Growing up my mom always made us stand a few feet away from the microwave while it was on. I always wondered why? Something about the fumes coming out of the microwave? Sound familiar?
I read this article recently that informed me that you can prepare and cook practically anything in the microwave. Their reasons - it is fast! This concerned me greatly. First off, why are we in such a rush to have our food prepared in 1 minute? Why not slow down and enjoy the gift of life and the process of preparing quality food for your family? Does it concern you at all that you can cook potatoes in four minutes with the microwave? Doesn’t that seem a little unnatural? It does indeed use the least amount of electricity in the kitchen (although the differences are minimal, as described here - $0.04 per kwh vs. $0.10 for toaster oven, & $0.20 for electric oven), but it’s rapid cooking power might just cause some problems.
This article was interesting (sorry, made an error on the links previously):
Microwaves are thought to destroy and deform food molecules. In fact, one study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli “zapped” in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contains.
So what’s the rush to possibly destroy some of the nutritional value of your food? Other concerns have been possible connection to cancer, brain tumors, immune system deficiencies, and the list goes on. There is indeed much controversy over the health concerns of microwaves, and I am not totally convinced of the harmfulness of its use, but I am just providing some food for thought, and maybe we should all step back and consider. Why would Russia ban the use of microwaves in 1976? Interesting to note.
Further Reading:
Microwave Menace
Vegis Lose Antioxidants in Microwave
Hidden Hazards - Microwave Oven
Benefits of the Toaster Oven
We bought a toaster oven off Craigslist for just $20, and I love it for the following reasons:
1. Heats food slowly and naturally like a standard oven.
2. Uses less electricity than standard oven - for a small family, you can bake practically anything in it for far less time, because it doesn’t have to heat up such a large space, as in an oven. This results in using less electricity (although the differences are not drastically significant). I bake casseroles, toast bread, reheat leftovers, and thaw food (on those forgetful days!) all in my toaster oven!
3. Simplifies your kitchen - no need for a toaster or a microwave, and even an oven at times! Why do we need so many different appliances and gadgets? Why not simplify by choicing options that can accomplish two or more tasks in one!
4. Don’t have to heat up the whole kitchen! Especially on a hot day, this is a great alternative than the oven!
5. Works as a warming oven- keep already cooked food warm before serving! Another advantage is when you have multiple things needing to be baked, when needing to cook two things at different temperatures -
6. Easy clean up! If something spills, you simply pull out the tray!
7. Great for small places and reasonably priced!
Just some things to consider…
Works for me!
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- Uses for Stale Bread
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April 30th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I love my toaster oven. I’d much rather use it than a toaster too–I can melt butter and cheese on the bread while it toasts!
I’d love to completely replace my microwave with my toaster oven and stove top. I had to when I lived in Russia, so I know it can be done! I’m working on my own meal planning habits to give myself time to bake potatoes, for example, without relying on the microwave to get it done in time. I think though, if I had someone in my family with cancer (like Stephanie@keeperofthehome), I would be tossing my microwave out the window as fast as I could.
Two quick things though: despite it’s small size, a toaster oven does not cook any faster than an oven. I guess mentally I keep thinking it will act like a microwave. I have seen some upscale models that are “convection toaster ovens” and those might be an interesting compromise for someone really looking to replace their mocrowave. Second, I started a small fire in my toaster oven when I placed something directly on the rack that dripped. The grease drip (from cheese, I think) landed on the heating element and flamed up. Fortunately, I was right there and so was my husband. We unplugged it, removed the food, and took it outside very quickly averting any serious consequences (the toaster even still works great). Now I don’t cook anything directly on the rack that might drip, but use the small pan built for it; I always stay with it while it’s operating; and (just in case) I make sure that it is clean inside with no crumbs and food pieces on the bottom that could fuel a fire.
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Lindsay replied on April 30th, 2008:
I don’t understand why your toaster oven doesn’t work faster than the standard oven, because mine sure does! I have cooked baked potatoes in my toaster oven for 20-25 minutes, that would normally take at least 45 minutes in my standard oven. I also have baked several small casseroles (8×8) for about 3/4 the time required in the oven. So it has worked for me!
As far as eliminating the microwave, it does just take a little thinking ahead. I begin in the morning by asking myself what I need for the meals for today and tomorrow (menu planning is essential!). Anything frozen gets placed on the counter or refrigerator! Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home posted her tips for quick thawing and stuff here.
I have found the toaster oven effectively de-thaws most things, so I never need the microwave now! Just yesterday, I thawed out a frozen bagel in my toaster oven! Worked great in just 5-10 min!
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April 30th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Thanks for this information. We have both but I never got the hang of using a toaster oven. I may try again. How do you cook your potatoes in it? Do you wrap them in anything?
Thanks!
Linds
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Lindsay replied on April 30th, 2008:
I bake everything as I would in a regular oven. I put the potatoes on a plate/glass pan (mine didn’t come with a tray), after having pierced them with a fork, and set the timer to bake for 25-30 min. I check it every once in awhile as normal. I try to avoid aluminum wrap as much as possible.
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April 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I would caution against making such hasty decisions regarding microwaves. Many anti-microwave people out there have little actual science to back up their positions. Furthermore, the article linked above is taken completely out of context. There are many articles linked from Wikipedia, including this one from Cornell and the New York Times, which state the exact opposite, and provide clarification to the article you linked. The 97% rate for broccoli is the high end of the range of testing (74-97%), and only applied when the microwaved broccoli was immersed in water. Also, when it is claimed that there is controversy regarding the health concerns of microwaves–there is not. There really is little debate on the health concerns of microwaves. Most that claim true danger are little more than crack-pots. Granted, there are dangers to using microwaves (on the other hand, there are also added safeties), but those are well-documented and users should learn about these. as they would any other product they use in their house.
It’s quite easy to bash microwaves or any other technological breakthrough, but it’s important to do a bit of research, so that we can do what is best for our families.
[Reply]
Lindsay replied on May 1st, 2008:
Elizabeth,
It is apparent that you missed the intention of my post. My goal was to just share a few points that were of interest to note, not that I know the full truth of the matter. Thanks for sharing the link, its one of the first I have seen on the positive side, and I have indeed been doing a lot of research on it, and have not made a rash decision (in fact, I have been mulling over this for several months now). I made a few errors on my links, and have corrected them above.
Personally, I have decided it is best for our family to live without a microwave, and in fact I have come to really enjoy it…but everyone is at liberty to make the best decision they can.
Another thing to note…try not to use plastic or ziplocs for heating food in the microwave. This can leach chemicals into your food.
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May 5th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Hi Lindsay,
Just wanted to let you know that you inspired me to take the plunge and buy a toaster oven.
My husband and I have discussed it on occasion before, but after reading your wonderful post about how versatile this appliance is, we went ahead and bought one. I find there is a bit of a learning curve with it, but nothing too steep. We managed to set off the smoke detector last night while toasting bagels… so we turned it down some. 
We’re going to try to avoid using our microwave as much as possible to see if we can ultimately do without it - if for no other reason than to free up some counter space. 
Thanks & take care,
Alissa
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May 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Can you give me some ideas on using a toaster oven. My husband gave me a KitchenAid one for Mother’s Day and I’m not sure how to use it. I had hoped to make pizza with it, but it isn’t big enough. Any other ideas?
Thanks
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Lindsay replied on May 11th, 2008:
Farrah,
Here is a list of some of the things I use my toaster oven for. Your manual should also give you ideas and instructions.
-Reheating/warming - I will put leftovers in for a quick reheat on a plate or glass container. The warm setting works great for this.
-Toasting bread
-De-thawing - if I forget to pull out something frozen, I just put it in on bake for 10-15 min and that works to dethaw a bit.
-Cooking potatoes or roasting small amounts of vegis
-Cooking an 8×8 casserole
You simply cook with it as you would a normal oven, except it will normally cook faster, so keep an eye on it. Have fun!
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May 13th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I did not know there was an easy alternative to the microwave! I wish I had thought of a toaster oven before I bought a brand new micro a few months ago!
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July 17th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Thank you for the information. Now thinking of buying a toaster oven but being an Indian we are not familiar to baking. I have few queries regarding the usage of toaster oven
1:Can I use pyrex bakeware in toaster oven?
2:Can I bake a cake or pizza using a toaster oven?
thanks in advance.
[Reply]
Lindsay replied on July 28th, 2008:
Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment. Yes, you can use pyrex bakeware in the toaster oven. The size of your toaster oven will depend upon if you can bake a cake or pizza in it. I cannot, except for an 8×8 round cake pan works fine. Most toaster ovens are not tall enough for a bundt cake or something along those lines. Some ovens come with a pizza tray, but it would be on the smaller side. Hope that helps!
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September 30th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I just finished researching Pyrex and found various sources that say NOT to use it in toaster ovens. As they also mention not “Pyrexing” for broiling, I assume it’s b/c it puts the dish too close to the element for safety/maintaining the integrity of the glass product. Hope that’s helpful!
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September 30th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
FYI, I found this info in an Amazon customer review of the 6-piece dish and lid Pyrex rectangular/square set and through a Google search–something like “Pyrex toaster oven.” Hope that helps!
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