Halogen Ovens – White River Kitchens

What is so great about the Halogen oven? And what to look for before buying one. I love my halogen oven. Absolutely love it. It is so quick and easy to use and clean I don't know what I would do without out it. (Well, actually I do, I would have to get another one). I got one to try out quite some time ago now and have been enthusiastic about it ever since. (I have the one pictured here) My poor sister has had to put up with months of me saying how great it is, and how I love using it. And that my main cooker is now little more than storage. If you want you can read more about that in the last section; but for now I want to say why I love it so much and what to look out for if you decide you want to get one so you get the best one for you. Do you Save Money When Cooking? Yes, you do. As the oven heats up much faster than a full sized oven and it cooks faster even at a lower temperature because it is so efficient. You also have less oven space to heat (actually I rarely bother pre-heating). So in theory, you would save money using a halogen oven. However, I have found I cook a lot more now than I did with a conventional oven. It is just so simple and fast. Admittedly, my big oven is really slow (and I mean really slow) to heat up. So, that makes a huge difference in itself. Most information says that it is a 40% less cooking time. I do not think that includes the conventional oven heating time so if you add that, the savings are even greater. If you do decided to pre-heat it only takes between 2 and 5 minutes. There are also claims of ovens having up to 75% more energy efficiency. What to look for in a Halogen Oven Basically, a Halogen cooker is a big bowl with handles and a lid with a cooker built in. But there are always variables as with anything. So one type of oven may suit you better than another. Who are they suitable for? I'd say virtually anyone. Families can use them. They are also great for couples or if you live alone. My nephew intends to get one when he leaves home. And why not? At a fraction of the size and cost of a full oven, they are a better option for anyone who is cash strapped or short on space. They are also perfect for students. As they are portable, if you like to caravan you can take it with you. I read somewhere someone even barbequed outside with theirs. Although, I am not sure I would do that because of the dangers of the electrics. What are the Oven Sizes? The round glass ovens mostly come in 7 to 17 litres with 12 litres being the most popular choice. You can get an extending ring to make them about 5 litres bigger if you want to cook things like whole, chickens or joints of beef etc. Or if you just want the element further away from the food. I have a 12-litre oven and my sister has an extension ring making hers the full 17 litres. In this, she cooks for 3 people and could easily cook for four. So they are plenty big enough for the average family. I have abandoned my large cooker and it is now used for storage, however, if like my sister you like to cook cakes or giant pizzas etc you may still need your large cooker from time to time. You can cook cakes, buns, and pizzas in your new oven, however, you are limited to smaller amounts. Oven Lids Styles, and Which is Best? Many lids are lift off. So you have to remove them from the top of the oven and put them to one side on their stand. This is a bit of a pain as you have to have a space at the side of you where you are cooking. And although not heavy they are heavy enough. If this is an issue for you perhaps consider getting an oven like the one my sister bought with a hinged lid. This stops these two issues. The Glass Bowl All of the ovens have a clear class bowl and the bowl sits on a stand. The stand supports the bowl and keeps the hot glass away from your counter tops stopping it from scorching, but double check to make sure you are happy that it is OK. The glass is quite heavy and strong. However, the Andrew James oven is the only one that says the glass tempered. The Element The elements get very hot and burn out quickly. See our review of some of the Halogen ovens here or Check Out Halogen Ovens for sale The Pros of Using these Ovens They are really easy to use Really fast cooking Virtually no pre-heating time for the oven They are economical to use Very easy to clean Healthier than frying Not too expensive to buy, unlike a conventional oven Cooks most things They cook food pretty evenly You can see things cooking The Cons Well, nothing is perfect and there are a few downsides as with anything. I mentioned about the lid under - lids. For me, the most major disadvantage is that due to the intensity of the heat the light blows out very quickly (about a year I have heard). You can get replacement lights and they are easy enough to fit. Unfortunately, mine had a funny screw so I won't be able to replace mine. I can feel the panic rising already! If you don't get the extension the bars of the stands are quite wide apart tray sizes and pizza/lasagne sizes need to be considered when buying. A Possible Pro and Con Together The ovens contain their heat really well so you do not waste it. However, if you are used to using your oven to heat up your house in the winter, as many often do, then don't expect your oven to as they keep most of the heat inside. So What Did My Sister Do Next? My sister even has one now. After several months listening to me praising up my oven, I received a seemingly unrelated phone call from my sister saying that her cat had cost her money. I thought she had bought another cat toy. But no, the cat was on her lap and she didn't want to disturb it. So she watched some TV. It was all about Halogen ovens. She had already seen mine in action and was impressed by the speed in which it cooked and she had listened to me saying how great it was and how fast etc. The program showed her how easy it was. So she decided to get one. It was my fault apparently because I praised it so highly. Hmmm. I refused all responsibility if she didn't like it. I needn't have worried. After, getting over the common first users worry that many seem to have with halogens she is already seeing the potential benefits. I hadn't suggested she get one because, the lids, while not heavy would have been a problem for her. She has a muscle weakness so at times would not have been able to lift it. Pizza Cooking in Only 7 Minutes This is the first thing I cooked and you can see how easy it is.