How to choose a mini oven?

A modern electric mini-oven successfully combines the capabilities of a stationary oven, toaster and grill. It can also be a great alternative to the microwave in the kitchen of those gourmets who do not want to expose food to electromagnetic waves or do not imagine a chicken without a golden brown. Given the ever-increasing popularity of compact household appliances, when it is necessary to replace the oven or when arranging a new kitchen area, more and more buyers are thinking about how to choose a mini oven correctly.

to contents ↑

Benefits of Mini Ovens

The electric mini-oven has several advantages:

1. It is absolutely not tied to the hob, which opens up great opportunities for design decisions.
2. The cooking quality is the same as in a conventional oven, but at the same time, the appliance can cook toast and defrost food.
3. For her work you need only electricity. Quite often, a mini-stove is bought in a house in the village or in the country.
4. Compact, so it fits perfectly into a small apartment.
5. It consumes less power than a conventional electric oven in a stove.
6. The heating speed is much higher than that of the ovens built into the stove. This parameter is especially important if you cook often and in small portions.

Important! It is quite difficult to accommodate everything that I would like to have in the kitchen, without cluttering up the space and making it cozy and practical. If you use different equipment in the kitchen and want to fit all the furniture that you need according to plan and everyday habits, our ideas will definitely come in handy arrangement of furniture in the kitchen.

to contents ↑

All attention to volume

Before you choose a specific model of electric mini-oven, you need to determine for what purpose you are buying it. First of all, the necessary volume depends on this, as well as the availability of additional functions.

In stores you can find mini-ovens with a capacity of 8.5 to 40 liters. Naturally, the larger the volume, the more food can be prepared in one go.

Important! The larger the electric oven, the more electricity it consumes and heats up more slowly. Therefore, in order to save time, money and space, you need to choose the amount that is best suited to your needs.

When choosing a mini-oven, experts recommend focusing on the composition of the family:

• For 1-2 people, a small-sized oven, up to 10 liters, will be enough. Also, small appliances are suitable if you only need to heat food, make toasts or defrost foods. Such a model will fit perfectly on the kitchen table. To do this, just follow the link and use the instructions that will help you correctly install kitchen apron sockets.
• For a family of 3-4 members - 12-21 liters.
• For 5-6 people - from 28 liters and above. In such mini-ovens you can safely cook the whole bird or fish, bake pies and pizzas.

Important! Small-sized electric furnaces are not suitable for proper cooking. In some models, even a timer is designed for a maximum of 15 minutes.

to contents ↑

How to choose a mini-oven with the necessary power?

The second important characteristic is power. It directly depends on the volume of the mini-oven and additional functionality. As a rule, electric furnaces have the following power indicators:

1. Small-sized - 700-1000 watts.
2. The average size is 1500-1900 watts.
3. From 28 l and above - 2000-2200 watts.

The more powerful the device, the faster it warms up to the desired temperature.

Important! Naturally, the power indicator directly proportionally affects the amount of electricity consumed, as well as the price of household appliances. Therefore, do not chase after super powerful electric appliances. And besides, not every wiring is designed for such loads - it is better to take a mini-oven of medium power in the range of 1000-1500 watts.

to contents ↑

Modes of operation and convection

When thinking about how to choose a budget-friendly model from a variety of electric mini-ovens, pay attention to the fact that, as a standard, the device has one or two heating elements. This indicator affects the functionality and cost of technology.

If you plan to bake full dishes, it is better to purchase a mini-oven with two heating elements. They allow you to use the following heating modes during cooking:

1. Top or grill - only the top heating element works. Suitable for baking biscuits, toasts, pizza.
2. Lower - heating only from below. This delicate mode is used for cooking legs, wings and various confectionery products.
3. Combined - two heating elements work simultaneously. It is necessary for baking meat, fish and vegetables.

In addition to the main modes, depending on the selected model, there may be additional ones:

• baking;
• quick heating;
• roasting;
• pizza;
• toasts.

Important! A large number of additional modes extends the functionality of the mini-oven and greatly simplifies the cooking process. However, each new feature is a plus to the price.

Many buyers are thinking about how to choose a mini-convection oven and whether they need such a function in principle when they hear this phrase for the first time from the seller in the store. Convection is the movement of air in a mini-oven using the built-in fan. Process Features:

• This function allows you to distribute the heated air throughout the oven, so that all dishes are baked evenly.
• This mode also saves time - the cooking time is reduced by more than 20%.

Important! The convection function is relevant when choosing a mini-oven with one heating element. In a device with upper and lower heating, it is not so important.

Convection is useful if you plan to bake vegetables and meat, cook dough products, and also dry mushrooms, fruits, etc.

to contents ↑

How to choose a mini oven? - Extra options

In addition to the above characteristics and parameters, there are additional nuances, which are also worth paying attention to. They will directly affect the convenience and practicality of your chosen household appliances.

Control system

The mini oven can have the type of control:

1. Mechanical - adjustment is carried out by rotating the handle. Such a control system is reliable and in case of breakage is easier to repair. In addition, the cost of a furnace with mechanical adjustment is lower.
2. Touch or electronic - control by pressing a button or touching the screen. Such models are more modern and look stylish in the interior. However, they are more expensive than the previous option, and their repair is more problematic.

Door Opening Options

There are two options for opening the door in modern mini-ovens:

1. Folding or “on yourself”. In the same way, a familiar classic oven opens. Please note that if a device with such a door is located above the level of the hob, it will be inconvenient to use it.

Important! If the mini-oven with a hinged door is placed on the edge of the table, it is strictly forbidden to place any objects on the open door, especially baking sheets, as many housewives like to do. Otherwise, a shift of the center of gravity occurs, and the device can simply tip over to the user.

2. To the side. Microwave doors also open. A mini-oven of this model can be safely placed at the level of wall cabinets.However, when planning, do not forget to leave a free gap so that the door can open completely.

Inner coating

When planning to purchase a mini electric oven, few people think about how to choose an inner cover. But it depends on its quality how long the mini-oven will be and whether it is easy to care for it. Marking “Durastone” in the instructions or on the device itself indicates that the coating is resistant to high temperatures, scratches and chemicals.

Important! Use only chemicals specifically designed for ovens to clean the inside of the mini-oven. Before the first application, always do the test on a small surface.

Baking guides

They are of two types:

1. Lattices are a cheap and easy option. However, the pallet has a torn stroke, due to which splashing of the liquid is possible.
2. Telescopic guides - the pan leaves at the same time as the oven door opens. Such a system is very convenient, but there is a risk of a breakdown of the mechanism.

to contents ↑

Additional functions

Modern mini-ovens have a number of functions that significantly expand the areas of its application and simplify the use of:

• Heating. The presence of such a regime will simply eliminate the microwave oven in your kitchen and will allow you to quickly heat ready-made food quickly and with minimal energy consumption.
• Defrosting - this feature significantly simplifies the life of modern housewives and allows you to quickly cook frozen foods. Some models have two defrost modes: normal and deep.
• Auto power off is a great feature for busy people or computer enthusiasts. If the oven temperature reaches the maximum value for a given cooking mode or if it works for too long without adjustments by the user, then the device itself stops working.
• Saving programs - allows you to choose the optimal cooking mode for a particular dish and save it in the device’s memory.
• Self-cleaning is a very necessary function, especially if you have a mini skewer with a skewer. Cleaning can be carried out using water heated in a baking sheet, or by means of high temperature.

to contents ↑

Equipment

The convenience of its use and price depend on the equipment of the mini-oven. Therefore, before choosing a mini-oven with all the “bells and whistles”, think: will you really use them?

Important! Many buyers note that they deliberately overpaid for an electric rotisserie, but actually only used it a couple of times.

Compact furnaces can have such additional equipment:

1. The thermostat is a rather important element in modern technology. It helps maintain the right temperature throughout the entire cooking time. The minimum adjustable temperature value by means of a thermostat in an electric furnace is 60 ° С, and the maximum - 320 ° С.

Important! When choosing a model with a thermal relay, pay attention to the range of adjustable temperatures. For example, there are models that have a thermostat with parameters min 100 ° С, max 240 ° С. This is not very convenient, especially if your family loves tender roast beef, which is cooked at a temperature of 65 ° C.

2. Timer - simplifies the cooking process. Some timers automatically turn off the device, while others emit a sound signal at the end of the cooking time.

Important! The range of adjustable time in different models can be from 15 to 120 minutes.

3. Thermal insulating lining on the door - prevents excessive overheating. This is an important detail if there are small children or animals in the apartment.
4. Grill - a heating element with which you can make a delicious crispy crust on a dish.

Important! A grill browns food on one side only.

5. Skewer - used to evenly bake whole poultry or fish, as well as large pieces of meat. In this case, a crisp forms on all sides of the finished dish.
6. Burners - with their help, the mini-oven turns into a compact electric stove.Before choosing a mini-oven with convection in this version, keep in mind that nevertheless, its functionality is less than that of a classic stove.
7. Hinged top cover - allows you to turn your mini-oven into a barbecue in a matter of minutes.
8. Metal Detector - prevents the mini-oven from turning on if cutlery or metal utensils were forgotten in the middle.
9. Various pallets and trays - simplify the use of a mini oven. Different models can be equipped with a baking tray, wire rack, pizza and lasagna tray, crumb and liquid tray.

Important! When buying a mini-oven, make sure that all your frequently used forms are placed in a new device - then you do not have to spend money on new accessories. You may find our separate review usefulcookware for oven.

to contents ↑

Popular manufacturers and models

Naturally, many firms offer electric mini-ovens. How to choose a reliable manufacturer? - This is also an important issue without which the article would be incomplete.

Rating of manufacturers by price

Consider the manufacturer based on the price range:

1. Low price. This range includes mini-ovens from the brands Delfa, Saturn, Scarlett, Supra, Severin, DEX, Mirta, Mystery, Orion. Many Chinese-made products are not of high quality, so we recommend that, first of all, pay attention to the features of the assembly and coating the inside.
2. The average price segment. Here, such brands as Ariete, Delonghi, Panasonic gained authority. Models of these manufacturers are distinguished by good build quality and durability.
3. High price. Each brand has expensive models, but prices for Bork equipment are always above average. Of course, the quality and functionality of mini-ovens from this manufacturer deserve praise, but also quite a large part of the cost is advertising costs.

Important! When choosing a mini-oven, you need to focus not only on the manufacturer, but also on your specific needs in terms of capacity and functionality.

Popular models of mini ovens:

1. Among the devices with a small volume, users prefer the Panasonic NT-GT1WTQ and Delonghi EO 420 mini ovens. They are ideal for heating and short baking - their timer is designed for a maximum of 15 minutes. If you are interested in compact equipment with a longer cycle, pay attention to Severin TO 2030.
2. If you need a mid-sized mini oven up to 20 L, pay attention to Delonghi EOB 2071, Delonghi EO 1455, Delonghi EO 20312, Bork W550, Ariete 971, Scarlett SC-097.
3. But among compact furnaces with a large capacity of 21 liters, customers choose the Bork W500, Luxell 3575, Delonghi EO 3835, Saturn ST-EC 1070.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Now you know how to choose a mini-oven that will delight you and your loved ones with fragrant sandwiches, delicious pies and a crispy chicken on the chicken. Have a good shopping!