It toasts, broils, bakes, with a hot air assist.
Written: Sep 29 '04 (Updated Sep 29 '04)
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Pros: Fast cooking,self cleaning inside, versatility, price
Cons: sliding racks in/out, exterior get a tad hot
The Bottom Line: Lot's of features and versatility for the price. It's a good compromise between a microwave and regular oven.
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| mptepinion's Full Review: Euro-Pro TO283 1200 Watts Toaster Oven with Convec... |
For decades, it seems Americans have been in search of the one handy dandy kitchen appliance that does it all. The concept of this appliance attempts to address many variables one may desire in a cooking appliance, namely speed, even cooking throughout, ease of use, clean up, and price. I think this unit meets many of these criteria, with some better than others.
I don't care for microwave cooking in general for reasons that are well known. Very few people use the microwave for much more than quick heating. It is not the ideal cooking appliance. Ovens generally, are much more satisfying, but take a much longer time. Appliances such as the Foreman grill are quick, but limited to grilling, and I find the results somewhat mediocre because the outside gets cooked to a crisp while the inside may not be cooked through.
My desire for faster cooking led me a this appliance, because of the convection feature that speeds up cooking time, cooks evenly, and delivers results like oven cooking should. There are many convection ovens out there, but this one struck me because of all of the features combined with a relatively low price tag.
The unit has a self cleaning interior, so you won't ever get all that black stuff caked to the sides like most toaster ovens develop over time. It comes with two wire racks and a broil pan, all dishwasher safe. The inside is spacious; no problem to cook enough food for 2 or 3 people, or toast 4-6 slices of bread. The oven has settings for toast, bake, broil, grill. The addition of the convection does significantly reduce cooking time. The basic premise is that there is a fan inside that circulates the air around your food. It's a simple, yet effective concept.
The unit is about as well made as most small kitchen appliances these days. Only time will tell how reliable it is. The outside of the unit does get hot, they probably could have done a little better job of insulating the unit. The styling is attractive, and will fit most any decor.
My chief complaint would be that the racks are tricky to slide in and out. This is mainly because of the self cleaning interior. It's a rough finish, so sometimes you have to work to get the racks to slide in. This is most evident when sliding the racks out. You need an oven mitt, or you will burn yourself. There is no tool provided to grab the racks, so just make sure you have something to shield your hand.
I find the cooking to be fine. I've baked, broiled and toasted, all with great results. I'm happy that the cooking time is faster than my big oven, with comparable quality. I hardly use the Foreman grill anymore, and the microwave oven is just a reheating machine for me.
I've finally found an appliance that serves most all of my criteria. Sure, it could be faster, but it's a great compromise between the microwave and big oven. I would estimate that the cooking time is about 25-30% faster than a conventional oven. Still nowhere near microwave speed, but enough of a gain to say it's worth it. Be sure to follow the directions for the placement of the wire racks. It's important to keep the racks close to the top heating element for toasting, and if you are broiling, keep the drip pan at the bottom. The movement of hot air around your food is the chief premise of convection cooking, so always try to keep that in mind. It's kind of a new way of thinking when you cook. You may need to experiment a few times to get it just the way you like.
But all in all, hey, a gain is a gain, compared to the run of the mill toaster oven. This turns up the usefulness and speed of the what has become a standard kitchen appliance in most homes. The price won't break the bank, and is comparable to the cost of the average toaster oven. Now all it has to do is keep on doing what it's doing for a while, without breaking down.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49
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Epinions.com ID:
mptepinion
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Reviews written: 28
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