Table-top halogen ovens

Ravenlady_2

I bought a no frills cheapy one from ebay for £29.99 last month

I dont think I have used the oven since!

I did a small joint of beef yesterday and roasties under it in the actual bowl, my word, food of the gods! (im a bit of a dripping freak) I had to keep turning the beef as I dont have an extender ring and i didnt want it to burn but it was cooked evenly.

Most veg I use the steamer for which is miles cheaper than running a hob.

xRaindrops

I used one when I stayed with my Dad and it was fantastic! Much simpler to use than an oven and I liked being able to see the food clearly cooking away nicely We ate out of it many times and the food was delicious. Definitely live up to the hype IMO. :T

LoveLifeAgain

OberonSH wrote: »

I've been doing casseroles in in recently (haven't used the oven since I bought my halogen!) but I put it in a casserole dish on the low rack and the top still gets too crispy & well-done before the rest heats up. I could lid the casserole, but I like the sauce to thicken up a bit. Any tips? Would using the extender ring help keep the direct heat away from the top?

A good tip I picked up and use for making muffins is to put the high rack in and the steamer tary (the hole-y-one) on top and then it diffuses so that it does not burn.

pulliptears

I still use my slow cooker for casseroles and curries simply because its easier for me to throw it all in. The HO is used for most other things (though I still cook sunday lunch in a roasting tin). I find it does things like oven chips and jackets beautifully.

julietiff

Everything else is fantastic about the halogen oven but
still having problems cooking a sponge cake any tips please?

ksh123

I've been thinking about getting a halogen oven for ages and, after wading through this and other threads am quite excited at the prospect. But I'm in a quandry about which one to buy. After using the mega shop bot came upon this one in argos:http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4237295/c_1/1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|14418476/c_2/2|14418476|Small+kitchen+appliances|14418587.htm?storeId=10001&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic%2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F4237295%2Fc_1%2F1|category_root|Kitchen%2Band%2Blaundry|14418476%2Fc_2%2F2|14418476|Small%2Bkitchen%2Bappliances|14418587.htm&jspStoreDir=argos&_%24ja=tsid%3A11674|prd%3A3086088&referrer=COJUN&cmpid=COJUN&%3FSID=4237295#pdpFullProductInformation

Sorry for long link.
It looks all fine but I wonder if I should spend a bit more and buy one with more accessories?
Any advice much appreciated. Would be lovely to have one as my gas oven so unreliable. :beer:

johnnyshuttle

julietiff wrote: »

Still having problems cooking a sponge cake any tips please?

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, not had chance to read all the posts..
Have you tried covering the sponge tin with some foil until it's nearly cooked then brown off for 5 mins?

John

ksh123

ksh123 wrote: »

I've been thinking about getting a halogen oven for ages and, after wading through this and other threads am quite excited at the prospect. But I'm in a quandry about which one to buy. After using the mega shop bot came upon this one in argos:http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4237295/c_1/1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|14418476/c_2/2|14418476|Small+kitchen+appliances|14418587.htm?storeId=10001&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic%2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F4237295%2Fc_1%2F1|category_root|Kitchen%2Band%2Blaundry|14418476%2Fc_2%2F2|14418476|Small%2Bkitchen%2Bappliances|14418587.htm&jspStoreDir=argos&_%24ja=tsid%3A11674|prd%3A3086088&referrer=COJUN&cmpid=COJUN&%3FSID=4237295#pdpFullProductInformation

Sorry for long link.
It looks all fine but I wonder if I should spend a bit more and buy one with more accessories?
Any advice much appreciated. Would be lovely to have one as my gas oven so unreliable. :beer:

Any ideas anuyone? PLUS what's an "extender ring"?. Thanks.

cooking-mama

ksh123 wrote: »

Any ideas anuyone? PLUS what's an "extender ring"?. Thanks.

Hi,the extender ring is the silver part you can see between the glass bowl and the heater top part,its good to use when roasting a chicken or very large joint,takes the heat element further away to reduce scorching.
I would say that Argos one has all you need,i had a £60+ one from ideal world,lasted around 18months,came with 2 racks,steaming tray(never used)baking tray,tongs and extender ring...I then bought a £29.99 one from Costco and its just as good as the more expensive one..i use those pizza mesh things from poundland(they are large square,but i just cut them circular to fit)sit them on the racks and they still allow hot air to circulate but stop small foods such as oven chips falling through.....must admit,ive never had much luck with baking or casseroling in halogen,but i love it for grilling and roasting...if it was my choice id choose the cheapest one.

johnnyshuttle

cooking-mama wrote: »

..i use those pizza mesh things from poundland(they are large square,but i just cut them circular to fit)sit them on the racks and they still allow hot air to circulate but stop small foods such as oven chips falling through.....must admit,ive never had much luck with baking or casseroling in halogen,but i love it for grilling and roasting...if it was my choice id choose the cheapest one.

Same here with the pizza mesh, works great for doing chips and also works well doing bacon and sausages on.