Table-top halogen ovens

Fruball

I have, after my roast chicken disaster, cooked the best crustless quiche in my halogen.... When I do them in the normal oven the egg seems to split and whilst it tastes good, doesn't have that set custard type look/feel.

The one I did today in the halogen was perfect. I am going to warm hot cross buns in it tomorrow for the kids breakfast

(what I did LOVE about it was that it is SO easy to clean, and I hate cleaning things )

nuttywoman

Well I put some sausages into my oven and switched it on & nothing !! it won`t work so its going back to Aldi tomorrow

p00

I thought my new halogen wasn't working the realised the lid handle had to lay flat as it operates a safety button

joedenise

Fruball wrote: »

There is either a knack to this halogen oven cooking or I don't like it.

The chicken was 85c on the legs and only 68c in the middle (my guide says it has to be 75c to be safe).

We had the rest of the dinner but no chicken as it needed much longer to cook.

I think I will try cooking longer and on a lower temp next time. I really fancied the idea of a speedily roasted chicken.

What other things are good cooked in this thing because I am starting to regret my purchase!

I don't bother roasting chicken in the halogen because if I'm going a roast the main oven is on for the potatoes & roasted veg anyway so no point in using extra electricity.

If I'm not doing roast potatoes & veggies with the chicken then I like to slow cook it in the slow cooker.

I don't think the halogen can ever completely replace the main oven but supplements it.

Denise

Lilyplonk

I've had excellent results roasting a chicken in my halogen oven.

I use the 'Low Rack' and put the extension ring into place - don't want it too close to the 'heating element' otherwise it will burn the skin.

I don't use a dish underneath it as I want any fat/stock/juices to drain away. I DO start it off upside-down - but I do this with all roast chickens. I would certainly allow more than an hour for a 3lb bird - in fact I'd be checking it around an hour and aiming for possibly another 20mins. I know that the manufacturers say it CAN cut cooking times, but with chicken (or pork) I would definitely NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES.

lottie3000

Sorry to hear the chicken didn't turn out that well, I'm going to try leg portions in mine at some point, think low rack on about 180c see what happens, I like my chicken really well done.

My sausages were edible but not as good as in the oven, they seemed to get a very hard skin on them, I think I probably just over cooked them as they didn't look too bad when the halogen light was on the but when I took them out they looked quite well done. Maybe i'll try them on the low rack next time.

Joy to clean too, really impressed with that, I was worried about using it because of the cleaning!!

suburbanwifey

Hi all,

I bought myself a Halogen cooker from Next with a Christmas gift voucher that I was lucky enough to get for Xmas. However, I am kinda scared of it now it has arrived :eek: Its the instructions, you see. It states very boldly DO NOT PLACE DIRECTLY ON WORKTOP as the heat from it can damage your kitchen worktop etc It must be placed on a heatproof fireproof surface :cool: so what on earth do I place it on?

My first thought was a silicon mat that came with my GHD's (that never use by the way lol) but that is quite small and when I used the Halogen for 30 minutes to make some chips, the mat (and underneath, on worktop) was very hot! I then searched everywhere on Google to find out what others do, and whilst lots of people say they love their Halogen cookers - they cook fast, less electricity, cleaner etc. NO ONE says what they stand it on what do you lot do?

Anyone out there in wonderful MSE land who has and uses one of those Halogen cookers? I am at my wits end and am starting to think I wasted the 50 pounds voucher I put towards it (cost 55 pounds in total from Next) and I am scared witless at damaging my worktop, so pretty much its a useless purchase until I figure out how everyone else uses them without ruining their worktop (not allowed to stand it directly on it) etc.

Help anyone?

ariba10

Our's sits in the cradle it came in, had it for years with no problem. (On a work top)

What you do have to watch is that you do not put the top (the part with the heating element) face down on any working surface.

suburbanwifey

ariba10 wrote: »

Our's sits in the cradle it came in, had it for years with no problem. (On a work top)

What you do have to watch is that you do not put the top (the part with the heating element) face down on any working surface.

This is the one I bought:


http://www.next.co.uk/X538382s1

It comes with the lid attached, so I can't take it off, it just lifts up and down etc. So you have no problem with the worktop underneath getting so very hot? when I did the chips in it (worried to do a chicken that takes even longer) the worktop underneath felt boiling hot when I moved it and felt it, no chance it could set alight? Why would they say you cannot stand it on a worktop if its safe to do so? I also thought the stand should be sufficient otherwise how on earth do you cook with them? etc.

Lilyplonk

Never had a problem with mine on the worktop either - though I frequently stand it on top of the 'glass lid' of my cooker when I'm not using the hob at the same time .

Mine was from Ideal World and the guy on there does all the demonstrations on an ordinary work surface. Even in his 'Step-by-Step Guide DVD' it always shows the demos on a plain work surface.