Few people think that a diet of fast food works to ensure maintenance of a healthy diet. Still, a relatively new type of appliance does provide cooks with a way to prepare healthful food in a fraction of the time that chefs required in the past. That new appliance is the halogen oven.

How does it work?

Like an oven, it heats food. The heat comes from a halogen light. The presence of a fan ensures distribution of the warmth that comes from that same light. All parts of the oven feel the effect of the higher temperature, as well as any item that sits on a platform inside of the oven’s dome.

Could you fit such an appliance in your kitchen?

If your counter has enough space for a crock pot, then you could probably find room for a halogen oven. Like the familiar crock pots, most of the halogen ovens have a rotating dial. Admittedly, that does not allow the cook to precisely the temperature of the food being cooked in the oven’s dome like structure. Still, manufacturers have started replacing the rotating dials with digital dials. Yet do not think that knowing the size of this countertop appliance allows the shopper to be sure of buying something that can be used in that same shopper’s kitchen. The length of the cords varies from model to model. Check on the cord’s length, before paying for any of the halogen-heated ovens.

How much time can a cook save by using one of these new appliances?

The food heated in any one of these appliances cooks at a rate that is 3 times faster than the rate at which the same item would cook in a traditional oven. In addition, the manufacturers that make such ovens have provided consumers with access to various accessories. Some are familiar items, such as tongs; others let cooks expand the list of dishes that can be prepared in their countertop device. For example, consumers that want to make fried foods on their countertop can buy a frying basket, one that fits inside of the dome-like oven. Those that want to cook a larger item, such as a roast must get the extended rings. Those organized cooks that want to keep track of the oven’s lid should buy one of the lid stands.

Are there any recipes online for cooks that want to try this countertop device?

The manufacturers have yet to post any recipes on their websites. Still, at least one cook has written about a food that she made using heat from a halogen light. What was that food? It was bacon; the cook loved the way that it looked and tasted. And if there is any malfunction in the oven, whether the heat is not adequate or the baking is uneven, it is best to call on an appliance repair service in San Diego County. Contact us. (619) 719-5005   [email protected]