One of humanity’s greatest kitchen inventions is the oven. As the years progressed, a variety of different versions of this indispensable appliance has emerged, distributed, used, improved, and then even disposed. But the oven’s essence will always be regarded in the kitchen. A kitchen couldn’t be called kitchen if you couldn’t bake and heat.
These days, the standards of manufacturing ovens are even higher than ever as we switch from the classic slow cooking to the much faster and more convenient cooking. If you are planning to own an oven, or if you want to learn more about the different types of oven such as the electric oven vs toaster oven then read on this post to find out the differences.
Difference between electric and toaster oven
There are many differences that these toasters entail. The most visible one is their sizes. Toaster ovens are much smaller than convection ones. Most people would prefer toaster ovens because it does not take too much space in the kitchen.
Another difference is their cleaning maintenance. Consumers reported that they would prefer cleaning a toaster oven because it’s much easier since it has removable parts.
But you may also consider electric oven because it is generated by electricity and can work with gas too, compared to toaster oven that will only operate when it is plugged. Electric ovens are much costly compared to the toaster oven which is more energy sufficient than most ovens.
Consider the cooking times
The cooking times of both electric and toaster ovens are more likely the same, but it is known that toaster ovens might take a while to cook because it doesn’t have an installed fan like the toaster oven.
The toaster oven is much preferred when you are cooking food with moisture, but electric ovens can allow you to perform other cooking purposes such as cooking rice and boiling that the toaster oven is limited to.
Considering the result, an electric oven promises a more even heat distribution in cooking food than toaster ovens. The temperature accuracy of electric ovens is much more reliable because electric oven heats food by the circulation of hot air.
When it comes to pricing, the electric oven is more expensive than toaster ovens because it accommodates bigger sizes of food compared to toaster ovens that can only accommodate limited sizes and cannot heat the food evenly.
The limitations of toaster oven include accommodating limited amount of food (for example, only small cakes can be made as the oven is not too big); and it takes time to heat up and cook. It also has uneven heat distribution. Moreover, toaster ovens are unable to make types of food such as rice and are not able to perform cooking methods like boiling.
Mind the maintenance
When it comes to health, people prefer using the electric oven because it heats food evenly. Therefore, it is effective in killing the bacteria that comes with raw food.
But as so they say, you need to take care of your appliances. They will last longer when being taken care of. According to the features, it is much easier to clean the toaster oven because it is smaller, but you must thoroughly clean its removable parts with a wet cloth in order to rid of small pieces of food that might attract bugs.
Just because the toaster oven is small, it doesn’t mean that you can fit it anywhere. Make sure that you are placing at a flexible area where it isn’t squeezed by other appliances or it isn’t placed below a shelf where an object can fall on top of the toaster any time. The top surface of the toaster is very sensitive to damage.
When cleaning the electric oven, it might be even more challenging because of its size. Make sure that you have cooled the oven down first before beginning to clean it as it may emit heat that might burn your skin.
It is recommended to clean electric toaster at least once a week or every time when you’ve used it extensively especially after parties to remove all food particles, grease, and other residue.
The right oven for the right cooking purpose
It is good to learn about the different compositions of the two types of ovens. First, electric ovens as mentioned are operated by fan, so it functions differently from the toaster oven.
If you are always cooking large meals and you have limited time to do so, you must use the electric oven. The electric oven allows you to broil or roast meat, bake large pies and cakes, bake bigger bread or just reheat the food.
If you usually cook small-sized food then you’ll prefer cooking with a toaster oven. The toaster oven will allow you to toast and defrost pastry too. The electric oven assures that the food will be cooked evenly and quickly. It also guarantees cooling down food faster. The toaster oven, on the other hand, cooks food by radiation and is dependent for the air to transmit heat into the food.
Toaster oven is portable in the kitchen. It allows you to operate it conveniently especially that it features a front door, it has a removable baking pan, and wire rack. It operates in a classic fashion because its heating elements are located on top or at the bottom. Toaster ovens also let you cook a variety of options from very high to very low. They feature advanced options such as the timer to manage cooking time.
Before buying one of them, consider the available space you have in your kitchen especially that electric toaster tends to occupy a much considerable space.
It is indeed better to learn about the differences between an electric oven and a toaster oven, so you will be able to compare and contrast which oven type would suit your kitchen when it comes to size, energy sufficiency, and purpose.