If you cram a toaster and an oven together, you expect confusion but get something unique.
You get a baby version of the stove that you can use to make some delicious nonsense. But what can you do with a toaster oven?
A Toaster Oven Can Do The Following Things:
- Cook side dishes
- Make a delicious baked egg
- Heat maple syrup
- Roast chicken (as long as it fits!)
This appliance can do anything a full-size oven can do, only on a smaller scale.
Conventional ovens take up more energy and more space.
So when it comes to using this appliance, this article will go through some of the lesser-known ways you can create deliciousness in your home.
Six Incredible Ways You Can Use Your Toaster Oven
Defrosting Food
A countertop oven is underrated for the defrosting process. Given it works with lower temperatures than your conventional oven, it’s excellent for the defrosting process.
If you pull your food out late and don’t want to use a microwave, a toaster oven is a healthy alternative.
It’s especially beneficial if you want a crispy frozen pizza (instead of the soggy one you would get from a microwave.
Warming Plates
If you want a day for feeling fancy, pulling out warm plates is one way to do that. The weaker heating elements in toaster ovens result in them having greater warming potential.
Of course, if you want to explode your plates, you can stick to using regular ovens. But most people don’t like to play “pick up the shattered remains of your plates” from within the oven.
Melting Cheese
We all know some people who are eager to pull out their cheese-based dishes. But there’s a clear sign of disappointment when that cheese dish isn’t melted enough.
To avoid having to wait another 20 minutes, you can stick a plate of it in the toaster oven at a lower temperature.
Setting your temp to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit will get you where you need to go. It also comes with the bonus of a warm plate.
This can work for cheesy garlic bread, french onion soup, or any dish involving sprinkled cheese.
Reheating Leftovers
When traditional ovens seem to be a bit much but you don’t want to use a microwave, the toaster oven is great for reheating leftovers.
Cooking times for this appliance are comparable to microwaves. Also, you can avoid the fun “taste of a microwave” that everyone loves.
Desserts!
A most underrated part of owning a toaster oven is cooking desserts. A batch of cookies is a welcome addition to any of these ovens.
You can also cook brownies, pie, muffins, and more miniature cakes. You can adjust the toast settings on the front of these devices to account for baking desserts.
Most toaster ovens also have a removable crumb tray. So if you are worried about crumbly batches of cookies burning into the bottom of your appliance, these are far easier to clean than ovens.
For a cookie recipe involving an oven toaster check out this blog.
Literal Toast
When owning toaster ovens, people often forget about the “toaster” part of them. Toasters are known to make bread into toast. But when adding in the “oven” part, you can make non-standard toast sizes.
Texas toast, for example, is a variant of toast that either requires a specialized toaster or a toaster oven. To avoid having to spend $300 on a toaster, stick with the oven version.
You can add unique flavorings to your toast that won’t end up stuck in the bottom. These can include cinnamon, brown sugar, and other seasonings.
Snacktime
Toaster ovens (or mini ovens) can be used to cook small batches of snacks. For snack time or movie night, you can quickly put together a last-minute collection.
Here are few examples:
- Chicken nuggets
- Potato wedges
- Pizza pockets
- Sweet potato avocado slices
- Popcorn
Conclusion – What are Other Reasons Should I Own A Toaster Oven?
Still on the fence about toaster ovens. Here are a few other reasons worth considering:
- They are far more energy-efficient than their traditional counterparts
- Many are dishwasher safe and easy to take apart
- Owning one allows you to transition to cooking for smaller groups easily
- They don’t create that soggy microwave appearance of reheating some foods
Toaster oven baking isn’t for everyone. However, it’s pretty great if you are a busy parent or college student trying to get a night.
As an alternative, check out our article on how to use an oven as a toaster. Thanks for reading!
