Ready, steady, cook! If you love experimenting in the kitchen, it's time to invest in the best halogen ovens.
From dinner parties to limited space and a healthy alternative to an air fryer, there are many benefits to roasting, grilling and boiling with a halogen oven. But first...
What is a halogen oven?
In a nutshell, halogen ovens are portable machines that use a halogen lamp to cook food. Whether you're in a caravan or your kitchen, you'll need just an electrical outlet to prepare a feast.
The heat kicked out from the halogen lamp is really intense, which means the body of the machine gets VERY hot. Usually, a halogen oven will have a fan inside to ensure that the temperature is distributed equally. We'd recommend never leaving a halogen oven unattended and keeping little fingers away from the kitchen.
Best halogen ovens
Best halogen ovens for triple cooking power
Photo: AmazonCook your meals three times faster than a traditional oven thanks to this healthy device. As well as being a family-sized air fryer, you can also triple cook chicken, grill vegetables and so much more.
Review: "I was already a big fan of a halogen oven. My old JML one was very good, but eventually packed up. It didn’t have any extras with it. I was given another make, but it was awful, the temperature was always too high.
"There are so many makes on the market, but the Tower was a very reasonable price and included an extension ring, a shallow pan and an oil spray and a handy stand for the lid.
"I mostly use it to make a roast dinner or dry-fried chips. Even Yorkshire puddings or toad in the hole cooks well. Just spray with Fry Light. Food cooks quicker than a conventional oven, but it’s only big enough for two generally. Would be great for a student. Cleaning is very easy, put a couple of inches of water in the bowl and put on thaw for ten minutes. Very cheap to run. This is by far the best halogen oven out of three that I’ve had and would really recommend it. I was nearly put off buying it because it is described as an air fryer, which to me is a different type of machine."
Best halogen oven for retaining nutrients
Photo: Appliances Directwww.appliancesdirect.co.uk
Described as a one pot cooking machine, this halogen oven lives up to it's reputation by roasting, grilling, steaming, baking, toasting, defrosting and reheating food all in one place.
Review: "Can literally cook anything, then packs away relatively small to store in a cupboard freeing up counter space." What more could you want?
Best halogen oven with self-cleaning function
Photo: AmazonFrom the built-in timer to the temperature control and self-cleaning function - is there anything that this halogen oven can't do? As well as fitting on a kitchen countertop effortlessly, this machine includes a high and low rack, extender ring, lid stand, oil bottle and tongs. Wow!
Review: "This is absolutely brilliant, since ordering this l have not used my cooker much cause you can do nearly everything in it, also got rid of my chip pan because the chips are perfect (not cooked in a load of oil) when you cook fish or chicken it tastes a lot better than when you cook it in the oven, everything is a lot healthier. It says you can spray oil onto your food before cooking it, but we don't bother with that, just wished I'd bought one years ago. We eat a lot healthier than we did before, feel much better for it, thank you to the sellers. 🥰"
Best halogen oven for temperature control
Photo: AmazonThis two-in-one air fryer and halogen cooker is exactly what your kitchen needs. Save money on a Saturday night takeaway and make fish and chips at home. The halogen oven cooks quickly by allowing you to adjust the temperature between 56 and 250 degrees. Best thing about it? It has 17 litre capacity.
Review: "I love this. It's not easy to get back to its shiny see-through look, and it takes a bit of getting used to switching times. I highly recommend regularly spraying chips with oil throughout the process. The thaw function is my favourite feature. It's worth buying this for that alone."
Best halogen oven for fast cooking
Whether you love hosting dinner parties or are planning ahead for Christmas, this halogen oven is the quickest and most powerful way to bake cakes, roast a chicken and boil vegetables. We love the safety features - from the non-slip feet to the toughened glass.
Review: "Excellent halogen oven. Far easier to cook whole chickens without the splashing and mess usually associated with cooking in a normal oven or microwave oven. It quickly gets up to temperature, so no pre-heating time as with normal ovens. Conveniently cooks anything you could in a normal oven, but quicker. Easy to clean."
Best value halogen oven
Photo: AmazonFor the price, this halogen oven will tick all of the right boxes for any amateur chefs. It has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a good halogen oven, including an automatic self-cleaning setting, timer and temperature settings. Plus, it's really easy to use.
Review: "Easy to purchase, easy to use and delivered even earlier than expected. The extra bright light from the halogen is enough to light up the kitchen, so could do with a light guard of some kind and our previous halogen was supplied with trays for inside us. There were none with this one. Overall, it has extra safety features and is easy to use at a good price."
Halogen ovens FAQs
What are the benefits of using a halogen oven?
Thinking of making a switch to a halogen oven? There are multiple reasons why you should opt for this mini cooker. Here are some of the top benefits:
• Easier to clean than a traditional oven
• Uses a lower temperature to achieve a grilling effect
• Light, compact, and easy to store in a cupboard
• Cooks food up to 60 per cent faster
• Keeps nutrition intact
Are halogen ovens cheap to run?
Whether you're looking to keep your bills down or want to help reduce your energy usage in the home, halogen ovens are a brilliant solution. According to Halogenoven.org.uk, "The fact that a halogen oven uses a lot less energy and cooks much faster than traditional ovens has got to be a big plus in anyone's books.
"The average household oven uses around 2400 watts when it is operating on medium heat, and it can run a power-guzzling 3,000-plus watt on its highest temperature setting. In comparison, a standard halogen oven will operate at a much lower level of around 1300 watts."
How do halogen ovens cook food?
Halogen ovens will often allow you to prepare food using different cooking methods. The most common methods found in halogen ovens are grilling, steaming, barbecuing, roasting, baking, defrosting and dehydrating food.
Are halogen ovens safe?
Although halogen light bulbs were banned back in September 2021 to help cut emissions and save consumers on their energy bills, halogen ovens are excellent for cooking food fast in a small space.
Like with all electrical goods, there is a potential for danger if not used correctly or left unattended. We would recommend always grilling at low temperatures and supervising the oven at all times. It's also essential that you clean halogen ovens thoroughly to prevent food poisoning and other diseases from spreading.
What to read next:
The best slow cookers to buy for making delicious family meals
Lily Anderson is a Senior Commercial Content Writer at Bauer Media, where she reviews products for titles like Heat, Closer, What’s the Best, Yours and Mother&Baby.
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