Do you do your baking in the mini-oven?

[Sabiya]

Since it's just my husband and I that live at home, I almost always do my baking in the mini-oven. Unless it's a big cake (think 9x13 and 2 inches deep), I don't use the actual oven that much. Recently I divulged to my mother that I use the mini-oven to bake my desserts and not the traditional oven, she looked at me as if I came from Mars!

Surely I'm not the only one that prefers to bake through a mini-oven because it saves energy costs and sometimes makes the baking go by faster. I am actually thinking of going out to get a new mini-oven that's big enough for 9x13 and higher baking pans, so I would never need to use the traditional oven for my baking needs again.

So do you guys and girls use the mini-oven to bake? And if you do, can you recommend me a good solid brand to buy? Our budget is $100, we were looking at the Hamilton beach convectional oven series but I'm not sure if convectional ovens are good for baking.

 

[ACSAPA]

I've been using a small countertop oven to bake for the past couple of months because I moved and haven't gotten the gas turned on yet.
It does save on energy and doesn't heat up the whole apartment, but I've found that Oster mini ovens bake better than Hamilton Beach.
To me, the Hamilton Beach oven takes longer to bake and doesn't get as hot as the Oster.

 

[Meowmie]

I have a stove that has 2 ovens, the top one being much smaller and any time I can, I use that one. it takes about 3 min. to get to temp. and the big oven takes 15 to 20 minutes!

I bake pizza, bread, brownies, cakes, pies, etc. in it. IF I could get my turkey flattened out he's be in there too!

I especially like it for roasting vegetables.

 

[Sabiya]

Oh that's right! I knew it was another mini-oven brand that beat out Hamilton Beach in tests, but for the life of me I couldn't remember it! It was indeed the Oster brand that beat out Hamilton Beach. Thank you for reminding me. A stove with two ovens? When people usually say two ovens, I think of the ovens that are at eye level and mainly used for pizzas. I'm curious as to what kind of stove you're talking about Meowmie!

 

[OhioTom76]

I had a nice toaster oven that I used to use all the time. Seriously, if you get one that is large enough, they can accommodate all sorts of meals that you would normally prepare in a regular oven. Not only are they more energy efficient, but they heat up a lot faster since there is less total space to warm up.

The only concerns are with some items, they cook a little unevenly since the edges are closer to the heating elements. But if you don't mind a little variance in your finished product it's not a big deal.

I've been meaning to get a new one, since I kind of junked my last one baking greasy stuff in it too - like ribs and buffalo wings, which made a mess of the sides that I couldn't get off.

 

[khillis]

I agree, a small convection oven can be a great tool. It just depends on your needs and what you're producing. In our house it's just my husband and I, so our small convection oven gets a lot of use. When I am baking larger batches of cookies, pizza, cakes, etc. I tend to prefer the larger oven though. It makes multiple batches much easier, and I find the temperature is regulated a little bit better (especially for those finicky recipes).

 

[Trellum]

I'll have no choice but do that actually, my SO said he can't buy an oven anytime soon, so we will have to use the small oven he got, it can be used as a microwave as well, so it's cool. I'd really like to get my own oven, but we need to work very hard for that, since a lot money has and is being spent on that house.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I have not yet try using a mini oven for baking purposes. What we have at home is a big oven wherein for me it is very useful and can accommodate many items for baking.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I have not yet try baking in a mini oven. In our kitchen what we have is a big oven which had been very useful to us for many years already and can accommodate many items for baking.

 

[Diane Lane]

I've never used a mini oven for baking, but it sounds interesting. I'm not sure most of my pans would fit in a toaster-oven type device. Are the ones y'all are talking about that size, or larger? A friend mentioned some new sort of contraption he wants, and I'm going to check that out to see what it involves. If I like it, maybe I'll get one.

 

[Winterybella]

I have not ever baked in a mini oven and I am sure my mini oven can't accommodate a really decent size cake. I have the double oven in my main kitchen and right now only the bottom oven is working well. I don't even think a mug cake could comfortably hold in the mini oven.

 

[ChesterV]

Depends on the oven itself.

I have a countertop convection oven. It will bake a 9x13 cake in under 20 minutes. Which beats out my regular sized oven, by baking the same sized cake in 40 minutes. Both ovens at the same temp of course.

I've had countertop ovens before that were not convection, and they bake uneven and take longer to bake, and even sometimes burn the edges of the cakes.

If you get a countertop baking oven, spend a couple more dollars and get a convection one. If you don't know what "convection" is, it is simply an oven that has a fan inside it to keep the air inside the oven moving around, so the heat gets distributed evenly throughout the oven.

I've only made microwave cake once in my life. Didn't care for it. But there are some convection microwaves out there also. You can bake in silicone, stone, glass, and any kind of non metal, microwave safe baking dishes.
If you do bake with a microwave, make sure you are using microwave friendly recipes, as they allow the differences for baking with a microwave.

 

[Winterybella]

ChesterV, I think you make a valid point about using microwave friendly recipes which allow for the difference in baking. I for one thought it was just only about time, but I think I was wrong.