How to choose a mini-oven

Often, people are faced with the problem of insufficient space in the kitchen, and, consequently, the inability to install full-fledged appliances - an oven or a gas stove combined with an oven, a dishwasher, and so on. But do not be upset - there are options to save space and provide yourself with everything you need.

What is an electric furnace

The device is an excellent hybrid of the microwave oven, oven and bread machine. The size of a mini-oven can be small, like a microwave, and there can be quite decent sizes of a full-fledged oven. However, an electric furnace is often a more economical option when it comes to the consumption of electricity. As one of the advantages, it is possible to single out the autonomy of the stove from the cooking surface - there is no reference to the place - it can be located where it will be more convenient.

The main consumers of these products are small families, where they do not need to cook large quantities of food. After all, one of the main parameters of a mini-oven remains its size. Functions of the electric furnace are various - from simple heating of food to baking complex dishes.

How to choose an electric furnace

First of all, you need to decide on the desired results that you want to see in the recoil or the parameters of the mini-oven:

it is important to understand the size of the device - the volume depends on them;
compare the volume and quantity of food consumed in your family when calculating;
find out how much electricity a mini-oven will consume.

If you easily passed the points described for your convictions, did not find contradictions with yourself and your desires, then you are ready to choose an electric furnace.

Volume

Some of the most popular volumes of mini-ovens on the market are as follows:

8.5 liters is one of the smallest volumes, more suitable for heating and cooking of semi-finished products. More suitable for 1-2 people.
12 liters - another representative of compact ovens, is also suitable for heating and cooking of semi-finished products. In general, this and the previous volumes most fully duplicate the functions of a conventional microwave oven. This option can be considered a family of two people, but no more.
21 liters - a more generic copy, all also allow you to warm up the food, but already allows you to think about cooking full-fledged dishes. A family of 5 people can safely use this volume.
28 liters - a slightly larger volume compared to the previous analogue will allow to load more cooking products into the oven, which is also suitable for a family of five.
40 liters is a great option, still combining compactness and functionality. Five or six people can use this volume with dignity.
60 and more liters - very capacious electric furnace. It provides for the possibility of cooking several dishes at the same time.

Power

The power of mini-ovens directly depends on the volume.The greater the volume of the furnace, the more power it will consume. The average furnace up to 21 liters consumes within 1200 watts. With increasing power, cooking time will decrease. But do not forget about such a characteristic as the volume and dimensions. Powerful electric furnaces more in volume and dimensions.

Internal coating

Another important characteristic is the quality of the internal coating. Each buyer is interested in the fact that the mini-oven lasts as long as possible. Therefore, you should choose a furnace, the internal coating of which will be resistant to mechanical stress, chemical means. The quality mark in this case is the “Durastone” label. If it is present in the characteristics of the electric furnace, then worry for the safety of the internal coating will not have many years.

Modes of operation

There are several main modes of operation:

heating - duplication of the most ordinary function of the microwave oven;
variation in the choice of heating modes - upper heating, lower heating, simultaneous heating from two sides;
grill, skewer - allows you to prepare food in grill mode or bake on a skewer. Often found in cafes and shops for cooking meat dishes;
convection is a feature available in several models. Allows to bake food qualitatively and evenly. Perfect for baking.

Additional functions

Consider the basic and most useful features:

Door - folding or side. The flap mimics the door of an ordinary oven. The opening takes place "on itself", which does not allow you to conveniently use the furnace installed at a height. Side - imitation of a microwave oven, the opening occurs in the side at 180 degrees.
Auto Shutdown - allows you to prevent overheating of the furnace during a long absence of the user or upon reaching the limit temperatures.
Electric rings - adds to the electric oven the functions of an ordinary stove. True, such a model cannot be called a full-fledged stove or a stove.
Pizza trays are rather an additional accessory for pizza lovers. The pizza pan helps the housewives bake their favorite food in the classic shape.
Self-cleaning is an indispensable tool that will shorten the maintenance time of the oven by heating the water in the pan or reaching high temperatures.

Control methods

Classical control methods - mechanical and electronic (touch). Ovens with a mechanical control type are easier to operate and cheaper in cost; however, electronic counterparts boast greater functions, but also a higher price.

Top manufacturers

There are many popular brands that occupy the main market share: Supra, Scarlett, Mystery and others. These brands of course can boast an abundance of features and a wide price range, but the build quality of the furnaces, as well as durability often leave much to be desired.

It is worth paying attention to the more expensive brands: Delonghi, Bork, Panasonic. The cost of these analogs, of course, will be much higher than the Chinese. But the proposed functions, and, most importantly, the quality of mini-ovens will not leave indifferent any of the buyers.

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