Conventional ovens, also called traditional, regular, thermal or radiant ovens, have heating elements that are typically located at the bottom and top of the oven. In a conventional oven, the dish closest to an active heating element cooks the fastest. In contrast, a convection fan circulates air throughout the cavity, reducing hot and cool spots that may cause dishes to cook faster or slower depending on their placement in the oven.
A conventional oven is what you might be most familiar with. Since most recipes are written for conventional ovens, people often feel more comfortable cooking with them because there’s no need to adjust time or temperature to account for hot air circulation and faster cooking times like fan convection ovens sometimes require.
If you can’t decide between convection and conventional, many ovens today are hybrid with both options built in. Most convection ovens have a convection setting that you can select as needed. Another option is a double oven with one thermal oven and one convection oven, so you can use one or both at the same time depending on what you’re cooking or baking.