I just got a toaster/convection oven tell me how you use yours...

[mom2denj]

I am pretty excited about it. I have never had one. I am curious to know, how often do you use yours and what do you cook in it??

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I first got mine for my kids. I felt it was safer for them to cook in. They make mini pizzas, warm corn dogs, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, meat pockets and more.

 

I have used it to cook pizzas and brown bread. I will also cook my casseroles in it.

 

I think it will really depend on the size you have. My first toaster oven was small and barely fit 2 slices of bread side by side. Now I have a deep toaster oven(can hold a 12" pizza) but not very high so I am limited here. My next one will be high and deep and I will use it like an oven since I won't be limited due to size.

[Annie G]

Love mine. The kids used it when they were learning to cook but now it's used to heat leftovers (leftover pizza tastes better warmed in an oven rather than a microwave), make biscuits, and for cooking things like a box of doctored scalloped potatoes.

 

If the kids are gone, I bake the chicken or fish for dh and I to have for dinner. I bake sliced zucchini or roast enough veggies for two of us.

 

It's very handy and heats up quickly. I can see it being used even more once the last two kids move out. For empty nesters, it's fabulous.

[kfeusse]

I use mine to reheat leftovers when I don't want to use my big oven. Mine is big enough to fit a 9 x 13 pan in it, so I bake cakes, cook casseroles, muffins, etc in it too. I have yet to use the convection part becasue I know NOTHING about that...maybe someone can enlightened us both on that one. I LOVE my toaster oven, espeically in the summer...doesn't heat my whole kitchen up. Oh, I also love the fact that it heats up quickly due to it's size, so the preheating part take just about 5 minutes or less....nice! Great also for keeping things warm while the rest of the meal gets done cooking.

[elfgivas]

we use it for just about everything that doesn't go in the microwave. it gets used for anything that is small, for toast, pita pizzas, any of the trader joe's frozen entrees, roasting veggies. i really use it like a second oven. it gets used every day, often every meal. our large oven gets used maybe once a week.

 

hth,

ann

[KatieJ]

Daily. :001_smile:

I can't get a 9x13 pan in mine, but short of that I put everthing in there rather than heat up the big oven.

Because it is not very tall, bread ( quick breads or otherwise) don't turn out well.

I bake fish, chicken, reheat deli chicken, casseroles, bake potatoes, oven fries,toasted sandwiches....just about everything.

DH figured out that if you put a full size frozen pizza in there and just shut the door as far as it will go, as it bakes, it will shrink up a bit and the door will close.

 

When using the convection, brownies bake incredibly fast. Maybe 18 minutes for a 9x9 pan.

 

You can begin experimenting with time and temp by using this formula:

25 degrees less and 25% shorter cooking times. It is not exact, but you can go from there.