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What are Some Ways to Use a Toaster Oven?
Toaster ovens are not as popular as they used to be, and many households that own one don't know exactly what to do with it. The oven can often be used for simple tasks, like toasting bread or making toasted sandwiches, although it's also capable to cooking quick snacks, heating small frozen items, and even baking some foods, if the settings allow.
Cooks can prepare quick snacks, such as garlic bread, pizza rolls, and even French fries in a toaster oven. Because of their small size and quick heating, the oven is a much better choice for this than a microwave, which can make food too soggy, or a regular oven, which has a longer cooking time. Also, using this appliance will not turn the kitchen into a sauna as a regular oven might, which is a big advantage in summer.
It can also be used in place of a microwave for small frozen goods such as pot pies, personal pizzas, or cookie dough. The oven will give the food a crispy crust, which a microwave can't. A toaster oven cooks like a regular oven, only faster because it's much smaller, so it's a great option for when a cook wants to make food that tastes good but without spending the required time for it.
A toaster oven can even be used as a second oven when cooking for a party or a holiday, if the cook runs out of space in the regular oven. While a large pizza won't fit, individual-sized ones, snacks, and appetizers such as rolls can be cooked in the smaller appliance.
When compared to other appliances, including a microwave, a toaster oven uses very little electricity. Using it more frequently may actually reduce the amount of money a homeowner spends on bills every month. If the home includes an electric stove, using the toaster oven makes even more sense.
What other ways a toaster oven can be used depends on the type of functions it includes. Some offer "slow-heat" cooking, which is great for frozen food and even vegetables; others have a defroster option, although this is not as useful if the cook already has a microwave. The appliance usually comes with a broiler function, allowing cooks to bake without worrying about uneven cooking.
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![Mini pizzas, breads, croissants and cookies can all be baked in a toaster oven.]()
By: carlos RestrepoMini pizzas, breads, croissants and cookies can all be baked in a toaster oven. -
![For crispy french fries, use a toaster oven instead of the microwave.]()
By: MSPhotographicFor crispy french fries, use a toaster oven instead of the microwave. -
![Toaster ovens may be used for cooking french fries.]()
By: Africa StudioToaster ovens may be used for cooking french fries. -
![Toaster ovens may be used to bake pot pies.]()
By: msheldrakeToaster ovens may be used to bake pot pies. -
![Toasting slices of blueberry bread makes for a warm, tasty breakfast.]()
By: dolphy_tvToasting slices of blueberry bread makes for a warm, tasty breakfast.
Discussion Comments
I use my toaster oven mostly for cooking one of St. Louis signature foods, toasted ravioli. I have cooked them many different ways, an oven, a microwave, even a fryer. But the toaster oven is the best way I have found to prepare them. They cook quickly and you get a nice little crunch on the outside.
It is a little unorthodox, but I love to make hot peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I make the sandwich like you would any other and then heat it in a toaster over for a few minutes.
If you use good bread and high quality jam it can begin to seem like a really fancy sandwich.
I have been trying to cut down on using my microwave and one way of doing this is with a toaster oven. Mine has a specific button you can use if you are heating up a pop tart and my kids love this feature.
If you have a recipe that calls for any kind of toasted nuts, the toaster oven works great for this. You just have to watch them carefully and not let them stay in too long. For me this is much more convenient than toasting them on the stove or in the oven.
It's too bad that toaster ovens aren't as popular as they used to be. I may be odd, but this is one of my favorite kitchen appliances.
One of the things I like most about it is that I don't have to heat up the whole kitchen on hot days. It also only takes a very short time to heat something up or cook something compared to a regular oven.
Using a toaster oven is my favorite ways to heat up leftover pizza. With a microwave the crust is always soggy. With a toaster oven, you get a crisp crust and the cheese melts perfectly. The pizza tastes just as good as it did the first time and it only takes a couple of minutes.
I bought a toaster oven a few years ago on a whim thinking I would use it in place of my microwave. Sadly, this sits at the top of my cupboard and never gets used.
I felt that it was too big and bulky to leave sitting out on the counter if I never used it. Reading this article has reminded me of the advantages of using a toaster oven. I think I might get it out of the cupboard and try using it more frequently.
It seems like it is so easy to get in the habit of just popping something in the microwave for a short time, but I agree that many foods end up soggy or not as tasty as they would be if heated up in a toaster oven.
I have a Toastmaster toaster oven that I bought to use in our camper. This is a perfect way to bake things when you are on the road. There are some foods that a microwave just isn't that great for.
I would bake small batches of cookies and muffins in the oven, and it was nice to have something warm and homemade straight from the oven. We would also use this for toast in the morning so we didn't have to take up more space with a toaster.
Spasiba-I agree. I use my toaster oven more than my regular oven. I have a convection toaster oven that really is great for baking.
It also is more efficient source of energy which lowers your electric bills. I bake muffins and even pies there.
You can really do this with a Cuisinart toaster oven, an Oster toaster oven, or even a Farberware toaster oven.
Most toaster oven broilers have this capacity for baking. I know that there are even toaster oven rotisserie that can bake chicken. I would love to have one of those because rotisserie chicken is so tasty.
I love my toaster oven. Since I use it for toasting bread and bagels, I do not need a toaster. There is one less kitchen appliance to clutter my counter top. Toaster oven has far more uses, is small and efficient.
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