How to choose a mini-oven: parameters, modes, an overview of the best models

A wide variety of models of mini-ovens is presented on the market, so depending on your needs you can choose the very unit that suits you in the country or in a small apartment. Read about the selection criteria for the mini-oven, as well as its characteristics and models.

Volume

Volume - this is exactly what serves as the main difference between the mini-oven and all other units used for baking and cooking. So, this parameter is one of the key when choosing an aggregate:

• If there are two of you in the family and there is not much time for cooking, an oven of 10 liters is acceptable. This is a small amount that is not designed for a baking sheet, so get involved in baking and making fries with vegetables will not work, which is due not only to spaciousness, but also to the timer. Most often, cooking takes 15 minutes.
• If you have a large family or you like to bake and cook a lot, then your option ranges from 25 liters and above. Especially functional options that can hold two baking sheets, so you can cook two dishes at the same time, as in a conventional oven.
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It is worth noting here that the more you choose the volume of the furnace, the more it consumes power:

• if an oven with a volume of 10-12 liters, as a rule, it consumes power up to 900 watts and is more suitable for heating small dishes;
• if the oven has a volume of 18-25 liters, it consumes from 1500 watts and you can bake and cook roast in it;
• if the oven is from 30 liters, it will consume from 2500 W and above, while it will be like an independent electric oven, but you will also have to pay more for electricity.

Component mini ovens

To make cooking in a mini-oven comfortable, it is important to choose a machine with high-quality components:

• Glass door. Often manufacturers are limited to single glass. It is best to opt for double glass tempered with a heat-insulating gasket so that the door does not become very hot. This type of door also has the name “cold door”, which will ensure the safety of cooking for you and your loved ones.
• Oven Coating (“vnutryanka”). It is responsible for the durability of the use of the unit, the convenience of washing and caring for the furnace as a whole.
• Convection. Responsible for the speed of the device and for the uniformity of preparation, in particular, of baked products, therefore, when buying a mini-oven, we say convection "Yes!".
• Guides on the grilles. For convenient and safe installation and removal of the baking sheet, it is best to take telescopic, not lattice guides. When you open the door of the mini-oven, the telescopic guides themselves "move" forward, so you do not have to remove the pan, "plunging" into the heat of the oven.
• Pallet. It is necessary that fat and crumbs do not fall on the heating element. Unfortunately, many manufacturers ignore this point, so when buying, it is advisable to inquire about this integral part of the mini-oven.
• Baking sheets. There must be 2 baking sheets of different depths for cooking. In particular, this applies to the furnace of large volumes.
• Grill, spit. For baking various types of dishes - meat, poultry, fish and vegetables - you can use the grill, which is in almost all models of independent ovens. It is he who allows you to make a golden crust on food. If the oven has a rotisserie in its “aggregate”, then here the dishes will be baked and acquire a golden crust on the entire surface, so that you can even cook the kebab.
• Removable top cover. It can turn a stove into a barbecue, while you can use a skewer, for example, without harming the “cleanliness” of your stove.

Modes

The type of control of the furnace can be mechanical or electronic. The second type significantly increases the cost of the unit, but often gives malfunctions, so the mechanical principle is more practical and durable in use.

In such furnaces, the following modes are often provided:

• top heat;
• bottom heating;
• combined heating;
• grill;
• cooking pizza, toast;
• roasting;
• heating;
• defrosting.

In addition, there are many “additional” modes:

• Thermostat. Allows you to select the optimal temperature for cooking. Best of all, choose a furnace with a wide range of temperatures, for example, from 60 degrees. So, you can cook dairy products, use the oven to “lift” the baking, and for many other cooking variations where you do not need a high temperature.
• Backlight. Not used in all ovens. The mode is needed to be able to control the baked product.
• Timer. This is a function that is difficult to do without especially when baking products or heating food. It means that you adjust the cooking time.
• Auto power off. The mode provides for the shutdown of the unit, which works for a long time without the participation of its "owner". The function, first of all, is necessary based on safety, because it works in the case of heating to the optimum temperature.
• Program memorization. The mode means that the unit can remember the time and temperature that is needed to prepare a particular dish.
• Self cleaning. It can be hydrolyzed (by heating water in a baking sheet) or pyrolytic (due to exposure to high temperatures).
• Door lock while cooking. This is an excellent safety measure, especially when the family has small children.

The nuances of choosing a mini oven

You need to pay attention to the nuances before buying a mini-oven, so that after its purchase you do not have to face the disadvantages of the unit:

• If you decide to purchase an oven with a small volume, for example, 10 liters, do not forget that the cooking time by timer will be relatively short. Immediately think about how much you will cook in it and, perhaps, you should increase the volume of the oven to 20 liters, and it will become a complete oven for you.
• Such stoves are very hot, and this applies not only to the door itself, but also to the handles, which can become extremely unsafe to use. Therefore, if you opted for a mini-oven, consult whether the handles and the door will heat up when cooking, because the door can be equipped with double tempered glass with thermal insulation, and the handles can be made with “nozzles” for safety use.
• Immediately upon purchase, you must specify the power of the plate, because it should not be excessively small or large. Practice shows that it is better to take a furnace with a power of at least 1500 watts. Manufacturers often “cunning” in this matter, and the oven simply “does not pull” when cooking, which is also extremely unprofitable for you.
• If halogen heaters are built into the oven, it will be a more economical assistant in the kitchen.

TOP best models

The best furnaces have a high-quality assembly, a high security system and easy programming, so any housewife can understand the unit.

KW-2626 Rolsen

The stove costs about 6,000 rubles. Its volume is 26 liters, which allows you to cook almost everything - from air baking to roast, while it has excellent functions for a mini-oven:

• backlight (helps to see the cooking process);
• shutdown timer;
• sound signal of shutdown.

Included are:

• baking sheet 35 * 25 cm;
• lattice;
• spit;
• metal "tacks" for safe handling of the finished dish.

There are 5 modes in this oven, and the heating temperature reaches 250 degrees, and the optimal use temperature is 180-200 degrees.

DeLonghi EO 12012

The Delonga furnace costs about 6300 rubles, especially when you consider the fact that its volume is much less - 12.5 liters. But it is worth noting that in it you can bake and even bake the whole chicken until golden brown. It has three compartments, which is very convenient for making cookies.

The size of the oven is slightly larger than the microwave, so it fits perfectly into any interior. The timer is designed for 2 hours. The kit includes a grill and a tray for collecting crumbs, however, there are no baking sheets and shapes.

Delta D-0524 G

The price of this model varies from 8000 to 9000 rubles. The volume of the furnace is 40 liters, so that it can replace a freestanding the oven. It contains halogen heating elements, and in the upper and lower parts. They save electricity - their consumption in this model is 1100 watts, when the heating elements consume 1300 watts.

The choice of temperatures is also remarkable in this oven - from 50 to 320 degrees, so it can be used both for drying and for preparing dairy products (yogurt, fermented baked milk, etc.).

Severin TO 2057

The cost is 4200 rubles. The furnace has a volume of 18 liters, 4 operating modes and everything you need - from the grill to the pan for collecting crumbs. At the same time, there is a timer, and light illumination during cooking, and a sound signal. An excellent oven for a small family - you can cook pastries and grilled chicken.

DeLonghi Pangourmet EOB 2071

It costs about 12,000 rubles. She has a volume of 20 liters. In terms of parameters, it is quite compact: height - 30 cm, width - 33 cm, length - 45 cm. The oven has 20 modes, most of which belong to the function of the bread maker. The unit copes with it just fine - the bread is baked exactly without flaws. At the same time, the oven assumes a complete “set”: two lattices, a pizza tray, a crumb tray and a baking sheet.

Which is better: mini-oven or microwave, oven, air grill?

Compare the mini-oven with its “opponents” and see what are the pros and cons of such an acquisition:

1. Mini oven and microwave. The mini-oven works like an oven, so it will bake meat and pork, make a golden crust. At the same time, it contains the properties of a microwave, namely, heating and defrosting, so the second wins the choice between a microwave and a mini-oven. Especially when you consider that even the most innovative microwave ovens are most often used by housewives to carry out these two functions - defrosting and heating.
2. Mini oven and oven. A gas oven is not an “opponent”, because in it the quality of cooking is many times lower, and gas stoves leave the home appliance market at a significant pace. However, a mini-oven can compete with an electric oven, but its acquisition involves the following disadvantages:

• Do not put an electric oven without a hob, so at least installation “for you” is required.
• Kitchen design may suffer, because under the hob and oven you need to purchase a countertop. Of course, if you have not just purchased a kitchen, this question becomes rather scrupulous and will come out in a good amount, as well as work on cutting a new countertop and installing an oven with a drawer.

1. Mini oven and hot grill. The air grill has quite a few functions, but the mini-oven is still not inferior to it here, due to its volume. The fact is that you can choose exactly the volume of the furnace that will suit you. Aerogrill is more suitable for a family of two and its periodic "employment".

Mini bakery ovens

If you want to purchase a mini-oven for a bakery or a pastry shop, you need to opt for a larger oven and convection. The favorites among entrepreneurs are now mini-ovens of induction type. They are already sold with a hob, which for small businesses, including coffee houses, bakeries, would be most welcome.

Mini-furnace video reviews

A very detailed and high-quality “tour” of Delonghi mini-furnace options, which differ in features and price category:

In the following video, you can see the Steba green line mini-oven from KB 28 ECO Line:

If you have a small apartment, then the mini-oven will become your reliable assistant, as it has not only the functions of an oven and bread makersbut also grill functions, and microwave (regarding the issue of heating and defrosting). So, in the kitchen, a mini-oven will replace several units and will help with interest in the preparation of various dishes.