The great thing about a toaster oven is that when you buy a new one, it comes already assembled. All you have to do is just remove from box, plug it in and start. On the whole, you get bemused about the usage, cleaning, and storing of the new gadget. The toaster oven has unique options for toasting the delicious food. The toaster oven has particular functions and directions to use and safety procedures. This article includes a few tips and useful information with which you can use the toaster oven properly.
How to use a Toaster Oven?
Preparatory steps to follow before you start using a toaster oven
Clean all the detachable parts and carefully swab the complete surface within the oven before you begin to use it for the first time. After that, you need to read the instruction manual and become thorough with the features of the toaster oven. Make sure that you will get a complete idea about how each feature of toaster oven works. If it has some removable parts, make sure that you know how to remove them and put them back in position properly. At this moment, you will determine what the pans you already own are and will they fit into your toaster oven. If you are already having bread pans, cake pans, and cookie sheets that fit perfectly into the toaster oven then you don’t need to spend extra money on smaller pans. Below are some steps for using the toaster oven.
- Place the toaster oven in desired settings, both for temperature and the purpose like defrost, broil and many.
- Plug in your toaster oven
- Place the food you want in the toaster oven, either on the surface or safe plate or directly on to the toaster oven rack if required.
- Then set the timer for your food. Generally, modern toaster ovens are having built-in timers. Even though you are using timer still have an eye on the food as it cooks. Toaster ovens are mini and cook the food much faster than a traditional oven.
- Wipe away the big spills as they occur in a toaster oven, but clean it occasionally, unplug before doing it and wait till it gets cool down completely. Clean the interior of a toaster oven with a sponge or damp soft cloth.
- Remove the food safely with the help of appropriate protection like oven mitts or pot holders. Enjoy the tasty food.
Tips for using a Toaster Oven
Below are some of the tips for using a toaster oven
- For most of the toaster ovens when toasting the bread, the rack should be placed in the middle of the oven for evenly toasting.
- For cleaning easily, place a piece of parchment paper on Toaster oven tray before start using it.
- Since the toaster oven cooks the food quickly, keep an eye on the things on oven carefully to ensure that the food won’t burn
- If there is some greasy mess in the toaster oven then it is difficult to clean, Wet the sponge with warm and soapy water and place it on the stain for several minutes to get rid of a greasy mess
- Often the handles of pans and baking dishes make tight fit or may not fit inside the toaster oven at all. So it is better to use dishes and baking sheets that are made especially for toaster ovens as they are designed without handles.
Safety Considerations
Undoubtedly toaster ovens are coming out to be more well-liked and very popular gradually. This is due to the reason that the usage of toaster ovens has been increased as this machine expedient and simple to use. But the more important thing is to use the device with care and handle it safely to prevent the potential injury. So below are some safety considerations and tips for using the toaster oven.
- Choose a licensed and certified product: there are a lot of brands available in the market, choose the best product for home use. Make sure that you verify the licensing details and NSFW certification of a toaster oven as an assurance for safety and protection. Picking an unlicensed product may result in possible safety risks and even the hazard of electrocution. Therefore be very sure to confirm for a sovereign NSF certification that has confirmed the unit is set well with healthy standards, usability, substances, and sturdiness.
- Before you attempt to clean the toaster oven make sure that the appliance is cooled down completely: Whatever the situation is don’t forget to cool down the toaster oven on its own. Making the unit to cool down, means that taking the oven out from the power source and letting it cool down totally without dipping the device in the water. This considerably decreases the risk burn levels and other protection concerns when the toaster oven gets fully heated while it is using. Making the device cool down prior to cleaning is the safest way to evade unnecessary injury.
- Read and follow user Manual: Different toaster oven brands have different abilities and stipulations. So for sure study, the user manual in detail as this helps you to understand each working condition and functioning of a device. Once you acquire the basic knowledge about the working and usage of the device then you can able to evade the self-injury. The manual even helps you to know the functioning of a toaster oven and different risks caught up while using the machine.
- Always unplug the machine when not in use: Many households fall short to maintain this rule that may result in the peril of flames or electrocution. Removing the machine from the power source is the safest method to protect you and your family unit. Therefore the most consistent and safer way to decrease the safety peril is to unplug the unit and permitting it to settle down for the further use.
- Clean and inspect the toaster oven regularly: It is very essential to stay always attentive while tackling with some electrical machines like a toaster oven. In reality, regularly cleaning the machine will help in decreasing the possibility of fire as the food elements and lubricants build up in the unit plays a major role in catching the fire. Further, evade rubbing the oven machine with metal cleaning products and pads because the metal pieces may come in getting in touch with the electrical components and consequently may root for electrical shock. So, when you try to make the toaster oven dirt free, be sure to clean the unit only with non-metal objects while keeping an ardent eye on the extensions, cords, and surfaces of a toaster. This will let you notice the safety concerns and evade the risk of electrocution.
- Allow air circulation: All the time try to run off some space in the region of the toaster oven. After every uses the ovens likely to be hot particularly the low down models with slighter insulation. Still whatever the model it is, better leave the sufficient space for letting the toaster oven to cool down without overheating. Also shun keeping the items on one another, this way you can avoid the risk of catching the fire when it is in use.
- Location: set the oven in the calculated location. Avoid keeping the oven close to kids reach. Additionally, put the oven in the waterless and steady area far from the things like curtains and cardboard. Where you set the oven machine plays a key role in formative its usability and life duration. Do not keep the machine in humid areas or an area close to tapping or any other water resource as that may finish up with smattering the water on the oven.
Toaster Oven Settings
The most important thing you should know about the toaster oven settings that manage the heating essentials within the unit.
In a digital toaster oven, every setting may give preset or recommended cooking time for meticulous items like toast or cookies. If you select an option like cookies setting, your oven does not know if you are cooking mini cookies or giant sandwich sized cookies. The basic 3 toaster oven settings are:
There are three settings you required to know before you start using a toaster oven- bake, broil and toast.
Most of the people will use this setting.
It is just like a traditional oven that the heat comes out from the base elements. In this setting, the oven will beat or set the top and base elements on and off, so as to maintain their intensity properly and helps the unit to stay in even temperature.
The toaster ovens will preheat quicker and usually bake faster than traditional ovens. Many toaster ovens include hot areas or spots that are heater than others. Rotate the pan halfway from the bake time in order to evenly bake and get brown.
Broil setting
Broiling is the same as grilling but the heat comes out only in one direction. With this setting, the oven uses the straight Radiant heat released from the apex elements.
Broiling is better in melting the cheese on a bunch of nachos, scorching the red peppers, or rapidly cooking the veggies thinner pieces like zucchini or eggplant.
Below are some tips for using a Broiling setting and refer the manual for directions of the particular toaster oven.
- Most toaster ovens do not have the preheat option with broil settings.
- Generally, you need to use the top rack placement
- Always use boiler safe pan, else the pan that comes with a toaster oven
- The heat is produced only in one direction. So for the dish to be cooked on both sides, it is necessary to flip the item.
- Use precautions when grabbing the pan that has been broiled, because they will be extremely hot.
- If there is some burning of the dish with a broil setting, then set the height of the rack to lower place.
- If the toaster oven has an adjustable broiler then you can adjust the temperature and intensity of heat.
The Toast Setting
With this setting, the toaster oven distributes an equal amount of heat for both the top and base elements. When using the toast setting always make sure that rack is placed in such a manner that you will get the even toast.
Toaster Oven Functions
Apart from toasting, a toaster oven is also used for other cooking functions like baking and Broiling. Using the toaster oven for these functions is also the same as using the oven for toasting. Select the cooking function according to your needs, set the temperature and time. If necessary preheat the oven. Then, put your food in the oven and wait until it gets cooked. You will hear a bell sound at the end indicating that the food is ready.
Toaster ovens also have predetermined functions. A toaster oven will automatically shut down after the completion of food. The toaster oven has many unique features so it is the best option to purchase and select the model according to your needs. Stay tuned to Best Small Toaster Oven site for more information on toaster ovens.
