The Best Halogen Convection Oven For Your Kitchen Countertop
In modern society, many do not have time to prepare healthy meals. The lack of time is caused by many obligations that people have during the day. Waking up early, commuting to the job, taking care of kids don’t leave much time for cooking and preparing healthy food.
For this reason, many people use halogen convection ovens to prepare quick and nutritious meals. To help you find the best convection oven, we’ll provide all the necessary info and review some of the top products in the niche. Let’s get going!
What Is a Halogen Convection Oven and How It Works?
Halogen convection oven is also called halogen-cooking pot, and it is used for cooking. What makes it different from the regular oven is halogen lamp as a heating element. This way the halogen convection oven saves energy and reduces cooking time.
The fundamental part of halogen convection oven is a heating chamber. The heating chamber is a glass bowl with a glass lid that can be removed to put the food inside. Basic models have a handle on the lid for safely opening and closing.
Advanced models have a hinged lid, and they are safer and easier for usage. The heating chamber stands on the adequate stand, which separates it from the counter top and reduces the heat transfer to nearby surfaces. The stand has handles, which allow the user to move the convection oven easily.
Inside the heating chamber, multi-level metal frameworks are used to uplift the food during the cooking process. The circular halogen lamp heats the air inside the heating chamber by generating the waves of infrared light. The process can be operated with temperature-control interface. The fan evenly distributes hot air inside the chamber, so the food is cooked evenly.
Basic convection oven models have automatic shut-off timer, which does not allow overcooking or burning. You can clean the halogen convection oven by adding hot water and detergent when it is empty. It will take 10 minutes for complete the cleaning.
Is Halogen Convection Oven Energy-Saving?
Many reports claim that using halogen convection oven will shorter cooking time by 40-60% comparing to a regular oven. Also, it reduces the energy consumption. According to some users, halogen convection oven uses less energy than a regular oven, but it uses as same energy as a microwave oven.
Cooking in Halogen Convection Oven
You can cook everything in convection oven, from pizza and chicken to tarts and cakes, just like in the regular oven or if you have the best convection oven.
The only difference is in the food quality. Cooking in halogen convection oven provides healthier meals. This means that food prepared in this oven does not lose its nutrients and juices.
Here is an easy and delicious lemon tart recipe that utilizes the halogen convection oven:
Ingredients:
Pastry Case
· 1 egg yolk
· 100 g of flour
· 40 g of icing sugar
· 60 g of butter or vegan butter
Combine flour, sugar, and butter. When it forms crumbs add an egg yolk to bind. Roll it to 5 inches’ thickness, cover it with baking parchment or cling film and leave it in a fridge to chill for more than twenty minutes.
Preheat the halogen convection oven to 200 C for about 3 minutes. Bake the pastry case at 180 C for about 8 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool.
Filling
· 397 g of condensed milk
· 140 ml of lemon juice
· 3 egg yolks
Mix condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks and pour it into the pastry case. Put it back in the halogen convection oven and bake it for another 10 minutes at 180 C.
Remove it from the oven, let it cool down and serve it with ice cream.
The Best Convection Oven Reviews
Let’s take a look at the reviews of the five best convection ovens of our choice that you can get on the market today.
1. Rosewill R-HCO-15001 Infrared Halogen Convection Oven with Stainless Steel Extender Ring, 12.6-18 Quart, Healthy Low Fat Cooking
The Rosewill R-HCO-15001 Infrared Halogen Convection Oven should be a great addition to any modern kitchen with its mix of function and style. It works by harnessing halogen heat, infrared technologies and convection to cook evenly and quickly without defrosting or preheating. It can be used to prepare everything from turkey to steamed vegetables, and it’s great for a healthy diet as well.
This halogen oven features transparent cooking bowl built from a see-through glass allowing you to keep an eye on the cooking process from all sides. This model has 12.6-quart capacity and can be even expanded to 18 quarts with the extender ring included in the package. Also, along with two removable cooking racks, you will be able to cook a meal for a big family. It works by leaving the food moist on the inside, and brown and crispy on the outside. The food is prepared using minimum oil and fat, which is great for a healthy diet. Bear in mind that this halogen oven is not digital which could be a minor drawback for some users.
Overall, with this halogen convection oven, you can choose from roast, broils, bakes and grills to match your meal. It does everything a conventional oven can do yet faster, better and with less power consumption. However, you should be aware that it has proven to be not so durable since some users reported that it stopped working after a few months of use which could be a big problem so you should think twice before you make your decision.
PROS
- Easy to use and clean up
- Fits good no counter space
- Economical to run
CONS
- Poorly written directions
- Not so durable
- Not digital
2. Excelvan 12 Quart 1200W Halogen Convection Countertop Oven (with Set of tongs, Dual rack, Lid holder), Matt Black
The Excelvan 12 Quart 1200W Halogen Convection Countertop Oven is a very efficient and versatile glass oven, which will cook food faster than a traditional oven at the same time saving a lot of energy. It has powerful halogen heating elements, which will cook two to three times faster than traditional cooking methods thanks to convection technology. This portable and efficient convection oven should do the work for many appliances in one.
It can be used to bake, roast, broil, steam and even fry food, featuring attractive and easy-to-clean glass. Its powerful internal fan circulates hot air that will cook the food evenly, sealing it in its own natural juice for full aroma and flavor. In addition, it is a healthy option since only a little (or not at all) added oils or fats will be required to cook the food while keeping the perfect flavor. It is also a perfect item for boats, dorm rooms, vehicles, camping and, of course, kitchen spaces. However, you should know that this halogen convection oven does take up a lot of space thus may not be suitable for small kitchen countertops. But, it features a practical handle which will allow you to carry it around.
This halogen convection oven comes with some useful accessories including one set of tongs, one lid holder and one dual cooking rack. In addition, there is a detachable power lead plug, which provides safe and easy removal of the lid. It does have a user manual but be aware that it is quite limited and we find very difficult to learn how to operate this halogen oven at the first use.
PROS
- Convenient to carry around
- Easy to clean
- Cooks fast and healthy
CONS
- Quite limited user manual
- Takes a lot of counter space when in use
3. Oyama TRO-110C Turbo Convection Oven, 12 L, White
The Oyama TRO-110C Turbo Convection Oven can hold up to 10.5 quarts and comes with a wire cooking rack and a dishwasher-safe cooking pot that is made of shatter-resistant glass. It has dial controls located on the front side for adjusting temperature and time, while the fan inside and the heating element will provide even circulation of heat for efficient cooking.
This halogen convection oven is shaped like a tea kettle on top of a huge bowl. Its heating function runs on electricity like any other model, but it lacks a halogen bulb which can be found in similar halogen ovens. The controls can be found at the top and in the form of dials which can be rotated to adjust the temperature and the timer. Its cooking pot is made of glass which will give you a free look at the food which is being warmed inside. Using this oven, we’ve found that the internal fans can be pretty loud, sounding like it was struggling in the process of heating which we didn’t like. But, in the end, it was very easy to clean cutting down on maintenance issues at least.
This oven has proven to be able to cook a lot of different kinds of products and without any issue whatsoever. It has a certain appeal to its design, and at first glance, it looks like it was made to last for a long time. Unfortunately, we’ve received some complaints from the users who told us almost every Oyama TRO-110C lasted not more than a few months.
PROS
- Volume of food holding at a time
- It comes with dual wire racks
- Easy to use and clean
CONS
- Does not come with any cookbook
- Fans are producing loud noise
- Lasts less than a few months
4. Secura Turbo Oven Countertop Convection Cooking Toaster Oven 787MH
Like any other oven on the list, the Secura Turbo 787MH features convection and halogen cooking. It should be the perfect cooking companion featuring speed which can be compared to the microwave, but with a cooking mechanism which is comparable to the traditional oven. Like any other halogen oven, it should be a great choice for health-conscious people who will want to cook foods which will help them achieve a better health.
This halogen oven features a self-cleaning mechanism with glass bowls that are extremely heat-resistant in nature and stainless steel double cooking racks. In addition, a couple of other accessories are included, such as extension rings and tongs, which are nice to have. The dimensions of this oven range from 10 inches in length and 15 inches in width to 18 inches in height making it somewhat portable and suitable for any countertop. However, you should be aware that the handles of this oven are not so good designed and they can wear off pretty quickly.
If there is another thing worth mentioning about this halogen oven, it would be the fact that it is very easy to use. In addition, we liked how quick it takes to cook any food, and this oven excels in that. As for the convenience, this oven has a self-cleaning function, or it could be washed with the use of a dishwasher. Also, we’ve to find that the manual controls are very easy to use.
PROS
- Quick cooking of food item
- Multi-level cooking options
- Self-cleaning feature
CONS
- Handles can wear off pretty quickly
- Supporting bowl structure could be sturdier
5. VonShef 12.5-Quart Premium 1200w Halogen Convection Countertop Oven Cooker complete with Accessories including: Extender Ring (to 18 Quart), Lid Holder, Steamer, Frying Pan, Skewers, Low Rack, High Rack & Glove (12 Liters)
The VonShef 12.5-Quart Premium is yet another halogen convection countertop oven which has received some great reviews from critics and customers, and it certainly performed well enough to impress us as well. This is the round model cooker with the dome covering and control unit located on the top. It is designed to take up to 12.5 quarts, and with the application of the extender ring, which is included, it can handle up to 18 quarts of culinary delights. Sounds great so far.
Regardless of whether you are going to bake, fry, roast or steam, we have found that this halogen oven will perform the task with no effort. In addition, we liked some excellent settings, which are including a defrosting feature enabling you to place food inside straight from the freezer. We’ve found the design of the VonShef to be quite plain and it is standing out like some kind of hi-tech kitchen appliance. But, the important thing is that it will get the majority of your cooking done anyway, and it will do it pretty well. It even comes with a recipe book, but try not to expect nothing much from it since it is very limited.
For such reasonably-priced halogen cooker, we were pleased to see that the overall capacity of the bowl is excellent and stood at 12 quarts which could be expandable even up to 18 quarts with the help of the extender ring which is included. Additionally, this unit has proven itself to be quite powerful, and that’s just another factor that pleased us. Bottom line, this one can easily be the best halogen convection oven we came across.
PROS
- Great price
- Self-cleaning function
- Excellent capacity of the bowl
CONS
- Plain design
- Somewhat limited recipe book
Conclusion and Our Recommendaton
Countertop halogen convection ovens certainly are a handy addition to any kitchen, and there are many of them available on the market today. Through all the multiple brands offer excellent quality products (and some which sacrificed a few features for a lower price), we’ve come to the conclusion that the best convection halogen countertop oven is the VonShef 12.5-Quart Premium 1200w Halogen Convection Countertop Oven Cooker.
This one impressed us the most, especially with its great price and what it provides for the value. The overall capacity of the bowl is very generous and can be even expanded up to 18 quarts. We liked some nice features such as defrosting, which can be very useful. This unit has proven to be exceptionally powerful, and it even has a self-cleaning function which is really great. Overall, whatever you are looking for, this convection oven will deliver, and we confidently recommend it.
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