DiningBuzz! - using a toaster oven to reheat or cook foods?

Since moving, we've started using our toaster oven. I've used it to reheat pizza, and it makes a huge difference in how it tastes!

I'm using it now to reheat pasta--not sure how that'll turn out, but I figured I'd experiment.

How do you use a toaster oven? Can I actually cook with it?

We have a de longe toaster oven in the garage(attached to house).

in summer, to avoid increased ac bills, my wife cook everything from meatloafs to pizza in it. it is pretty big for a toaster oven, but runs on a 110/15a circuit.
has an accurate temperature adjust, and a timer.

Ours has similar features, and I'll have to try meatloaf.

The pasta was better from the toaster oven than it would've been from the microwave.

If it's not one of those $10 special ones, you can do a great job with it. We had one that was our main oven for anything that fit into it until we replaced our stove (we got a dual oven stove where the second oven is the size of a large toaster oven, love it).

If the oven heats with top and bottom elements you may need to cover food to keep it from burning on top, but it heats up faster then a real oven, doesn't heat up the entire room, etc.

But the higher end ones that are well insulated do a great job as a small oven.

It's an older toaster oven, but it's working well. I wasn't sure if you could cook in it like a normal oven, but I guess we can! :D

I don't broil very often (I usually use the outdoor grill instead), but when I do, I usually use the toaster oven. I have an electric stove, and the broiler just doesn't get hot enough. But the toaster oven, in toast dark setting, does the trick.

It's an older toaster oven, but it's working well. I wasn't sure if you could cook in it like a normal oven, but I guess we can! :D

Definitely - we use our for smaller stuff. In the summer it beats heating up the whole house with the main oven, and I'm sure we're saving electricity too. ^

I have a good toaster oven and I tend to use it more than the real one. I feel that one can actually save quite a bit in the long run (less electricity consumption) by buying a better toaster oven.

kipper, I use our toaster oven for more than toasting. The Mrs. and GoFaresBoy got me a bigger toaster oven for my birthday last year, a Black and Decker, to replace one that was smaller and well used. It came with a baking tray that works slick, especially when you cover it with foil.

I reheat pizza in it (direct on the toasting rack) so I can get the cheese melted nice and crisp the crust. To me it often tastes better reheated this way than the original bake... and it improves the delivered/take out pizza this way.

I've also baked frozen biscuits in it. With just the 3 of us, it's a waste of the big oven for 6 biscuits for breakfast. I've also done chicken nuggets, fish sticks and frozen fries, with good success.

Definitely - we use our for smaller stuff. In the summer it beats heating up the whole house with the main oven, and I'm sure we're saving electricity too. ^
I didn't think about that!
I have a good toaster oven and I tend to use it more than the real one. I feel that one can actually save quite a bit in the long run (less electricity consumption) by buying a better toaster oven.
So this might be environmentally friendly? :)
kipper, I use our toaster oven for more than toasting. The Mrs. and GoFaresBoy got me a bigger toaster oven for my birthday last year, a Black and Decker, to replace one that was smaller and well used. It came with a baking tray that works slick, especially when you cover it with foil.

I reheat pizza in it (direct on the toasting rack) so I can get the cheese melted nice and crisp the crust. To me it often tastes better reheated this way than the original bake... and it improves the delivered/take out pizza this way.

I've also baked frozen biscuits in it. With just the 3 of us, it's a waste of the big oven for 6 biscuits for breakfast. I've also done chicken nuggets, fish sticks and frozen fries, with good success.
I'm amazed at what I apparently can cook in the toaster oven! I think I'm going to have to experiment with it quite a bit! :D

I'm actually without a toaster oven right now and realizing how much I miss it. I just can't justify preheating the whole big oven just to bake a couple chicken nuggets or reheat a slice of pizza.

I am not a "nuked" food fan at all. I can make all kinds of tasty delights in my TO. It is a simple 12" something or other model I got at WM for about $75.

I am not a "nuked" food fan at all. I can make all kinds of tasty delights in my TO. It is a simple 12" something or other model I got at WM for about $75.
I'm realizing the joys of a toaster oven. An example is with reheating pasta--I tried it in the toaster oven at home, and the cheese was ooey-gooey, and melted nicely. I tried it in the microwave at work, and it wasn't nearly as tasty.

Back in the 80's I lived in Seoul. Our apt had the traditional 2 burner stove and time fish-oven (about the size of a mail slot). We used a toaster over to do any baking. Hours. Literally HOURS to make cookies for my kiddos. I finally started using my electric skillet and crock pot to bake in.

Ah, to be young and adventurous again!

Toaster ovens rock. I rarely use the larger oven. As noted it saves on summer a/c costs. For toast I use it indoors but for fish, pizza etc I move it to the lanai or patio to keep the odors, smoke etc outdoors.

MisterNice

My trusty toaster oven has done multiples of various dishes.
Here's my favorite salmon dish illustrated. (https://store.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/193991/) A quick 20-25 minutes in my toaster oven at 400 degrees makes a fab dish.

Note: Make sure you use onion POWDER not onion SALT.

Toaster ovens rock. I rarely use the larger oven. As noted it saves on summer a/c costs. For toast I use it indoors but for fish, pizza etc I move it to the lanai or patio to keep the odors, smoke etc outdoors.

MisterNice
Yours smokes? Granted, we've only used ours to reheat things so far, but I haven't noticed any smoke. :confused:

I use our toaster oven for more than toasting.

Ditto. Indeed, I've got a regular toaster, which works better for just toasting bread/english muffins/Eggo waffles. But the toaster oven is great for reheating stuff and smaller frozen entrees.

The current convection Black & Decker I've got doesn't do well with frizza, though, as the convection dries out the cheese and there's no convection on-off switch. After I move, this one will probably go to Goodwill and be replaced with a nicer one.

We tried frozen pizza and it did seem slightly dry. I think we might add more cheese before baking next time. :)

We tried frozen pizza and it did seem slightly dry. I think we might add more cheese before baking next time. :)

If yours has a convection on/off switch, you might try turning the convection off. Makes the cooking time a little longer, though.

If yours has a convection on/off switch, you might try turning the convection off. Makes the cooking time a little longer, though.
Ours has broil, bake, slow cook, and convection. We currently have it set to bake. Should I change it?

Ours has broil, bake, slow cook, and convection. We currently have it set to bake. Should I change it?

I dunno. Each of these has different controls - the one that we had at my old job that would make better frozen pizzas had a "bake, toast, broil" and then a separate switch for convection on/off. The one I have at home that dries out the pizza just has "bake, toast, broil" and the convection fan comes on for bake.

Given the separate "convection" setting for yours, does the convection fan come on for bake or only on the convection setting?

I bought a cheap (CAD 40) convection toaster oven and have used it to bake bread and yorkshire puddings, along other things. Does a decent job even though I can't turn off the convection fan (except in toast/broil or keep warm mode). Doesn't seem to be able to bake potatoes until the skin is crispy.

I dunno. Each of these has different controls - the one that we had at my old job that would make better frozen pizzas had a "bake, toast, broil" and then a separate switch for convection on/off. The one I have at home that dries out the pizza just has "bake, toast, broil" and the convection fan comes on for bake.

Given the separate "convection" setting for yours, does the convection fan come on for bake or only on the convection setting?

No, the convection fan doesn't come on when we have it on the bake setting.

No, the convection fan doesn't come on when we have it on the bake setting.

Assuming you're using that for the frozen pizza and not the convection setting, then the fan is not going to be what's to blame for the cheese being dry. :) You might even try using the convection setting to see if it comes out better.

Heck, it may not be what's to blame for the cheese being dry on mine, although it does come on and stay on. I may try adjusting the time and temperature to see if it does better.

For pizza and things you want a nice crust on consider getting a toaster oven sized pizza stone or appropriate sized tile (of course make sure it's uncoated and all that for the oven) and heat that up and do the pizza, bread, rolls, whatever, on that. Huge difference in the results.

Like $5 at sears right now for example (search for baking stone) and it also includes a serving rack too.

We have two toaster ovens.

One that stays outside and cooks our fish. We cook things like mackeral, sardines and talipia and it stinks the whole house if we do it inside.

Assuming you're using that for the frozen pizza and not the convection setting, then the fan is not going to be what's to blame for the cheese being dry. :) You might even try using the convection setting to see if it comes out better.

Heck, it may not be what's to blame for the cheese being dry on mine, although it does come on and stay on. I may try adjusting the time and temperature to see if it does better.
I may try the convection setting next week. :)
For pizza and things you want a nice crust on consider getting a toaster oven sized pizza stone or appropriate sized tile (of course make sure it's uncoated and all that for the oven) and heat that up and do the pizza, bread, rolls, whatever, on that. Huge difference in the results.

Like $5 at sears right now for example (search for baking stone) and it also includes a serving rack too.
I'll have to check for a baking stone. Heat it before heating the food?

Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in NYC has done a whole series using a toaster oven to create gourmet food on his website. See here: http://aveceric.com/category/gettoasted

Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in NYC has done a whole series using a toaster oven to create gourmet food on his website. See here: http://aveceric.com/category/gettoasted

Sweet! Thanks. Some of the foods look yummy!

For pizza and things you want a nice crust on consider getting a toaster oven sized pizza stone or appropriate sized tile (of course make sure it's uncoated and all that for the oven) and heat that up and do the pizza, bread, rolls, whatever, on that. Huge difference in the results.

Like $5 at sears right now for example (search for baking stone) and it also includes a serving rack too.

I've had very good luck with a baking stone for real dough in the oven for homemade pizza and bread loaves etc, but haven't had very good luck with it for frozen pizza - at least the cheap ones I eat when MrsNKEdel is working in the evening (is Tony's, Tombstone, Red Baron) it tends to crisp up better either on the uncovered rack or on a preheated "crisper" ( perforated disk shaped baking sheet. )

I love my toaster oven, use if for virtually everything.

I used ours to bake brownies today. They turned out just fine, and I think it took slightly less time to cook than in the main oven. :)