How to choose a desktop electric oven?

Desktop electric ovens are quite popular with housewives who know how and love to cook. The advantage and at the same time the disadvantage of this device is that it is literally always at hand. On the one hand - you do not need to bend down constantly to control the process of cooking. On the other hand - the device clutters up a place on the desktop, which is already sparse. Consider how to choose a desktop electric oven for home or garden.

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Device

An electric tabletop stove in a summer cottage or small-sized kitchen is an excellent alternative not only to a large built-in oven, but also to a freestanding bulky stove. On the market are models with hobs for one, two or three burners.

Complete with electric oven are:

• Baking sheets.
• Lattices.
• Device for safe extraction of wire racks and trays.
• Pallet.

Important! Think immediately about what utensils you will use. If you don’t have enough experience in the use of such equipment, the ready-made post on our site with an overview of different types will definitely come in handy cookware for oven.

Basic operating modes:

1. Bottom heating.
2. Top heating.
3. Simultaneous functioning of the upper and lower heating.

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Benefits:

• Convenience and compactness. With small dimensions, the electric oven is not inferior in functionality to the usual one.
• Mobility. The oven can be placed on a table, on a refrigerator or other work surface in a kitchen room. The device can be taken to the country, unlike a large built-in oven.
• Multifunctionality. Depending on what dishes you are going to cook, it is possible to choose a device with the functions of a microwave oven, grill.

Important! Choosing a desktop electric oven is much easier on your budget than stationary equipment.

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Principles of Right Choice

How to choose a tabletop electric oven, what criteria should be followed? Since the dimensions of electric household ovens are almost the same (large-sized models are used in catering establishments), the essence of choosing the right model is to choose functions and capabilities.

Important! The most common functions of an electric oven are a timer, setting the temperature and maintaining it during cooking. Detailed instructions for use in the preparation of various dishes are set out in the form of a step-by-step guide in our separate article “Setting the temperature in the oven”.

Consider the lesser-known but useful features of electric ovens:

1. Residual heat indicator. It ensures the safety of people by protecting them from burns until the device has cooled down. Shutdown occurs at 60 degrees.
2. Convection. The oven is equipped with a fan that provides forced air circulation inside. If you get a convection oven, you can forget about burnt meat or baked pies. The function is very useful, so many housewives pay attention to its presence.
3. Grill.An indispensable feature for lovers of meat and vegetables prepared using this technology. Most grill ovens are equipped with skewers.
4. Metal detector. This device is designed to “recognize” metal objects in the oven (such as a frying pan). If there are no such items, the oven will not turn on. You need to ask about the availability of such a function, because you cannot cook dishes in ceramic pots.
5. The ability to cook semi-finished products. If you are considering how to choose a desktop electric oven, pay attention to this function. This feature is very useful since you will save time on defrosting convenience foods. The “smart” device will select a change in temperature conditions so that the semi-finished product removed from the freezer turns into a finished, well and evenly baked finished product (cutlet, schnitzel, etc.).
6. Boiling control - prevents boiling of the liquid by lowering the temperature and maintaining it at a certain level.

Important! Note that the wider the range of options embedded in the device, the higher its price will be. Therefore, rationally think over what you will actually use, and for what functions - just overpay. More to deal with the functionality and purpose of buttons, knobs, our review will help you “What do the icons on the oven mean?”.

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Additional features for comfort and convenience

An important role in the operation of the oven is played by built-in appliances and other devices, as well as the design features of the equipment. They will also not be superfluous to take into account in order to choose a desktop electric oven of the quality you are counting on:

• Among the design features is the thickness of the door and the tightness of its closing. If the door is equipped with several glasses and fits snugly enough, this allows you to cook food faster, since there will be no “heat leakage”.
• Baking trays, such as telescopic rails, minimize the risk of burns.
• The memory function allows you to use the program recorded by the device when cooking, and not set all the parameters again.

Important! Begin to practice better with the most simple dishes. Check out our site for a few helpful tips for step-by-step recipes, how to make cheesecakes in the oven.

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Energy saving - is it possible?

A more powerful benchtop oven makes the dish faster. But the energy consumption in this case, accordingly, will be greater. It’s almost impossible to calculate what’s better: lower energy consumption for a longer time or more electricity consumption in a short period.

The manufacturers themselves took care of this, dividing the equipment into classes marked with Latin letters.

Important! The most economical vehicle is marked A.

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Care Issues

If the “Hamletian” question “wash or not wash” arises before you, then deciding it in favor of “not wash” will cost you additional costs. The question of how to choose a desktop electric oven is inextricably linked with the problems of caring for the equipment.

Self-cleaning function is available in pyrolysis and hydrolysis models.

• Hydrolysis ovens are equipped with metal plates that absorb and break down fat. The working life of such a device, under intensive use, is 5 years. If the oven is not operated often, it will take about 10 years to change the plates. The cost of such equipment is quite high.
• Pyrolysis models make it possible to wash the oven with less labor. The cost of pyrolysis ovens is higher than hydrolysis. The pyrolysis process (raising the temperature to 500 degrees, burning fat and food debris) is accompanied by a distinctly noticeable unpleasant odor. However, their effectiveness is very high.

Important! There is also the catalytic principle of purification, in which the corresponding substances react. They are part of the coating of the inner surfaces of the device for cooking. Efficiency with this method is average, but there is no need for additional time costs - the whole process occurs during the direct preparation of the dish.

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Stock footage

The right choice of electric desktop oven comes down to the selection of a model with the optimal ratio of cost, efficiency and feature set. If you opted for a multifunctional device, but the price stops you, then consider the following. An oven with a rich set of functions will not only provide safety and comfort, but also save on the purchase of other household appliances. And this is a significant savings.