Tell me what appliance I'm looking for

[medawyn]

We're about to embark on a kitchen remodel (yay!), but it's going to leave me without a functioning kitchen for... a while (terrifying).  I'll have my fridge and electric cooktop in my makeshift dining room/kitchen, but what do I do for an oven?  What's the favorite toaster oven/air fryer/thing that I should be researching?  My brain is on decision overload.

If it matters, I am preparing to freeze a variety of our favorite meals in 8x8 containers, which I would love to be able to defrost and pop in the oven.  Also, baking muffins or cookies and reheating leftovers.

[Familia]

We have a small Cuisinart Toaster Oven.  The family likes it for reheating leftovers, but I think it takes forever and prefer the stovetop.  (we don't have a microwave)  I have never tried to bake in our toaster oven, though, but some people use them for that purpose, I imagine.

You could place your meals in a chicken skillet or small stockpot, that has just a tiny bit of water in it.  Turn the pot to medium and flip the contents often.  This works for me when I forget to thaw first.   

[prairiewindmomma]

I think you're looking for something that has convection. My microwave can double as a convection oven. I can totally bake cookies in it.  🙂 

I have also seen toasters with convection features. 

[PeterPan]

How much room will you have to store/use it when you're done? If you will have room to use it, like maybe a basement kitchen, I would get a countertop convention oven. Not a toaster oven with convection but a full convection oven. It will hold more, bake exceptionally, and run maybe $400. That way in holidays you have a 2nd oven. 

If you won't have a place to use that, then I would get a larger convection toaster oven. I have the one the big places (Williams Sonoma, Sur la Table, etc.) sell and it's nice. But anything big will be fine, bigger is better. That will be $75-200 depending on the swank. Mine has a magnetic door that pulls the rack out, etc. 

But truly, I would get the full counter top convection oven if it's going to be a long time and if it's practice. Do you have an instant pot? You can prep bags for the IP and freeze them, then just cook, boom. That would almost be better. They might go on sale and are usually sub-$100. 

Breville Smart Oven Pro with Light | Williams Sonoma - Toasters - Ovens - Kitchen Appliances$349.95Williams-SonomaFree shippingFor most items:30-day return policy  This is what I have, a Breville, only in cute red. Looks like it now comes with air fryer abilities if it interests you.

Avantco CO-16 Half Size Countertop Convection Oven, 1.5 Cu. Ft. - 120V, 1600W$429.99WebstaurantStore.com(54)Free shippingFor most items:30-day return policy  Here's an example of a larger countertop convection oven. It's a commercial product, so it might not be as well insulated. When it says 1/2, that means it fits a 1/2 size sheet pan. The Breville I linked, the one I have, takes a 1/4 size sheet pan. Williams Sonoma sells those. So you're talking about a radically different size of product, more air flow, etc. The Breville home unit is smaller, more attractive, more insulated. So that's why I was saying if you had a continuing use for it in say a basement, having the commercial unit, for almost the same money, is worth considering.

Oster Extra-Large Convection Countertop Oven, Size: 0001.000, Brown$119.99Walmart(1k+)Free shipping, no tax  Here's an example of something you can get into for around $100, and it's a lot of utility at that price.

Edited September 21, 2019 by PeterPan

[KungFuPanda]

In your shoes, my makeshift kitchen would have a microwave, crock pot, hot plate, and a toaster oven (one of the bigger ones that comes with pans, or a pizza stone, or a rotisserie. . . made to bake more than toast).  I’d also make sure my grill was set up outside. If I had to buy a grill, I’d get one with a burner.  Doing the dishes would scare me more than makeshift cooking.

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Will you link?

Only for you. 

                                            Breville BOV845CRNUSC Smart Pro Countertop Convection Oven, normal, Cranberry Red                                     

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

It's so much faster than my huge ovens and doesn't heat the whole kitchen up

Yup! I use it all the time cooking for just the few of us. It will hold 1 lb box of trader joe fish pieces, 6 hash browns, a box of spanikopita, scads of burritoes or corn dogs... It's also stellar for roasting asparagus. (just so you don't think I'm so unhealthy, hahaha)

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Only for you. 

                                            Breville BOV845CRNUSC Smart Pro Countertop Convection Oven, normal, Cranberry Red                                     

I want one of these now and I don’t like toaster ovens!🤣

[Forget-Me-Not]

Another Breville fan here, though mine is plain old stainless steel.  Love love love mine. Big enough for a 9x13 or to roast a big chicken. It’s like having a second oven. We use it every day. 

[medawyn]

Oh, the thought of dishes is terrifying. Even worse is LAUNDRY, because we’re relocating that from next to my oven (????) to its own tidy home upstairs. I’m seriously trying not to think about it.  The end result of all this should be worth it, if the process doesn’t kill us.

The Breville is tugging at my heart strings. Happy birthday and kitchen reno to me!

And I’m going to start an IP thread, bc I have one that I just haven’t fallen in love with, but I do suspect it could be useful.

[PeterPan]

13 hours ago, medawyn said:

And I’m going to start an IP thread, bc I have one that I just haven’t fallen in love with, but I do suspect it could be useful.

Yup! 

[KungFuPanda]

On 9/21/2019 at 6:25 AM, medawyn said:

Oh, the thought of dishes is terrifying. Even worse is LAUNDRY, because we’re relocating that from next to my oven (????) to its own tidy home upstairs. I’m seriously trying not to think about it.  The end result of all this should be worth it, if the process doesn’t kill us.

The Breville is tugging at my heart strings. Happy birthday and kitchen reno to me!

And I’m going to start an IP thread, bc I have one that I just haven’t fallen in love with, but I do suspect it could be useful.

I think laundy is much less terrifying.  You just find a laundromat and once a week  (or every two weeks if you have lots of underwear) go and do everything in multiple machines at once.  Your problem is solved in a few hours.  Go alone.  Read a book.  Come home with clean, folded laundry and don't think about it for another week or two.  It's VERY efficient having four washers and dryers.  It's really not too bad for a seasonCa.  

Dishes on the otherhand are an incessant, daily struggle.  A friend of mine had her temperary dish bins in her bathtub for months during a diy kitchen reno.  That would be so much harder for me because dishes are my Most Hated Chore.

[medawyn]

9 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I think laundy is much less terrifying.  You just find a laundromat and once a week  (or every two weeks if you have lots of underwear) go and do everything in multiple machines at once.  Your problem is solved in a few hours.  Go alone.  Read a book.  Come home with clean, folded laundry and don't think about it for another week or two.  It's VERY efficient having four washers and dryers.  It's really not too bad for a seasonCa.  

Dishes on the otherhand are an incessant, daily struggle.  A friend of mine had her temperary dish bins in her bathtub for months during a diy kitchen reno.  That would be so much harder for me because dishes are my Most Hated Chore.

Ah, but I have four kids six and under + a husband who travels 3 weeks out of 4.  A laundromat by myself sounds like a vacation; a laundromat with my kids sounds like... something else entirely.

I imagine the entire project is going to be one headache after another, but the final results are going to be worth it.  I hope.

 I’m armed with my deep freeze, which I’m already stocking with favorite meals and components, the grill, the IP, a little electric cooktop, and UberEats.

[KungFuPanda]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:43 PM, medawyn said:

Ah, but I have four kids six and under + a husband who travels 3 weeks out of 4.  A laundromat by myself sounds like a vacation; a laundromat with my kids sounds like... something else entirely.

I imagine the entire project is going to be one headache after another, but the final results are going to be worth it.  I hope.

 I’m armed with my deep freeze, which I’m already stocking with favorite meals and components, the grill, the IP, a little electric cooktop, and UberEats.

You're flying solo with 4 kids 75% of your life? That sounds way harder than any home renovation! You deserve a laundry fairy.