In this mini convection oven review, we will be speaking about some great portable convection ovens. In today’s fast-paced world, spending time waiting for something to cook is not the top priority. Hence, purchasing a portable convection oven can make a huge difference in your life.
You might think that your regular oven has everything you need to prepare a meal. While you might be right on that front, it will take a lot of time to make food in this type of oven. You will put yourself through a lot of stress and worry.
Needless to say, a portable electric oven might truly be a lifesaver. These ovens are small, do not occupy a lot of space and are just, if not more, efficient than a regular oven.
Now, there are some pretenders on the market and some things that are advertised in a misleading way. Hence, in regards to the best countertop convection oven, we have put together a list of the top four. But before we dive into these products, let us go through the basics of a portable convection oven.
What is a Countertop Convection Oven?
The name convection ovens are given to these appliances because the circulating effect of the internal fans, also known as fan ovens, produces hot air inside it. The fans keep the temperature steady inside the countertop oven, thereby enabling it to cook your food more evenly.
While there are many ovens that have their own convention currents with circulated heated air, most are not equipped with a fan to distribute that hot air. Most of these ovens are capable of baking or roasting food faster because of this fanning system. But it should be remembered that the fan might not have the same effect on every type of food.
Meat can be cooked faster and in a more delicious manner while items like loaves of bread and cookies tend to lose softness since the fan tends to dry these products from the inside. However, most of these countertop electric ovens have the option of turning the fan off.
Best portable oven for baking and cooking
✔️ Oyama TRO-110C Turbo Convection Oven
This is a small, convenient and portable convection oven that makes use of hot, circulating air to bake, boil, grill and cook food. This is a great appliance to have in your home because it can cook almost anything. This oven is very friendly on your pocket as well. Additionally, it is one of the rare convection ovens that can fry your food as well.
The glass is capable of holding about 10.5 liters of food. It also comes with a wide range of cooking modes. When you use ‘broil’ to cook meat, you will end up with a crispy exterior and more delicious and juicy fat. The grill option also allows you to cook with fewer amounts of fats and oils. When you grill on this oven, all the oil and fats will decrease and give you healthier food.
You can also cook cupcakes, muffins, and small cakes.
This oven is very convenient. It is fitted with two separate dials to set the timer and the temperature. It also has a plate tong and two wire cooking racks. This convection oven is also very easy to clean and store. All you need to do is wash the glass bowl. Additionally, the oven also comes with an instruction manual that will show you how to cook different foods with the help of different functions.
Pros
The convection oven is very easy to clean- An instruction manual with recipes is included in the package
- You can easily dehydrate, air fry, steam, or grill in this oven
Cons
- The recipes and information in the instruction guide is limited
- You will have to buy some accessories separately like the frying pan, stainless steel extender ring, etc.
✔️ Rosewill RHCO-16001 Digital Oven
This Rosewill digital oven is the answer if you are looking to cook faster and save money. This oven is the definition of elegance and style, thereby making it a perfect addition to your kitchen décor. It is made up of heat-tempered glass and a white-colored plastic. This digital oven definitely stands out from the rest.
This oven makes use of infrared heating and a strong convection system to prepare food much faster. The energy-saving feature of this oven also saves about 75% more energy, which is way more than a conventional oven. The oven is provided with two cooking racks that offer you the ability to broil, bake, or fry multiple food items.
All you have to do is push the button.
Its overall size is 12 quarts but can be extended to 17 quarts with the help of the included SS extender ring. The oven features digital controls, with eight pre-set buttons for a wide range of menus, LED display, and a digital timer. You can easily cook food items such as whole chicken, pork chops, hamburgers, or chicken tenders with high precision.
Pros
- This digital oven is perfect for large groups of people
- The timing capability of this oven could not be more perfect
- The power rating of this appliance is rated as efficient
Cons
- The oven is a bit on the expensive side
- It is quite a difficult convection oven for newbies to handle
✔️ NutriChef Convection Countertop Toaster Oven
Any person that has used this toaster/oven from NutriChef will definitely give it a 10/10. It is one of the most user-friendly ovens on the market today. It is very simple to understand and use, thereby making it great for people who do not have any previous experiences with convection ovens to handle it just fine. The glass is also very easy to clean up, while tough enough to handle the heat inside the oven.
This oven has been designed to accommodate a wide variety of delightful meals like meat, vegetables, chicken, etc. This is a remarkable oven that is capable of preparing food faster than any other traditional oven. It also consumes a lot less electricity, while getting the job done quickly. The temperature is adjustable. Also, air frying capability eliminates the need for extra oil.
In this oven, you will see that there is no need to thaw, defrost or preheat any cold meat to bring out the best flavor of the food. If you are looking to save money and also eat the healthiest food, it is recommended that you go for this oven by Nutrichef. This oven is small enough to fit into any corner of your kitchen but large enough to create meals for an entire family. It can easily hold about 18 quarts.
Pros
This small convection oven is very easy to understand, use and clean- Apart from being an oven, it is also a part-time air fryer, giving you a two-in-one advantage
- This oven might have a lot of expensive features, but is actually quite cheap
Cons
- While this oven is easy to understand and use, many people cannot easily adapt to it
- According to some reviews, this oven is prone to explosions
✔️ TO-2000 Turbo Convection Oven
This is a sleek and versatile countertop electric oven that is a great alternative if you are looking for something other than infrared halogen ovens. It is very pocket-friendly and easy to understand, use and clean. You can easily perform all modes of cooking on this multi-purpose oven. It is also capable of keeping the meat tender while preserving all the nutrients.
The oven is made with a high-temp safety glass body. The packaging includes an oven stand, tongs, dual rack, and a low rack. The operation is very simple; all you need to do is set the temperature and timer via the two dials. Also, you do not need fats or oil in excess to cook your food, thereby reducing your intake of cholesterol as well.
This oven is capable of cooking your food a lot faster than a traditional oven. It makes use of an in-built fan to force heat all around your food, thereby cooking it to perfection. It is capable of maintaining an even temperature throughout the cooking process.
Pros
- You get a lot of options for cooking like steaming, roasting, grilling, and baking
- You can easily cook your meals without the need for oils and fats
- This oven is capable of cooking food at least five times faster than a standard oven
Cons
- According to some reviews, some design flaws have been spotted by many customers
- At times the controls stopped working, according to some customer reports
How does the best portable convection oven work?
Unlike most ovens that rely on two sources of heat, the upper and lower systems, convention ovens make use of a fan to circulate the hot air throughout the insides of the oven. A normal oven simply surrounds the food with hot air; a conventional oven blows hot air on all sides of the food, thereby cooking it much faster.
Additionally, it has been scientifically proven that moving air increases the heat transfer rate via diffusion, especially when air meets at different temperatures. In short, a convection oven is the reverse of a draught or a wind chill. For instance, when a cold or chill wind hits you, you tend to shiver and feel colder than you do on a normal cold day. The same principle is at work in a countertop convention oven. Hence, this type of oven can give you superior results.
Also, a gush of hot air results in the speeding up of different chemical reactions because of the continuous intense heat. You will see that the skin of a chicken will release more fats and develop into a flaky and crunchy dish.
Advantages of portable convection ovens
Some well-known pros of convection ovens are:
You will have the ability to cook evenly
As said above, a convection oven will help you cook food more evenly than a traditional oven. This has been made possible with the help of a fan that circulates the air and makes sure that no portion of the oven stays too cold or too hot, something which is common in regular/conventional ovens.
Food is prepared much faster
The fan allows the convection oven to cook at lower temperatures. So, instead of the regular 350°C of heat, the oven will make use of about 300°C of heat. This way, the food gets prepared remarkably faster than conventional ovens.
You can bake multiple food items in one go
This is one of the most advantageous points of a convection oven. You have the option to bake more than a single food item. This is possible because the overall temperature inside the oven will not fall when two or more different food items are stacked inside.
Storing and placing the oven is not a problem
Because most convection ovens are smaller in size than a regular oven, storing the appliance is not a tough task. You can simply place it in the corner of your kitchen and take it out whenever you want to cook food.
Disadvantages of a convection oven
While the advantages of tabletop convection oven are many, here are some disappointing cons about them:
The recipes need to be adjusted
The oven makes use of a single form of cooking – heating. Hence, you will need to come up with ideas on how to cook food in a convection oven. You can sometimes burn food in this oven if not careful.
The oven cannot raise baked goods
According to the experiences of many users around the world, bread and cakes cannot be raised properly in a convection oven. Hence, when it comes to tasks like these, conventional ovens are preferred.
Convection ovens have a lot of breakable parts
As said above, the fans are the main components that make this oven tick. However, it should be remembered that they can break down or stop working. Normally, high-quality fans are made of the best materials, and should not break down for many years.
High costing kitchen appliance
One of the most major disappointments about the portable oven is that it is very costly. So, the bigger the foodie you are, the more you will have to spend to get the best convection oven for your needs.
Conclusion
Overall, a convection oven is one of the best kitchen appliances that you can invest in. It cooks you better food in less amount of time while preserving electricity as well. Convection ovens are the next big thing in the world of kitchen appliances. Hopefully, you can now choose the best oven with the help of this portable convection ovens review.
