Table-top halogen ovens

suburbanwifey

Lilyplonk wrote: »

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.

Thanks, both of you. I guess I am worrying unnecessarily then, I will go ahead and use it on the worktop as both you have no problems and they are all the same, even though we bought from different places.

Thanks for your help :T

joedenise

As I said earlier it is a matter of trial and error until you get used to it - every oven is different. I'm still getting used to my 2nd one.

Denise

melymay

:)Good afternoon all,

I'm after a bit of advice/hints/tips etc.

My oven died a month or so ago and my Darling Mum has just bought me a halogen oven to see me thru til I can afford to replace the oven.

Does anyone have any recomendations for what is good to cook and what doesn't cook so well.

I am seaching on line for recipies etc but just wanted some feedback on what works in 'real life', especially baking !


Thanks in advance !

bebewoo

I've got one.
It's good for roasting meat veg etc and making things like lasagnes etc.
Baked goods don't turn out all that well, cakes, bread etc don't seem to brown as well as in a regular oven and sometimes are still wet in the middle. That may just be me though.

Lilyplonk

The manufacturers of mine recommend using a Bundt Tin for baking cakes - though there is a recipe for a shallow chocolate cookie cake in one of Paul Brodel's Halogen Cookery Books.

http://www.paulbrodel.co.uk/paul_brodel_halogen_oven_made_simple.html

http://www.paulbrodel.co.uk/page21.html

JMS1957

I have the Andrew James HO. Still getting used to it, and trying to replace the main oven.

Has anyone tried cooking with both racks? Can you cook a pizza on one shelf and chips on another, or roast potatoes on one, and veg and/or meat on another?

Thanks, would be grateful for any advice.:)

mioliere

I have had the Andrew James model for about five months now and use it almost every day (although not today because I have beef stew in the slow cooker!). I don't do roast potatoes on the top rack as the manual instructs because they are too crispy; instead, I parboil them for around fifteen minutes then put them in a suitable baking dish with a little oil (olive, sunflower, whatever you use) and cook them on the lower rack, and they are always delicious; meat, such as chops, sausages, and so on, I grill on the top rack.

I always use the extender ring whatever I am cooking because I find it easier to control the temperature.

For chips, I peel and slice potatoes into quite chunky chips, parboil them for around fifteen minutes, drain thoroughly, then coat with two tablespoons of oil, and place them on the top rack. I bought one of those cooking meshes that you can buy for oven chips, and cut it to fit the top rack. It saves the chips dropping through the rack. Any meat I am serving with the chips I cook in a baking dish on the bottom rack, in oil; this works really well with sausages or burgers,especially if you want onions because you can cook them in the same dish.

I have never tried pizza in the HO, though, so cannot help you on that.

Hope this helps!

Justamum

bebewoo wrote: »

I've got one.
It's good for roasting meat veg etc and making things like lasagnes etc.
Baked goods don't turn out all that well, cakes, bread etc don't seem to brown as well as in a regular oven and sometimes are still wet in the middle. That may just be me though.

I have to use mine to make bread at the moment. I set it for 30 minutes at 225c, then turn it on its side after about 20 minutes otherwise I find it can burn on top.

I can't wait to get my new kitchen in a few weeks so I can use a proper oven again. I think the halogen will go into storage then.

JMS1957

Thank you mioliere for the reply.

Do you put the meat and potatoes in at the same time? Would you cook the chips and then the sausages, or would the sausages be in the bottom, while the chips are in the top? I tried it the other way round, the sausages on the top were dried out, and the chips underneath were still crunchy. By the time I cooked the chips through the sausages were cold.

I'm determined to get the hang of it though.

mioliere

Hi JMS

I cook sausages in the bottom for about twenty minutes to brown them, then put in the rack with the chips on top and carry on cooking them all at the same time.

With the roast potatoes, I put them in first and give them about twenty minutes, then turn them in the oil, then put the meat in on the top rack.

With everything I have cooked in the HO, it has taken a bit of tweaking to get it all right and to get used to the timings, but I got the hang of it all in no time. I wouldn't be without it, although I find it saves more in energy costs than in time.