Toaster Oven Cooking

[Callie]

It seems, according to some, one can't use a toaster oven to cook food?
One of my co-workers was so concerned that I was cooking chicken in mine. It has a heat setting to 450 degrees, and a broil option. Other people agreed with her. Isn't that the point of a toaster oven?

 

[bcla]

I tried baking cupcakes (in small trays) and had to experiment. My first attempt and it was severely charred on top. My second attempt I covered the top with foil and it was kind of weird on top.

I suppose the issue is that they're designed to toast larger objects, and any attempt to actually bake/broil with one will likely result in the food getting burned.

A small convection oven is probably a better choice for most people to actually cook something.

 

[willowsnn3]

I had always wanted a toaster oven and when my dd moved out and took the microwave, I bought one. I can't seem to get it right. I have to use xtra time for everything and now mostly just use it for small stuff, but really wish now that I had just bought another microwave, lol.

 

[mjkacmom]

Mine is very large. I've made cookies, cinnamon buns, biscuits, pizza, chicken tenderloins, fries - its like a small oven. I've also cooked whole chickens and turkeys on the grill.

 

[bdcp]

Just ask Sonya from Real Housewives of New York. She was supposed to put out a line of toaster ovens and recipes. She says you can cook in one.

You absolutely can cook in one, but it is a little different than a regular oven. As long as the food gets to the right temperature, that's what's important.

 

[usd2bmd]

Mine is very large. I've made cookies, cinnamon buns, biscuits, pizza, chicken tenderloins, fries - its like a small oven. I've also cooked whole chickens and turkeys on the grill.

Can I live at your house? Oh man, now I want cookies and cinnamon buns.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I got a toaster oven recently mainly because I saw it when I was looking for a new toaster and the rotisserie option sounded so good . I've been using it a lot more than I thought I would. I use it to make toast but I also cook the majority of our meals in there now. Keeps the kitchen cooler. It's a little harder to clean vs a pan from the oven but I do like it. Mine is a convection oven too so things cook pretty quick.

 

[sbtrfly74]

It depends on the toaster oven. A $30 dollar toaster oven will make toast where as a nicer one will cook stuff.

My DH loves his toaster oven and I have to buy him a new one every few years since he uses it so much. I just bought a really nice one that cooks awesome and not just for heating up bagels and stuff.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

My little 4-slice Black & Decker toaster oven is 20 years old now and I use it many times a week to make dinner for DS & myself. Chicken, pizza, meat pies... whatever I can cook in a regular oven comes out just fine in my little toaster oven. With it being so old, I do have to turn the heat up just a little (375 instead of 350, for instance) but I much rather use that than my big old regular oven. Actually, between my toaster oven, microwave, and George Foreman grill, I can't remember at all when I last used my regular oven.

 

[POOHsie]

The Breville BOV650XL and the Breville BOV800XL aren't like $20 Toaster Ovens. They're highly recommended and very popular. I have a 650, so does my sister. We both have ovens, but the Breville will do most any oven job. Since we're empty nesters, no need to heat up the big oven except holiday occasions.

 

[honeylove]

It can be done. Like the other poster stated, I, too have used it to bake cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls and biscuits. It gets too hot sometimes and turning on the regular oven makes the kitchen too hot.

 

[marcyinPA]

We use our little dinky Black & Decker toaster oven all the time. It's not large enough to make a meal for 4, but it certainly gets used more than my big oven. I'd like to upgrade to a bigger model- the kind that fits a cookie sheet- but I won't do it until the one I have kicks it.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

My MIL uses her quiet often, she just cooks for 1, so it's not like shes making a "family" size casserole.

I cook everything "family" size for my family of 5, so to me it isn't relevant.

My main concern with having one and using it so frequently, is that they get hot. Just seems like something to be cautious when using anyways.

 

[Kellydelly]

I have an Avanti Elite convection/toaster oven. I use it all the time to cook small portions of food, like a box of scalloped potatoes or a can of cinnamon rolls. Anything that will fit in there, I will cook there instead of heating up the regular oven. Fries, broiled fish or chicken, biscuits, etc. It will fit a 2 qt casserole dish, I think. I did make the mistake of getting that particular toaster, based on reviews. It has kind of a large domed top where there is a bun warmer. I have never used that feature. Waste of space! I wish my toaster oven was smaller.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I use mine more to reheat and not turn the oven on but my all time favorite is.......


SMORES!

Put down the graham crackers, a square of chocolate, cut a marshmallow in half giving it a sticky side to attach to chocolate.

Put the oven on broil. Place the tray with the smores in and watch for a minute or two until the marshmallow toasts.

Be careful taking the tray out. Place on a plate and squeeze a little Hershey Sauce over the top.

Yum!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have used mine to make little casseroles... for that purpose it works fine. I do notice that (at least on mine) that you really have to watch carefully or the top of stuff will burn.

 

[Jedana]

It seems, according to some, one can't use a toaster oven to cook food?
One of my co-workers was so concerned that I was cooking chicken in mine. It has a heat setting to 450 degrees, and a broil option. Other people agreed with her. Isn't that the point of a toaster oven?

We have a tabletop oven--it bakes and broils, and can be used as a convection or conventional oven. It also has a rotisserie built. It gets pretty hot (can't touch the outside of it without getting a burn when it's running 400+ or broil).

I use it to cook pork chops and chicken thighs, pizzas, cookies (those premade refrigerator ones), frozen fries, Pillsbury orange/cinnamon rolls, etc. I don't need the rotisserie part, because we have an oil-less fryer that I like to do whole chickens in.

 

[garydeb]

I have a small black & decker toaster oven that I use all the time to chicken, steaks, hamburgers, pork chops, casseroles, rolls, etc. I love that it does not heat up the kitchen.

 

[alex9179]

You can absolutely use a toaster oven for regular cooking. It's just a smaller version of your large one. The size dictates what you can fit and how well it will turn out. The larger ones will cook closer to what you have in mind. Usually faster, too, so keep an eye on the food.

We use the larger Breville. I call my set-up the poor-man's double oven...except that you have to have some dough to buy the thing. Less expensive than full size but not INexpensive!

I cook all kinds of things. It's used at lunch time for reheating leftovers or convenience foods. At dinner, I can cook my sides in there.
I bake bread, a few cookies, tarts, whatever. If it's browning too fast I cover it with foil. I like that it doesn't throw off as much heat as my wall oven and uses less energy to get the job done. I have a cutting board on top that is used for a plate warmer. Oh, and I toast things in it a few times a week

I cook a lot, and having the extra oven is really helpful. Some people wouldn't get as much use out of it, but it's taken the place of the microwave for everything except reheating beverages. THAT'S an appliance I could live without.

 

[dawnhaze]

I lived in an extremely small apartment for 2 years that had no kitchen, just a fridge, microwave, and toaster oven. I cooked all kinds of stuff in the toaster oven since I'm not a huge fan of microwaves. You have to adjust times and temperatures and experiment a bit, but it can definitely be done. Just use a cooking thermometer to check the internal temps of meat for food safety!