Table-top halogen ovens

jenifer

cooking-mama wrote: »

Well my £50.odds,Cookshop Halogen oven from Ideal World has given up the ghost after only 18months,(Tho apparantly that is a long time for these!)it still powers on,the fan still whirs into action but there is no light and therefore no heat,I think it would've gone sooner but I mainly used mine as a grill,ironicaly i had started roasting joints in it and was getting more adventorous(perhaps thats what added to its demise!)..realy missing it today,cos its regular use was for a weekend "grill up"...ive Emailed Ideal World to see if there is any chance of repair(doubt it),I will get another,but its either gonna be the £30 Aldi or Costco one...does anyone know the litre size of these?(ideal world is 11L),and does their extended guarantee cover the bulb?thanks,
PS,And to add insult to injury im convinced my Remoska(bought around the same time)is losing power...at least i know lakeland will replace that no problem tho.

their normal warranty is 2 yrs they told me as my bulb went 2 months out of warranty looking to try and get it fixed if cheaper than buying a new one

Jenwales_2

I bought a Halogen Oven last year from Ideal World after about 4 months it stopped working. The switch has worn a hole in the casing and it will no longer turn on. They are still selling them despite the fact that a few people have had this problem.
My mother bought one and we both had this problem. I am trying to get my money back.
I am going to buy one elsewhere as there are good but don't buy from Ideal World
my mother got a refund
replacement means another one which won't work

Glum

I'm a big fan of the HO, but with many technical appliances, one hears conflicting opinions on why things fail and how long they usually last. Here are a few brief observations from my experience of two different models used almost every day for over three years. I should add that I have engineering and electrical/electronics qualifications and a lot of experience working on extremely complicated equipment.

1. Contrary to some reports, the quartz halogen lamp can last for years; if your bulb fails within the first few minutes, hours or weeks (given that it wasn't knocked or overdriven) it was probably defective when it was made or fitted. If the unit you are looking to buy has a lamp exclusion clause in the warranty (and many do) then you run the risk of having to chuck the whole thing away (see 5 below). That said, you can buy complete replacement head units rather than a stand and bowl. This might seem a bit more of gamble because the bulb in the new one may only last thirty seconds longer...

2. The lamp manufacturers advise taking care not to touch the lamp with dirty fingers, but in my experience, the quartz envelope in most models is continually spattered with oil, fat and other deposits. I've just removed a lamp that was covered in grease stains but had been in constant use for 3 years, and actually failed due to a corroded connecting lead, not a blown filament.

3. I suggest buying an 11 litre model with a hinged lid, an extension ring, and the simplest controls (a replaceable mechanical thermostat and a simple mechanical timer). The fancy electronic systems get too hot and can fail prematurely (RIP my first expensive model).

4. A unit without a hinged lid can be more dangerous if handled incorrectly. It also needs more clear worktop space to put the lid down.

5. Unless you are skilled, knowledgeable, like a challenge, and have some free time, a DIY repair on most models is out of the question. Even if a new lamp is only £9.99, it is almost certainly uneconomical to have one professionally repaired at the going rate. The last 11 litre hinged unit I bought on line (Cookshop model CKY-686M) was described as a slightly used factory return and cost a mere £30 including shipping. An electrician would charge me that for answering the phone. Sadly, the bulb lasted under an hour. I contacted the seller who said "that's unusual" and offered to replace the unit if I shipped it back. I couldn't be bothered to send it back so, having the time, a soldering iron, the requisite skills, and too much time on my hands, I replaced it with a working lamp from a two year old unit and that's now been running for a year. Even if you are skilled, it can be extremely awkward to work on these appliances without employing an able assistant. Even getting the relatively simple thermostat control back together takes a certain knack and a very special tool (a strip of stiff card with a slot in one end). Then there is always the risk that you will not insulate the wiring properly or, even worse, trap a stray wire under the metal shroud... Anyway, the thing was still working a few weeks later (just as my therapy sessions came to an end) so it was well worth the effort. I hope you get the picture.

6. If these units were better designed with easily replaceable parts, there would be no contest. Unfortunately, many such budget kitchen items are made with cheap Chinese components and the so-called 'manufacturers' rarely supply spare parts. Sadly, most of this rebranded stuff is destined for the landfill. The fact that some celebrity chef has to sign the box should say it all, but we still keep buying it.

Some other tips for using a HO:
a. Buy some cheap, round, enamel bowls that fit your oven.
b. Never use tools to lift a pan out of the hot oven unless you are sure it is not going to fall (the flimsy tongs supplied with some units can easily slip). Also make sure you have somewhere safe to put the pan down, especially as things can get very hot in a couple of minutes.
c. Never risk burning your wrists by reaching into the hot glass bowl.
d. Use the extender ring and baking foil to stop the grilling effect.
e. Use your microwave to precook sausages (around 2 mins for four) then finish grilling in the HO.
f. Spatchcock a chicken rather than trying to cook it whole. You can easily see when it is thoroughly cooked.
g. The nut holding the fan on the motor spindle has a left-handed thread. You will kick yourself. I knew this before I'd even selected the correct nut spinner but we can't all be expected to know these things from birth...

With a bit of research, planning and cunning, you will soon get the hang of it and wonder how you ever managed without one.

In my experience, halogen ovens cook all manner of foods extremely well (especially Yorkshire puddings and pork crackling) and I wouldn't be without one for more than three of four minutes.

Angelina-M

Thank you to Glum for taking the time to write that post.

I've just bought one in B & M for £34.99. Its a Russel Hobbs one and is usually around £50 so I thought I was getting a bargain but from reading this thread I wish I had just gone with an Aldi one as it looks like they are mostly made in the same place just with a different badge.

I actually bought it to take out in the motorhome but its really too big. Has anyone had good experience with the smaller 7 ltr one please? There is even a 3.5ltr one that shows it cooking a full chicken but surely not?? The smaller the better for camping out but I think the 3.5ltr would be way too small as its only a quarter the size of this RH one I bought.

I also read somewhere else that a lady puts her HO lid on top of her deep cast iron frying pan to brown up her meals. I never thought to do that but will give it a go on pasta that I usually put the grill on to brown the top.

Angelina-M

Update:
Ok I picked up one of those counter prepared pizza's today from Morrison's and thought I would give it a go in the HO. I was a bit nervous as i've heard people having bad results with pizza and soggy bottom so I was kind of prepared to bang the oven on to save it if I needed to..

However it was delicous! Beautifully browned and golden on the top with a good crisp base. I cooked it at 200 for ten minutes and the oven had had about five mins preheating. I used the high rack and the extender. I don't usually buy these pizzas as I make my own but it was excellent for a quick tea when daughter and grandson dropped in.

Morglin

I have just bought a Next one, and just am unclear about a couple of things:

It has a cleaning function, and says to just add 2cm of water, and switch function on - am I supposed to add washing up liquid?

As well as the accessories for it, I have glass and enamel dishes and pots - are these ok to use in it?

Sorry if I sound thick lol - just a bit nervous of it!:eek:

Thanks to anyone that can help.

Lin

Angelina-M

Morglin wrote: »

I have just bought a Next one, and just am unclear about a couple of things:

It has a cleaning function, and says to just add 2cm of water, and switch function on - am I supposed to add washing up liquid?

As well as the accessories for it, I have glass and enamel dishes and pots - are these ok to use in it?

Sorry if I sound thick lol - just a bit nervous of it!:eek:

Thanks to anyone that can help.

Lin

Well I put about an inch of water in and a few spots of washing up liquid and set it going on the 125 temp. Mine doesn't have an actual setting on the dial for washing but the instruction says to use it on 125c.

I use glass in mine all the time, also cast iron. I don't have any enamel but I can't see why you wouldn't be able to use it. I think the rule is that anything you can use in an actual oven can be used in the halogen. Silicon is good too.

Morglin

Thanks for your help - I am a Halogen virgin here, but determined to master it lol

Lin

Newcroft

Having scoured the internet for Halogen oven reviews (and also spoken to a number of friends), I have decided to buy the Andrew James Digital oven c/w hinged lid which (according to Which mag) is the best they tested.

There's another review which also found the AJ machine to be the best they tested. http://besthalogencooker.com/uk-halogen-cooker-reviews/

Better_Days

We've had our AJ halogen oven for a year now and wouldn't be without it. When we bought this house it didn't have a working oven so we needed something to tide us over. Now have a cooker, but the halogen oven is still used daily.

Makes lovely baked potatoes.

Only thing we haven't mastered is yorkshire puds, they stay pancake like - what are we doing wrong? Have resorted to using the conventional oven for YP's.