Cooking With Halogen Ovens – Quick Easy And Fat Free
There are a lot of pretty uninspiring kitchen gadgets that are constantly being brought out as the ultimate must-have, quietly slipping on what is some of the most used equipment in my kitchen. Cooking with halogen ovens is a joy full of surprises, I only bought one because I needed more space in the oven quickly.
When the box was delivered, doubts arose, especially since the box was terribly big! Halogen ovens take up a wedge of work space in your kitchen or utility area and there’s no way around it. In fact, it seemed so big that it almost went backwards. I’m so glad that didn’t happen!
You may have heard about how fast these halogen ovens cook; well, that’s right, they do cut down on a good chunk of cooking time, between a quarter and a third is probably a fair estimate.
Obviously it depends on the model you have – they vary, plus how much has been put in the oven at one time. The reason halogen ovens cook so fast is the turbo fan, which is very powerful and constantly pushes hot air around the food, so filling the oven will increase the cooking time accordingly.
No Added Fat in Your Kitchen – Honestly!
They also have another great advantage: you don’t have to add fat to anything, which makes this one of the healthiest ways to cook your meals. Baked potatoes are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, all without the fat. Roasted tomatoes are absolutely divine and of course you can add olive oil before cooking; the main point here is that the food also cooks wonderfully well without it.
Cleaning is a breeze. All you need is to wipe the bowl and lid with a damp cloth if you have cooked in a dish. If you have put everything in the base to cook, a more thorough cleaning is needed, that is, take it to the sink or put it in the dishwasher.
On the downside, halogen ovens are quite bulky and, while not overly heavy, may not be suitable for those who are frail or have trouble lifting anything. There is also the cover issue. The motor, fan, and bulb(s) are all contained in the lid, making it heavy and a bit awkward to maneuver, especially when hot, and these get very hot.
To mitigate this, manufacturers have come up with cap holders that work very well, but not all brands include them, some, particularly at the lower price end, have them as accessories to be purchased separately, which can increase cost. overall outlay.
To accommodate a large roast, an extender ring is included; again, not everyone has it, so check. This ring is about 2″ deep and sits on the rim of the jar with the lid on top. The extra height means a good sized chicken plus all the vegetables fit at once, enough to feed a family of four or more. .
For whom is cooking with halogen ovens suitable?
Singles and couples will never need a main oven again, we rarely use it, only for mass baking sessions or large family gatherings in the holiday season. Also, if you have a large family and need extra oven space, cooking with halogen ovens is a great way to go, they will easily cook a meal to feed a hungry family of four.
Those who should avoid them are people who find it potentially dangerous to lift a heavy, hot lid; Although there is a model with an attached lid to prevent this, you should still take the container to the sink or dishwasher from time to time.
If cooking with halogen ovens hasn’t caught on as popular as it could, the bulky nature of these may be partly to blame, because everything else works exceptionally well, including much lower energy bills each quarter.