What type of food service equipment is used for cooking food quickly and efficiently?

The correct choice is convection ovens because they use a fan to circulate hot air around the food, which allows for even cooking and often speeds up cooking times compared to conventional methods. This circulation of hot air enhances the cooking efficiency by distributing heat more consistently, reducing the cooking duration while achieving optimal results.

When considering other equipment like conventional ovens, they rely primarily on radiant heat, which can take longer to cook food evenly, especially larger items. Microwave ovens cook food very quickly but do so by using electromagnetic waves that primarily heat water molecules, which may not achieve the same level of browning and texture that convection ovens provide. Toaster ovens, while useful for smaller tasks, typically do not offer the same cooking efficiency and versatility as convection ovens for larger quantities of food or different types of cooking methods.