiration. I scavenged all the Heath Bars from the Halloween candy and will be making Heath Bar Cookies tonight. I will let oyu know how my Convection efforts turn out.

Thanks again for all the great info!

Alexa

Heath Bar Cookies!
I'll be RIGHT over!

LOL May! I would love for you to come visit! We could eat them warm right off the pan LOLOLOL!

Alexa

Ok, Alexa, I'll just have to have that recipe please. Heath is my all time favorite!! :)

Here you go May!

Heath Bar Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar pieces (Eight 1.4 ounce bars)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Method

Heath Bars are popular American chocolate-covered-toffee candy bars. Heath Bar toffee bits are often available in the baking section of grocery stores. Either chopped up candy bars or the bits can be used for this recipe. The bars have chocolate, the bits don't.
1 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine Heath Bar pieces and chopped walnuts. Set aside.
2 Cream butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (a couple minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time, and vanilla.
3 Alternatively mix in the Heath Bar mixture and the flour mixture, a third at a time, until well blended. Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (better an hour).
4 Preheat oven to 350°F. On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, spoon out the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls (size of a large marble). Place dough balls 3 inches away from each other on the cookie sheets. (Make sure there is plenty of room between the cookie balls, and that the cookie balls aren't too big. These cookies spread!)

5 Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

I have been baking cookies in my convection oven for years. I usually only do two racks at a time because I don't have enough counter space to take three out of the oven at once.

Space your racks with one empty slot between each. I also only put 9 cookies on one sheet instead of 12. Drop the temp 25 degrees.

Time will be the same as conventional oven or maybe even a tad longer -- you need to watch them carefully at the end.

In my old KA oven I had to turn the sheets towards the end of the cooking time. In my new oven, I do not.

Good luck!

Thank you Alexa!! I'm going to be making those very very soon. Wonderful!! I love heath!

I do have the bits in my pantry but I'm going chop up the bars because it sounds like it will taste much better!

I remember those mushroom meringues in the making! They were perfect. Heath Bar Cookies sound yummy.

I'll try another batch of cookies before I call the store. Unfortunately, my floors are not ready. They did an awful job, and I can't move anything back in the bakery for a week.

Here is a link that might be useful: My floors, sigh.