Does anyone have a Halogen Oven?

[TotemPole]

I'm considering getting one of these as an alternative to replacing the main oven, for a while.

Would it be practical to store in the cupboard and lift out for each use?

What sort of food can you cook? Can you use it for things like pies in foil dishes as you can with a regular oven? Could you do jacket potatoes?

How does the food turn out?

How does the self cleaning feature work?

How necessary are the accessories such as the Steamer/Fry Pan and lid extender? I think the lid stand would be essential.

Any other points you can think of would be appreciated.

Thanks.

A friend has one, and no other oven, not even a microwave.

His doesn't self clean or have any accessories. I think you can cook just about anything you would in a normal oven.

Thanks sashh. That's an idea. If it turned out to be more useful, I could move the microwave.

I take it from the lack of replies they aren't very common/popular, or should I have posted on chat instead?

Groupon have an offer on for a half price halogen oven today.
I don't have one, but from ads they look like they could be worth a go.

shrimponastick, this is the one I was looking at. Only £40 and the bowl capacity is over 3 times my slow cooker. How much was the one on Groupon, I tried to look but I need to sign up to get past the first page.

£40 is a bargain if it's something useful. I need to find a tape measure, to make sure it will fit on the work top.

www.clifford-james.co.uk/buy.cfm/cookware/halogen-oven/68/yes/40439

Hang on

The Specifics

? Halogen oven with infrared technology
? 1300 watts of power for quick heating
? Performs defrosting, baking, steaming, frying, and roasting
? In-built fan circulates heat; no turning of food required
? Two racks for simultaneous cooking
? Simple self-cleaning function
? Bowl: 12-litre capacity; 30cm diameter
? Total height: 25cm (15cm bowl and 10cm lid)
? Timer: 0-60 minutes
? Gross weight: 8.5kg

Accessories

? Tongs, lid stand, and lid extender
? Steaming and frying trays
? Halogen cookbook

it is £29.99 for the oven, for the extra accessories the total is £39.99.

There is £5.99 postage to add on to that.

The company you wouldorder from is:www.james-russell.co.uk/

Thanks for doing that shrimp.

They seem like a really cheap alternative to a full size oven.

This site has lots of info. The more I read, the more I'm convinced it would be a good idea.

Hi OP. just wondering if you bought one. I've often wondered if they're any good.

Not yet. It will probably be in the next month or so.

I bought my folks one for xmas , they have no cooker . Mum says it is really easy to use and she enjoyed the meat she has cooked in it. I would definitely recommend from what she told me to how easy it is. I suspect the hardest part is the cleaning !!

re. cleaning: I have an "Easycook", which is something like a halogen oven being a glass bowl with an element and fan in the lid. It has a wash function which makes it very easy to clean although I suppose in time grease will build up on the lid part, which will be a problem because it cannot be immersed in water.

I am struggling to bake a Christmas cake in it because cakes seem to come out soggy in the middle. The leaflet says I should use a cake ring, so I am going to have to buy one of those too, it seems. Hopefully I will get a proper oven when the kitchen is built..... sometime!

p.s. After having 6 months with NO oven, this gadget is a delight for roasting meat and also potatoes and peppers, though separately, because the veggies need higher temps. to be crispy.

I bought my Mum one a few years ago. She uses it quite a lot as it's quick when it's just her and Dad and as extra oven space when she's cooking a big meal for the whole family when we visit. Results seem to be just as good as from the conventional oven but in about half the time in some cases. It's the JML one, I think. Was about £50 from Argos, IIRC.