Convection Toaster Ovens Can Save You Energy, Money and Time

Regular toaster ovens are modest appliances, typically used for not much more than browning a couple of slices of bread, making melba toast, broiling cheese on a pita for an 'instant pizza', or reheating leftovers if you don't happen to have (or want to use) a microwave.

But in recent years a wide selection of convection toaster ovens has come on the market to redefine what a toaster oven is. These ovens offer a number of major advantages over the lowly appliance I used in my first bachelor apartment:

They use convection. Forced air circulation with a fan - to increase the rate of heat exchange between the oven air and what you're baking. This can reduce baking and roasting times by up to half. That leaves less time for heat to escape through the walls of the toaster oven, which means less energy use overall, saving you money. The convection process also results in more evenly browned meats, and better quality baked goods.

They have better controls. Many come with digital temperature controls and timers. Even those with old mechanical controls are better made than the cheap toaster ovens of the past.

They can hold a lot of food. You can't roast that Thanksgiving turkey in a convection toaster oven, but you can fit just about anything else in it. Many will handle a pizza up to 12 inches wide (and in fact some come with their own pizza tray); and some can accommodate up to 6 regular or 9 small slices of bread at once or toasting.

They are great for roasting. Many models come with a rotisserie, and you can roast a chicken, two cornish hens, or a medium-sized tied roast to perfection. You can also cook a regular roast in a small roasting pan. or broil steaks or lamb chops using only the top element.

They are small and inexpensive. Compared to a regular range oven, a convection toaster oven is tiny. But they are bigger than a regular toaster oven and you'll need to allow open counter space for them. Some models cost under $100; the better ones come in around $170-250 (you can get better deals if you watch for specials). If you're tight on space or tight on cash, these appliances are a great way to combine several appliances in one.

You might wonder why you would want a convection toaster oven if you already have both a toaster and a regular oven. If you just want to toast a slice or two of bread, I would stick with your regular toaster; but if you do more than two slices at a time, or you want a lot more flexibility in terms of toasting, roasting, baking, broiling, and so on, it's handy to have a counter-top unit that does all this. And if you're tired of waiting 15 minutes for your range oven to heat up just so you can broil some garlic bread, a convection toaster oven warms very quickly and uses far less electricity for small jobs.

Many people buy a convection toaster oven because the nominal cost over a regular toaster oven isn't that great - and then they wind up using it instead of their regular oven. You can bake casseroles or lasagna in it, roast meats, and bake cakes, pies, muffins, cup cakes, croissants, and cookies. For less than the cost of a service call on your old oven when the heating element dies, you can get a new oven that does it all.

If you're considering buying a convection toaster product I suggest buying the extended warranty option. For an extra few dollars a year it is worth it. While these products are typically solidly built, in this low price range you expect to see some quality issues in a few of the units, and problems in particular with the timers on these units are not unheard of. Fortunately, this common timer problem doesn't prevent the units from working, just from running on timer.

A convection toaster can be great in situations where you don't have the space for a range, or the budget. For example, a small mountain cabin (assuming it is grid connected) is a perfect place for such an appliance. Or if you're remodelling your kitchen and the contractors have gutted it and told you to stay out for weeks at a time, a convection toaster oven in your basement, along with a kettle or coffee maker, will do for most of your cooking needs.

Black and Decker Infrawave Speed Oven

Black and Decker has been a trusted name in appliances for many years, not only kitchen items but also shop tools used in many homes such as drills and circular saws. The new Black and Decker Infrawave Speed Oven is an innovative solution to problems we all have with conventional means of cooking.

For instance, in a conventional microwave or gas/electric cook stove, there is the problem with defrosting. Even though a microwave normally has a setting for defrost, this does not always work well. You may find after defrosting in a microwave that portions of the food are partially cooked, not a good thing.

With the Black and Decker Infrawave Speed oven, you simply take the food out of the freezer and put it in the oven! You don't have to thaw your food or preheat the oven! Great for working people that do not have a lot of time. If that is not enough, this oven also cooks your food in half the time as a conventional oven!

This oven uses a different technology than microwave or traditional ovens; it uses infrared light to cook the food. It cooks from the outside in, unlike a microwave that cooks from the inside out. This means that your food will be brown and crispy on the outside as if cooked in a regular oven.

Clean up is easy with the Black and Decker Infrawave Speed Oven as all the accessories you use when cooking can be easily removed and cleaned. There are many built in menu items to choose from or you can enter in your own options, it's up to you. They are also offering extra accessories if you purchase this item, such as a grilling or broiling rack, two all purpose baking pans, an easy grip pan holder, and a cooking tips DVD. You will also get a bonus dual speed chopper, a thirty-dollar value with purchase of this product.

Toast-Qwik Conveyor Toaster, 2-3/4 in H Opening, 14 Slice/Min, Toasts 2 Sides

Toast-Qwik Conveyor Toaster, 2-3/4 in H Opening, 14 Slice/Min, Toasts 2 Sides Review

Toast-Qwik Conveyor Toaster, 2-3/4 in H Opening, 14 Slice/Min, Toasts 2 Sides Overview

Toast-Quik Conveyor Toaster, horizontal conveyor, countertop design, all bread types toaster, approx, 14 slice capacity/min, electronic controls, colorguard sensing systems 3.3 kw, 208 V. Same Day Shipping on orders recieved before noon (based on availability). ( Hatco - TQ800H )

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: May 06, 2010 05:25:04

West Bend Quik Serve Toaster - Stainless Steel

West Bend Quik Serve Toaster - Stainless Steel Review

West Bend Quik Serve Toaster - Stainless Steel Feature

• West Bend 78222 Stainless Steel Toaster Commercial, Black and Chrome
• WEST BEND HOUSEWARES LLC

West Bend Quik Serve Toaster - Stainless Steel Overview

Enjoy perfectly browned toast with this uniquely designed, super-easy kitchen essential, Accommodates a range of breads, bagels, waffles and croissants; provides consistent toasting at 6 settings

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: May 05, 2010 06:00:07

Proctor-Silex 12" Pizza Oven - 31120

Proctor-Silex 12" Pizza Oven - 31120 Review

Proctor-Silex 12" Pizza Oven - 31120 Feature

• Model No.: 31120
• Capacity: 6-slice
• Width: 16-in.
• Height: 11.5-in.
• Depth: 17-in.

Proctor-Silex 12" Pizza Oven - 31120 Overview

With this Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex toaster oven, you can bake a 12-in. pizza or brown six slices of toast - it's the toaster oven that you can use all day. Use it, too, for broiling steaks or browning the tops of casseroles or custard desserts. The space-saving design of this toaster oven lets you fit it into the tinest places on your kitchen cabinet. It has a 30-minute timer and an auto shutoff. A slide-out crumb tray promotes easy cleanup.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: May 04, 2010 06:40:09

Pressure Cookers - Why?

In the mid 1900s, PRESSURE COOKERS were a very popular cooking vessels for preparing the family meals. Back in those days, they had to be watched closely as the valve was not as safe as one would have liked it to be. Today they are much safer than they were in the old days. As with all appliances and cooking vessels, the manufacturer provides instructions and care information for their products and must be strictly adhered to, especially for safety.

Cooking, of course, is a major necessity for most families. For many homemakers this can become quite a chore at times. In most families, both the husband and wife work outside the home, and are busy with activities involving their children. Preparing meals quickly can be quite a problem when there is a lack of time. This great cooking tool is here to save the day.

The PRESSURE COOKER, is just one of the many cooking tools, saving you time in the kitchen. There are
many advantages to using a Pressure Cooker that will change the way you look at this old kitchen tool. It has been revived and is extremely popular again.

One of the main advantages of the PRESSURE COOKER is the speed at which it cooks the food. When cooking, the pressure inside causes liquids to boil quicker, at a higher temperature (higher than 212 degrees Fahrenheit). This naturally causes food to cook faster, which lowers cooking time. I am all for anything that is a time saver in the kitchen, when time is crucial. Lets not forget this great advantage: your food will 'NEVER' burn. Many foods will burn when cooked on a grill or placed in a oven, or cooked in oil. Preparing foods in this manner is healthier, being that no oil or fat is needed in the preparation of the meal. Vegetables and other foods can be cooked without fats.

Pressure Cookers also help save on energy. The food cooks faster which results in less usage of Gas and Electric. It will cook a roast with potatoes and carrots in a third of the time it would normally take, thus saving energy. Imagine, preparing your meals in 40-45 minutes, compared to 2-2 1/2 hours in the oven. Now that is the way to cook! My Grandmother and my Mother both cooked quite frequently with their PRESSURE COOKERS. The meats and vegetables were always so tender and juicy, and were enjoyed in a fraction of the usual time.

Get excited about this new way of cooking, with an old kitchen tool. These cookers can be purchased in different sizes such a 4 quart for smaller meals, while a family of 4 or 5 may consider a 5 to 8 quart size or larger. Keep in mind Pressure Cookers work more efficiently when filled 2/3 full. Stainless Steel is one of the most popular metals used for cooking. Change your mind set and rethink the way you cook.

Cuisinart TOB-155 Toaster Oven Benefits

Cuisinart TOB-155 toaster oven is a cooking appliance that you can use as a toaster or an oven. In today's hectic lifestyle, a lot of people use it to make a simple and quick meal. Its technology and useful features gives you a variety of cooking needs for your daily meal. This article will take a look at the various benefits you can get when using a countertop toaster oven.

Save money:

Since it is a dual purpose cooking appliance, you save the cost of buying a toaster and an oven separately.
When you are cooking a piece of chicken or pizza, use the toaster oven broiler instead of turning on the oven. Then you can save money on the electricity bill for the lower energy usage. In addition, all these savings could get back your cost for buying the stainless steel toaster oven.
Save time:

It has a smaller compartment that heats up faster as compare to an oven. Your meal is ready at a shorter time due to the reduced cooking duration.
Cuisinart TOB-155 toaster oven can toast a maximum of 6 slices of bread or bake a 12-inch pizza at one session. With a cooking capacity of 0.6 cubic foot, you can cook a larger portion of your food and thus saves time.
Ease of use

The touchpad controls helps to make your cooking much simpler and easier. The touchpad controls include custom settings such as 4-6 slice toasting, bagels, defrost and reheat. The easy to use controls allow you to conveniently press a few button to automate your toast oven cooking.
The interior has a non-sticking coating on the sides. This feature makes your cleaning much more easily.
You can easily remove the crumbs from the bottom just by sliding out the crumb tray from the back.
Space saver

You can save space by choosing a toaster oven over an oven if you live in an apartment with limited kitchen space.
College students living in dorms can make use of the toast oven for toasting or cooking. It is a perfect and handy cooking appliance for the preparation of simple breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
Each feature of Cuisinart TOB-155 toaster oven makes the baking, broiling and toasting in your kitchen a much easier task. Moreover, it also gives you the benefit of savings (cost and time) and a variety of useful or easy to use features.