A microwave is one of the most useful appliances in a kitchen. But with a toaster oven you can do more than just toast bread. It’s something which heats food better, faster and healthier option. While not a substitute for a full-size oven it could be a perfect way to help your kitchen save some room. So, does a toaster oven have the ability to replace a microwave? Let’s see whether it has got the ability or not by looking at their characteristics and functions.
How Does a Toaster Oven Work?
A toaster oven heats up faster than a regular oven and cooks faster. Its heating elements are on top so that the food is cooked by heat coming from above. The heating elements are usually coiled similar to those in a standard toaster. In addition, the sides of the toaster oven may also have heating elements (called sidewalls).
How Does a Microwave Work?
A microwave oven uses electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than infrared light but shorter than radio waves. These frequencies lie between 300 MHz and 300 GHz, which means microwaves have a wavelength of about 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) to 1 millimeter. An appliance that can generate microwaves is called a microwave generator and most contain water, sugar or fat molecules because they absorb microwaves easily.
What Is The Difference Between A Microwave Oven And An Oven Toaster?
Reheating & Defrosting
Reheating and defrosting food in a toaster oven is an excellent option. The reasons are simple: First, it’s going to be more energy efficient than reheating or defrosting in an oven, because you’re heating a smaller amount of space. Second, you can reheat or defrost foods that wouldn’t work well in a microwave.
Here’s an example. If you want to reheat pizza, the crust will probably come out soggy in a microwave. You may have better results with a toaster oven.
The same goes for leftovers that were cooked using convection heat, like roasts or any dish cooked on a roasting pan. Toaster ovens also do a better job of keeping the outside from getting overcooked while heating the inside of your food evenly.
Energy efficiency
Microwaves use less energy than ovens, but not by as much as you might think. For instance, a microwave uses about 1 kilowatt-hour for an average meal, whereas a gas oven uses about 2.5 kWh to heat up and 15 kWh to cook the meal itself. However, the real difference comes down to how much heat you’re trying to generate — a microwave produces far less heat than an oven or toaster oven.
Warming
Microwaves are actually pretty good at warming up leftovers, and they’re actually more efficient at it than a toaster or conventional oven since they don’t have to heat up as much air along with the food. Microwaves also tend to reheat more evenly than conventional ovens, since they penetrate the food more deeply.
Cooking time
Toaster ovens cook foods more quickly than conventional ovens, but they do not work as quickly as microwaves. Toaster ovens can cook at temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius). They can also toast up to six pieces of bread at once. A 12-inch pizza will take 15-18 minutes to cook in a toaster oven, while a 9-inch pie will take 8-12 minutes. However, the same pizzas will take 3-6 minutes to cook in a microwave.
Installation
The toaster oven does not require any special installation. On the other hand, microwave ovens need a 240-volt power supply to operate. In case the kitchen does not have a 240-volt electrical outlet, you will be required to install one otherwise the microwave will not function. This means you need to pay for installation and it might also take up valuable space in the kitchen.
Toaster ovens are small and can easily fit on your countertop or even on top of your microwave oven. You will not have to alter anything in your kitchen.
Size
Microwaves are generally small and easy to fit in even a cramped kitchen or small apartment. They take up only about 1 square foot counter space, and you can even get one that’s built into the wall. Toaster ovens are usually larger than microwaves, ranging from medium-sized countertop models to larger wall-mounted versions.
If you don’t have much space, a microwave is the more practical choice.
Why Should I Get A Toaster Oven?
I have an easier time answering this question than If a toaster oven is worth buying. I can’t just say it depends on how much you value your money and time, because that would be a cop-out.
- So let’s start with the cost of ownership: the purchase price of the toaster oven plus what you need to use it (utility required, storage space required) minus any salvage value after you finish using it.
- The next biggest cost is the opportunity cost of ownership: the toaster oven’s opportunity cost is whatever you could have done with the money instead. The opportunity cost of using a toaster oven is whatever else you could have been doing with your time while waiting for toast.
- Finally, there is a non-pecuniary value: once you own a toaster oven, are you happier? How much do you enjoy eating toast? You don’t really need two separate appliances if you own a toaster oven.
Can a Toaster oven be Used Like a Microwave?
Sure, to an extent. But it’s not the same thing and it won’t be as fast or as easy. If you have a toaster oven but no microwave, use your toaster oven. Or check if your regular oven has a “microwave” setting. If you have neither, get a microwave.
Toaster ovens are not microwaves and microwaves are not toasters. Toasters cook with radiant heat (like an open fire). Microwaves cook with electromagnetic waves (like radar). Toaster ovens do both.
Radiant heat is good for toast because bread is mostly water and water absorbs microwaves but reflects radiant heat. Microwaves are good for reheating coffee because coffee is mostly water and microwaves pass through mugs but mugs block radiant heat.
There are some things that both toasters and microwaves can cook well: sandwiches, for example, which are mostly bread and cheese; or baked potatoes, which have thick skin that reflects radiant heat but thin insides that absorb microwaves. If you have both a microwave and a toaster, use the one best suited to what you’re cooking.
Can I Replace The Toaster Oven With A Microwave?
The microwave oven has been around for decades, and toaster ovens are a fairly new appliance in the market. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but it is up to you to decide which one will work best for you.
The major difference between the two appliances is how they cook food. Microwaves use radio waves to cook and heat food by vibrating water molecules within the food; whereas toaster ovens cook food with radiant heat from the heating element that surrounds the food.
Microwaves are very convenient when it comes to cooking since they do not require a lot of time or supervision. Toaster ovens take longer to cook a meal, but it may be worth the wait if you like your food slightly crisp or browned on top.
A toaster oven will not replace all of the functions of a microwave but it will do some things better than a microwave.
Convenience In Baking With Your Toaster Oven
It is so convenient to bake with your toaster oven! In fact, I don’t know why more people don’t bake with theirs. It’s the perfect size for baking a few muffins or cookies, or a small casserole.
If you think about it, there are several advantages to using your toaster oven for baking. One important advantage is that your regular oven doesn’t have to heat up. And that means you’re saving energy, which also saves you money!
Here’s another advantage: If you need to bake something small and want to keep the other food in your refrigerator or freezer until the last minute, it’s easier on your refrigerator or freezer if you bake a little at a time rather than all at once.
And there are other advantages: You can use your toaster oven for many of the same functions as your regular oven, such as reheating leftovers and roasting small cuts of meat. It’s also handy when you need extra cooking capacity during holiday time.
But convenience isn’t the only benefit of using your toaster oven for baking. Toaster ovens are designed much like regular ovens with coils at the top and bottom of the unit that heats up and then radiate heat throughout the interior of the oven.
More Great about Toaster Ovens
The toaster oven is a perfect solution to reheating a slice of pizza, it won’t make the crust soggy and it will reheat a slice faster than the microwave.
It’s also great for cooking up small amounts of food in your kitchen: You can bake cookies or toast bread, you can use it as an alternative to your oven when you’re making something small, and you can even make a batch of nachos for a snack. The Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Toaster Oven costs less than $40 and has a convection setting that helps cook foods more evenly.
If you’re trying to eat healthier, using a toaster oven can help. It doesn’t require any oil or butter so it’s easy to prepare your meals in a healthy way. If you’re cooking fish or chicken breasts, the Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Toaster Oven will do the trick perfectly. It’s also great for reheating leftovers—you can warm up rice, veggies, pasta and more in this appliance.
When you’re done cooking with the Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Toaster Oven, cleaning it is easy. The crumb tray slides out from underneath the appliance and is dishwasher safe for your convenience.
FAQs
Is A Toaster Oven Safer Than A Microwave?
A toaster oven is a small, enclosed oven that uses an infrared heating element to heat food. A microwave oven is a small countertop or built-in appliance that uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range to heat food.
Comparing the safety of microwaves to that of conventional ovens is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. Both types of ovens are safe when used properly and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Both types of ovens have been around for decades now, yet there are still many misconceptions about their safety.
Can I bake popcorn in a toaster oven?
Yes, although it will probably not be as good as the microwave variety.
I highly recommend using an electric toaster oven, as opposed to the kind that runs off-gas. Gas ovens are generally much more powerful than electric ones and can burn your food easily. Using an oven thermometer is recommended, especially for first-time users.
Popcorn can be baked in a toaster oven by heating the oven and then adding the popcorn. The toaster oven should be heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and the popcorn should sit in the oven for two minutes.
1. Heating the Toaster Oven and Adding the Popcorn:
To bake popcorn in a toaster oven, turn the temperature dial on the toaster oven clockwise until it reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn into the toaster oven, and close the door.
2. Baking Popcorn:
Allow the popcorn to sit in the heated toaster oven for two minutes. At this point, it will start popping, at which point you should open the door of the toaster oven and shake any unpopped kernels into a bowl below. After two minutes, close the door of the toaster oven and allow it to cook for another 1-1/2 minutes. At this point, you can remove it from the toaster oven and add butter or other toppings as desired.
Conclusion
Toaster ovens and microwaves are both kitchen appliances, but they are designed with different functions in mind. If you have a small kitchen or limited counter space, a toaster oven is an ideal alternative for microwave cooking. A good toaster oven can help you save money because it takes up less space than multiple counter appliances. Quality models boast enough efficiency, versatility and power that almost any microwave-related task can be easily completed within it.
