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Wednesday 11 March 2015

How to Choose Your Toaster Oven



For many people, the best part of the day is their breakfast, where they get to enjoy their coffee and a piece of toaster bread or bagel. The toaster oven is a simple yet excellent device to toast a half bagel that otherwise would not fit in the regular two slice toaster. A good toaster oven is more than just a good bagel toaster, it can also become an indispensable tool for baking, broiling and even convection cooking other types of food and meals, including open-face sandwiches, pizza and oven baked pasta.

If you've never used a toaster oven, or haven't in the recent years, you may wonder why you should buy a toaster oven when you have have perfectly workign electric or gas stove in the kitchen. But it won't take you long before you will learn to seriously use it and understand how efficient toaster ovens are compared to regular ovens. And really, why would anyone use a big, bulky gas or electric oven when they can use a unit that is small, energy-efficient and easy to clean?

But if you've never bought a toaster oven, you may not quite to what to look for. To help you out in your decision making, we've put together a few check list for you to follow.

First, how much counter space do you have? Most toaster oven are too big to be hidden under the counter, a little bit like a microwave, so make sure you have enough space on your counter, and also that you are left with enough space to work.

Second, what safety features does the unit come with? Most but not all models have timers and an automatic shut-off. Safety features are especially important if you have forgetful teenagers or children.

Third, how's the interior of the toaster oven? Does it have an adjustable rack? If you love baking, an adjustable rack is a must. Some units have one rack, others, 2. So what are your needs?

Fourth, what about cleaning? Is there a removable crumb tray. A removable crumb tray will make cleaning so much easier! Most great and crumbs fall at the bottom of the toaster oven, so have a tray that can be removed and clean is a plus cleaning-wise. A non-stick interior or self-cleaning interior will also make cleaning much easier (just like your self-cleaning oven!).

Fifth, how about a convection fan? If you like to cook and bake fancy meals or pastries, you may want to consider a unit that includes a convection fan. The reason €" the convection fan will help distribute the heat evenly in the oven. Since the toaster oven is much smaller than the regular one, a large piece of chicken or a big pie could be overcooked at the top but undercooked at the bottom or in the middle. A convection oven will help prevent this type of cooking disaster. Another great benefit is that since it allows you to cook faster, so you can save lots of energy on the long run, something that you should definitely keep in mind.

Last but not least, how much do you want to spend on your new unit? You can spend as little as 25 bucks or as much as 300 bucks for a top of the line model. And remember, the more features you'll want, the more it'll cost you, that's normal.

So make sure you read some reviews carefully before buying, and if you are hesitating, why not make a list of the pros and the cons of each to help you decide which one to get.


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