Do Toaster Ovens Cook Faster Than Regular Ovens?
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Ovens have been around for centuries. Different cultures have used them in numerous ways. But the more popular use of an oven in this day and age has been to cook food. Now regular ovens have done the task splendidly for many decades. But with the arrival of toaster ovens, cooking has become a lot easier. But do toaster ovens cook faster than regular ovens?
Yes, toaster ovens do cook swifter than the traditional oven that we grew up with. It saves time as well as money. And overall, it’s the perfect sized oven for a modern family.
We’ve only scraped the surface of this debate. But when it comes to looking at the bigger picture, you’ll know exactly why toaster ovens cook faster than regular ovens. It not only has to do with its size but also the temperature. So, let’s have a closer look!
Are Toaster Ovens Faster Than Regular Ovens?
When it comes to their size, toaster ovens are generally a lot smaller than regular ovens. As a result, the heating process is a lot faster comparatively. Thus, the whole cooking process is a lot quicker. And it’s the perfect size for smaller batches of food.
Not only is it faster, but toaster ovens have also proven to be more efficient than regular ovens when it comes to cooking food in small quantities. And that itself is a plus point for someone living alone or with a small family.
Being a college student, I cannot count the number of times I had to rely on toaster ovens to get through the week solely. Returning to the dorm after classes was a struggle. Especially because I had to cook my meals just like the others. But the fact that I had a toaster oven in my dorm made life a whole lot easier.
The process was much quicker. I didn’t have to worry about cooking a large batch and waiting for hours for my lasagna to bake. I could put together a micro-sized batch and get it cooked in a few minutes. It saved my time as well as my energy. As a result, I could focus on other tasks at hand. It was truly a lifesaver in my case.
Will A Toaster Oven Replace A Regular Oven?
This depends on how you’ll be using a toaster oven. If you have a large family, you cannot expect to cook your meals in a toaster oven. In that case, you’ll need a regular conventional oven to get the job done. Thus, it’s quite unlikely that a toaster oven will replace a regular oven.
If you were to try to make a family meal or, let’s, say, a meal for five in a toaster oven, you would end up with half-cooked mush. A toaster oven may be amazing for those living alone or with a roommate, but it’s not very likely that they’ll replace the traditional conventional oven, which works a lot better. Even If that means consuming more energy and time.
Advantages Of A Toaster Oven VS A Conventional Oven
The uses for a toaster oven go way beyond making toast. A good toaster oven can function as a small second oven. It can even take the place of your big oven some days of the week. Like roasting a chicken or baking a huge potato. You can even prepare a batch of cookies using less energy. And the whole equipment is small, making it easier to clean.
But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the quality of your toaster oven. If you’re buying a low-quality toaster oven, the chances are that it will not perform up to par. My cousin once bought a toaster oven from a run-down shop which ended up costing her more than she paid for.
That hunk of junk took 20 minutes to broil one batch of asparagus, which usually takes half that time in a conventional oven. But that was mainly due to the distance between the broiler element and the top rack. Food needs to sit close in a toaster oven to broil well. You’ll notice that the best toaster ovens have a wide range of rack positions
Other than the rack flexibilities, a toaster oven functions quite well and can be used similarly to a conventional oven. But for fewer amounts of food.
But when it comes to the traditional ovens, you can’t beat them in a family meal. They’re highly efficient and have more fuel choices, so you’re able to work even in a power outage. This is impossible for a toaster oven. Besides that, you won’t face any problems regarding rack placements when it comes to a traditional conventional oven.
Does The Toaster Oven Cook The Same As A Conventional Oven?
You can cook all the same ingredients in a toaster oven that you would have been able to in a regular oven. The only difference was that you would have to put in a smaller amount for the ingredients. There are no restrictions in the cooking process other than that.
This is primarily because conventional ovens take their time to heat up. When I was back at my parent’s place, I could only use my mum’s regular oven. It didn’t matter how small my batch of cookies was. I had to preheat the oven for over 40 minutes until I could start the baking process.
But food is indeed cooked more efficiently in a regular oven as the heat can circulate throughout. Whereas it’s much more difficult for air to circulate on a plate in a toaster oven. This is because of the rising air temperature. As air temperature is heated at the bottom, it gets lighter and travels to the top where it heats the food.
Why Choose A Toaster Oven Instead Of A Conventional Oven?
Toaster ovens are more compact, take up less space and also cook faster. So, if these features are what you are looking for, then a toaster oven is exactly for you.
While it’s not recommended that you completely rely on a toaster oven, it has proven to be a holy grail for many. With the insane range of toaster oven recipes, you’ll find yourself to be less dependent on a chunky oven to get your meals ready.
I’ve seen so many individuals get wary while purchasing a toaster oven. They feel as if it might just be a half-functioning toaster. But that’s not true. After I was done using my toaster oven, I realized that this equipment was as much of a toaster as it was an oven.
And I’m not the only one who believes in the supremacy of toaster ovens. In a system where we’re encouraged to be on our own and independent, a toaster oven will always come in handy due to its flexibility. I could just take mine out of the kitchen and put it in the driveway whenever I want. It’s not a difficult process because of its small size.
But the same thing can never be done with a regular oven. I also have more control over a toaster oven as I can continuously see what’s happening inside at all times. And I am also able to adjust the temperature accordingly. All in all, it has been a better fit for me and my needs rather than a conventional oven.