why do some recipes tell you to use the top third of the oven, and how much of a difference does it really make?
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This is based on the type of oven most commonly used where I live, where the heating elements are on the top and the bottom of the oven. Both heat about the same amount, but because at the top there’s nothing in between what you’re baking and the element, it’s better at cooking the surface of whatever is in the oven. That’s why you can place a foil on top of the food and it’ll stop burning the top.
There’s a balance between how well you want the top to be baked and how much the inside needs cooking. If you have small goods in your oven, you want the top to brown fairly quickly so you don’t overcook them. That’s when you put the goods on the top third. For cakes and other thicker items, you don’t want the top to brown as fast, so you put them lower in the oven.
For convection ovens where you place the item in the oven doesn’t matter since the fan distributes the heat in the oven. That’s why you can use several sheets at once in convection ovens.
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