Posted by administrator | Feb 11, 2021 | Articles, Home appliances | |
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In order to buy really good household appliances, it is first better to first study its characteristics. It happens that the device contains functions that are convenient for one person, but another may consider it not so necessary. In any case, it is better to look at its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and then decide for yourself whether a mini-oven or oven is better suited.
The purpose of the article is to consider the features of kitchen equipment and what will be more convenient and practical. After all, sometimes the only difference is the size and specifics of the installation. Although an important question still arises regarding functionality. Having considered all these features, you can decide what is better to buy - a tabletop mini-oven or a stove with oven.
- 2.1 Advantages and capabilities of the oven
What is a mini oven?
Modern technology develops so quickly that many do not have time to get acquainted with new products. In fact, mini ovens have been on the market for a long time, but for a long time they were used in narrow circles. Mini-ovens have exploded in popularity thanks to new models replacing the grill, microwave and oven.
The mini-oven runs on electricity. It is small in size and has varied functionality.
Equipment is produced to suit every taste and budget, and is available to all segments of the population, which cannot but captivate. What is true is that the lower the price of a mini-oven, the more shortcomings it has, and the fewer different tasks it can perform.
The range of functions of an average mini-stove:
- Convection. Promotes uniform baking of cake layers, pies and other dishes due to the uniform distribution of heated air.
- Grill. Allows you to cook delicious shish kebab, grilled chicken, deliciously bake any meat and poultry.
- Defrosting. Used to quickly defrost food from the freezer.
- Timer, sound indication and auto shut-off. Makes cooking safe and convenient. After the dish is cooked, the oven will signal and turn itself off.
Advantages and disadvantages
First of all, electric mini-ovens attract people with their size and numerous functions. Let us briefly list the advantages of the device:
- Compact and convenient placement. You can place the mini-oven on a table, shelf, or separate cabinet, or take it with you to the dacha.
- Advanced functionality - timer, auto shut-off, convection, grill and other features.
- Affordable price - there are models costing from 2000 rubles.
- Easy installation. All you have to do is plug in the electric stove and it will work.
- Modern design. The stylish appearance of the equipment allows it to harmoniously fit into the interior.
As for the disadvantages of the stove, there are few of them, and they are all relative:
- Small stove volume. The compact size of the device has a downside. You won't be able to cook a lot of food at once in a mini oven.
- Poor quality models. Some mini-ovens may have such disadvantages as slow, weak heating, inconsistency with the indicated power, poor quality of grates, baking sheets (deformed), and too short a cord. Many cheap stoves get very hot on the outside. If you touch glass or walls, you can easily get burned.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's start with the positive qualities:
- compactness, allowing you to easily place it anywhere in the kitchen, modern office or in the country;
- simple and intuitive control: just set the temperature, select a cooking mode and start the timer - the product will automatically carry out the cooking process and notify you of successful completion;
- operation from an ordinary home network without separate power supply;
- Models with top burners are available; this option is acceptable for a summer house or a small hostel.
There are disadvantages, like all household appliances, but they are minor:
- Some models have a very hot case;
- declared power does not always coincide with real power;
- some Asian manufacturers use thin wire for the grille, as a result it becomes deformed after the first use;
- short length of the power cord.
Many manufacturers do not pay enough attention to translating the operating instructions into Russian.
What is an oven?
An oven or oven is a familiar device for many for preparing pastries, baked meats and all kinds of casseroles. Very often combined with a hob - stove.
The oven can run on natural gas or electricity. This is a universal technique designed for preparing main dishes.
In fact, a gas or electric stove is sufficient to meet the needs of a large family. It allows you to cook in large portions, boil and fry if you want, or bake in the oven if you want. In addition, for many, the oven is indispensable for sterilizing jars. If desired, it can replace a fruit dryer, multicooker and other cooking equipment.
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Advantages and disadvantages
Progress does not stand still, and ovens keep up with the times. Yes, they are bulky, but they are also reliable and can be quite functional.
Pros:
- Large selection of gas and electric ovens.
- Good capacity, allowing you to cook several dishes at the same time.
- Reliability – the equipment lasts for many years.
- Safety. As a rule, ovens are equipped with thick glass and walls that remain at a comfortable temperature during cooking.
Minuses:
- Not every oven bakes well. Problems are especially often found in gas ovens - the bottom of the baked goods burns, the biscuit does not rise, and in general the dishes do not turn out as tasty as we would like.
- Impressive dimensions. Before buying an oven, you need to think about where and how to place it. Many people integrate technology. But in any case, it takes up a lot of space and can be inconvenient in a small kitchen.
- High fees for additional features. Ovens with advanced convection, timer, grill and defrost are several times more expensive than simple stoves.
- Difficult installation. Only specialists should install gas ovens. And electrical appliances as powerful as an oven can hardly be installed independently. According to the rules, it must have a separate power line from the electrical panel and a power outlet.
What is the difference between them?
Both an oven and a mini-oven are usually purchased for one purpose - to bake food and prepare pastries. Both types of technology are capable of solving the problem. But you need to understand the difference between them:
- The mini-oven is small in size. There are mini-stoves with a volume of 8-9 liters. While the volume of a standard oven is 50-70 liters, and maybe up to 162 liters.
- Mini ovens usually run on electricity, while ovens come in both electric and gas.
- Ovens are most often supplemented with a hob, while mini-ovens only bake food.
- Mini ovens have more diverse functionality at a lower cost.
Rating of the best models
Rather, this is a regular review or top imported mini-stoves from different manufacturers.
Steba KB 23
- Case material: stainless steel
- Power: 1.5 kW
- Oven capacity: 23 l
- Temperature range: 90-230 °C
- Operating modes: 5
- Dimensions: 280x460x390 mm
- Weight: 6.80 kg
- Peculiarities:
- 1 hour timer
- smooth temperature control
- anti-slip feet
- thermal insulated handle
- Warranty/Manufacturer: 12 months/China
Table with characteristics for comparison
Many mini-ovens are as efficient as full-size ovens. At the same time, they consume significantly less electricity.
To prepare meals for 1-3 people, it is more profitable to buy small stoves. When baking 1 kg of hot wings in a large cabinet, a significant portion of the electricity is wasted simply to heat the air.
Comparison of mini-oven and oven in the table:
| Mini oven | Oven | |
| Nutrition | Electricity | Electricity, gas |
| Temperature Range | From 65 to 220 degrees, less often from 30 to 320 degrees | 140-270 degrees for gas, 50-280 for electric |
| Volume | From 8 to 40 liters | 50-70 liters |
| Power | 1000-1500 W | 2.5-4 kW |
| Hob | — | + |
| Energy Saving | + | — |
| Easy installation | + | — |
| Space saving | + | — |
| Capacity | — | + |
| Life time | 3-7 years | 10-15 years |
| Additional features | Defrosting, timer, sound notification, auto shut-off, convection. For an additional fee - grill | Electric ovens have convection. For an additional fee - timer, sound notification, auto shut-off, grill |
| average price | 5000-8000 rubles | 15000-25000 rubles |
Good to know. Mini ovens come with burners. Example – Ariete Bon Cuisine 600, Rolsen KW-2626HP. They can completely replace an electric stove. You can bake inside the cabinet, and stew, boil and fry your favorite dishes on top.
Parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing
You can find many roaster models on sale that differ from each other not only in price and design, but also in functionality.
To choose the best option, before purchasing you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the device.
Volume
The chamber volume of tabletop mini-ovens varies from 9 to 45 liters.
How and which one to choose? When determining the required size, you should take into account how many people the family consists of:
- Compact units from 9 to 12 liters can accommodate one small baking tray with two servings of food.
- Ovens with a capacity of 18-22 liters have additional functions, such as quick defrosting or grilling. For 2-3 people, such a roster will be quite enough.
- To feed four or more family members, you need a device with a capacity of 26-45 liters . Similar devices are used by professional chefs.
Heating modes
The roaster can have the following heating modes:
- Automatic programs. Modern models can have a number of programs, each of which is designed to automatically prepare a specific dish. The mode starts in a few seconds; you just need to select a lot of products.
- Top grill. A curved heating element that glows red hot at temperatures above 220 0C. Creates a golden crust on the dish.
- Bottom grill. Used for frying the bottom of cakes, casseroles, etc.
- Top heating. Can be used independently for browning the surface of almost cooked dishes or for frying vegetables placed on the grill.
- Bottom heating. As a rule, it is hidden behind a metal plate. Suitable for long-term cooking. To ensure the best result, the baking tray with food is placed in the center.
- Convection. The air heated by the heating element is evenly distributed throughout the chamber using a fan. This makes it possible to place food on several oven levels. In addition, the need for additional heating disappears.
- Temperature maintenance. Used to keep the finished dish warm.
- Steaming. Allows you to quickly prepare healthy dishes using hot steam.
- Defrosting. Warm air circulation speeds up the defrosting time of food.
Maximum heating temperature
It is worth noting! On average, roasters heat up to 110-220 0C. This is enough to prepare most dishes.
The temperature range varies depending on the task assigned to the device.
If you plan to cook pizza or other dishes that require high heat, you should give preference to units that can heat up to 280 0C.
The most powerful devices can heat up to 320 0C.
At this temperature, the products brown before your eyes, while remaining tender inside.
Control
Note! There are two types of control systems for mini-ovens:
- Mechanical. It is reliable and simple, most often used in budget models. The device is controlled by turning the switches.
- Electronic. The display with touch buttons makes it easier to navigate the menu. But the price of the device in this case increases, and in the event of a breakdown, such a panel is more profitable to replace than to repair.
Timer
Many models have a timer that signals the end time of the device.
This function
allows you to go about your business without fear of forgetting about the dish you are preparing .
If the roaster will be used solely for heating, a 15-minute device is sufficient.
The operating time of multifunctional ovens can reach 120 minutes.
Features of the package
To avoid inconvenience when using the stove, you should choose a device with high-quality components :
- Door glass. Many models have a single glass unit, but it is best to choose a stove with double glass and a lining made of heat-insulating material. In this case, the door will not get very hot and no one will get burned by touching it.
- Convection. Uniform distribution of hot air flows in convection mode is necessary for uniform baking of pies, large pieces of meat, etc.
- Internal coating of the device. High-quality coating ensures the durability of the stove and ease of maintenance. The most wear-resistant materials are stainless steel and bioceramics. The enamel needs delicate cleaning and is easily scratched.
- Pallet. Protects the heating element from crumbs and greasy splashes.
- Grill guides. It is most convenient to remove the baking sheet with telescopic guides. When the door opens, they move forward on their own, so you don't have to put your hands into the oven.
- Baking trays. If you plan to use a roaster instead of an oven, you should make sure that it comes with two baking sheets of different depths.
- Spit, grill. The grill mode allows you to achieve a golden brown crust when baking food. If the oven has a spit, you can cook chicken, shashlik, etc. on it. Thanks to the rotation of the spit, the dish will be evenly fried on all sides.
- Removable top cover. Turns the roaster into a grill. It is important that the spit can be used without contaminating the chamber of the device.
Important! To speed up the heating of the furnace and distribute heat evenly, quartz heating elements are used.
Which is better to choose?
Essentially, a mini oven is a compact version of a standard oven. Both types of technology have strengths and weaknesses, and are best suited for different situations:
- An oven is better for a home where you cook a lot and often.
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- A mini-oven is better suited for a country house, a small apartment, a single person or a married couple.
Advice. If the family is large, you can choose a large electric oven with a volume of 40 liters. It is more compact than an oven, and at the same time can accommodate a whole turkey.
Which is better according to reviews?
Judging by the reviews, people who abandoned the oven in favor of a mini-oven are generally satisfied. Comments from discussions on the forum:
Oleg:
“I worked in a household appliances store for a long time. A mini-oven is something like an oven, the size of a microwave. The functionality is good, provided that there is convection and grill. If you cook in small portions, for 1-2 people, then it will come in handy.”
Alexei:
“For a small kitchen, a mini-electric oven is what you need. I threw out the oven as unnecessary. I put a washing machine in its place. I didn’t notice any difference between the oven and the stove. But I saved a lot of space. I also need to take the microwave to the dacha. Although the food takes longer to heat up in the oven, it does so evenly and without an unpleasant hum.”
Mikhail Klyuchikov:
“Electric ovens have always been better than ovens, especially gas ovens. I am the happy owner of a “Cedar” mini-stove. Domestic manufacturer, by the way. Very simple in appearance, with two trays and without any regulators. Cheap, but has been working for eight years. He bakes cakes for Napoleon perfectly, all kinds of cookies, potatoes. And how delicious the carp is in it!! You'll rock. In general, you can make any delicacies.”
Lera:
“We bought a good electric stove. Yes, there was more space in the oven, but who needs it. We are completely satisfied with the volume of the mini-stove. The dishes there come out better than in a restaurant. You can even imitate a “Russian oven”. I cook in clay pots - in the morning I throw in the ingredients and put them in the oven, I come home from work, and a delicious dinner is ready.”
Advice. In order not to encounter negative aspects during the operation of the equipment, you should familiarize yourself with the ratings and customer reviews for specific models.
