A toaster oven is similar to a mini oven, but it’s more efficient than a regular oven.
It can reheat, broil, brown, and toast various foods. A toaster oven features fast heating elements.
It uses infrared radiation to heat the food, ensuring proper cooking. The device has user-friendly controls for preparing a variety of dishes easily.
Toaster ovens can cook food faster due to their small size and capacity to hold the heat better.
You don’t need any special installation steps for a toaster oven and can easily shift it from one place to another whenever your kitchen gets overcrowded. Toaster ovens use a very less amount of electricity as compared to regular ovens.
Toaster ovens have a wide range of temperatures that makes them more comfortable and convenient to use. Due to its fast heating capabilities, a toaster oven is a must in every kitchen.
Those who have it or even thinking to buy it, here are few useful tips on using it. Let’s explore what you can use in a toaster oven while cooking…
Things you can use in a toaster oven
It’s best to use oven-safe glass dishes in it, not the common glass dishes since they are thick enough and safe to use in it. You can also use stainless steel food containers in it but not plastic containers in a toaster oven.
Toaster oven often comes with a metal tray, which is used to reheat their food items.
You can also use toaster oven-safe dishes for cooking your food items. You cannot keep the food items directly into the oven. There are special dishes for ovens that are thick enough to tolerate the heat.
Apart from it, you might have other questions about what you can use in a toaster oven and whatnot, so here we have tried to answer all your questions.
Can you put aluminum foil in the toaster oven?
There are several uses that you can get out of aluminum foil in a toaster oven but the debate around this still remains tough.
Most would say you can use aluminum foil in a toaster oven but with safety tips.
Here are some safety tips while using aluminum foil in a toaster oven:
- Always ensure that the model and type of your toaster oven is compatible with foil materials. If you are not sure, you can always contact the manufacturer and clear your doubts.
- You should cut the aluminum foil appropriately so that it does not touch the device’s heating elements.
- Contact of aluminum foil with the heating elements of a toaster oven can cause a fire.
- Using a foil cover on the drip tray is not safe since the grease is likely to heat up and catch fire.
- Covering the crumb tray with aluminum foil is also not a good option since this will prevent the flow of air circulation and thus cause overheating, which may again end up in a fire that has the potential to burn and destroy your entire house. The same is the case when using aluminum foil in a broiling rack. Hence, be careful.
- While covering the food with aluminum foil, make sure that there are no loose ends.
- When using foil in toaster ovens, make sure you use only heavy-duty, higher-quality aluminum foil.
Can you put parchment paper in the toaster oven?
Parchment paper is coated with silicone, so it won’t burn in the oven. It may crumble and dry out over time. It also helps save cleaning time.
Still, be very careful and follow the below safety tips while using it:
- You should not allow this parchment paper to go close to the oven’s heating elements as it has a higher risk of igniting.
- Whenever you place parchment paper in a toaster oven, make sure that no part of it is sticking out.
- Cut the parchment paper according to the size of your pan.
- Lightly oiling the pan will do the trick for you.
- You can also use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper.
- Discard the use one and use a fresh one for the next cooking.
There are several dangers associated with using parchment paper in a toaster oven.
The number one reason is that it can disintegrate, even when it is not directly in contact with any heat or heating element.
The last thing you want is tiny bits of parchment paper spread all over your food and not being able to consume it.
Can you put wax paper in the toaster oven?
Wax paper is inexpensive but not suitable for use in a toaster oven because it is not heat resistant. It can catch fire at high temperatures.
It can easily burn if it comes in contact with the heating elements of a toaster oven. Always remember that wax paper is used for freezing purposes and not for heating food.
Many people also use wax paper as a substitute for parchment paper. Since the wax paper will have wax glazed on its surface, if you use them in a toaster, it will start melting into your food and therefore cause it to burn.
Conclusion
Like any electrical appliance, a toaster oven is a convenient option with lots of advantages over other heating and cooking devices. Toaster ovens also have a safety fuse inside them. It means that it is safe to keep it plugged in.
While using them, make sure what things you can use in a toaster oven to avoid any sort of mishap.
An average lifetime of a toaster oven is 5 years. However, you should clean your device regularly and properly to make it function the best. Regular cleaning practices can help you to make your toaster oven last longer.
