If you use a toaster oven for cooking a lot of things...

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

How do you prevent oil from spattering/coating the inside of the oven? We have no microwave, so we use our toaster oven for reheating things, cooking things like chicken fingers and fish sticks, melting cheese on open sandwiches or a small batch of nachos, etc. Our current toaster oven is coated with a fine layer of oil that I can no longer remove (it's 8-9 years old and very small/cheap), so we're investing in a new, larger, higher quality convection/toaster oven. 

 

Our main oven is really old and very inefficient, so we use the toaster oven at least once a day. I'm trying to think of a way we could prevent so much spatter. I guess we could tent some aluminum foil over the tray, but I hate to use disposable things so often. 

 

Any ideas? Is there a product made just for this purpose somewhere?

 

:bigear:

 

Thanks!

[PrincessMommy]

We've used a toaster oven as you describe for years and years.  I think I've probably gone through 4-5 toaster ovens in the 30years we've been married.  We've only had a microwave for about 8yrs.   The lastest oven I bought because our wall oven died and it was going to be several weeks/months before we could get a new one.  I gave away our smaller toaster oven and bought the largest one I could find that fit 9x13 pan (it only fits 9x13 pans without handles).

 

The only thing I cover is the little pull out tray on the bottom.  I cover it with aluminum foil and change it every so often.  I've never noticed a big issue with oil splatters on the sides or top.  At least not enough to make it smoke or anything.

 

I guess, sometimes I cover the dish I'm cooking with, especially if its something really splattery (when I was baking full meals).. when I'm re-heating or just making cheese toast, nachos, chicken fingers, etc. I don't think much about it.

 

I think you could just make something from one of those disposable baking tins you can buy at the grocery store.  You could cut it to make it into a lid of sorts.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by PrincessMommy

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Thanks, I never even thought about those disposable pans. That's a great idea! It also never occurred to me to cover the crumb tray, which is also a great idea :) I think our mess problem is due in part to the size of the toaster oven, which is pretty small, and in part to the fact that my youngest, who is the primary user, does not clean up after herself  :glare:  This new oven is quite a big bigger, and I've already warned her about keeping it clean if she wants to keep using it!

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be using both of them.