Thanks Butterscotch! It does look like something I could use, for sure. Sadly its out of my budget over here because on UK Amazon, its the equivalent of $220!!!
I’ll see if I can find a cheaper version - I do like the rice cooking, and also the oatmeal bit. Arrrgh the choices.
I’ve just been looking on Amazon, there’s quite a range available to suit all budgets.
I really am tempted, a mini oven could be a very practical item to have in the kitchen since there’s just the two of us.
I haven’t found they are like mush any more than they would be in a casserole in the oven. Same sort of nutritional content as any other soup cooking method and if you are making chicken soup then the juices have longer to stew. It’s certainly great for soups. It’s just that in the oven you might burn the sides more & have more caramelization. For me it’s a compromise to save power and still have nice homecooked food. The only downside I have found is the slowness of the slow cooking. But the upside of it is that you don’t have to worry that you’ve left a pot on the stove or in the oven as it would have to be on 24 hrs to start cremating the contents.
I have an air fryer and it’s very useful for certain tasks.
The only issue is the relatively small surface area at the bottom of the pan, it’s fine if you want to pile in some chips for example but I’m not sure that doing the same with a packet of sausages would be a success although I’ve yet to try.
I quite often make roast chickpeas in the air fryer as a delicious savory snack. I’m not a big fan of gimmicks in the kitchen but the mini oven/grill combo seems the way to go.
Given that energy prices are going to be a bit of a horror story this winter I’ll try and avoid using the fan oven with out good reason.
I would never cook cabbage or cauliflower in a casserole. Leeks you could just about get away with but only for flavour. Spinach would also go to mush. Overcooked veggies …… ewwww, too much like school dinners!
It is a bit more versatile than that and it heats from the inside so it doesn’t radiate a lot of heat. Your gas hob heats from the outside which is less efficient.
I have this Maree. It is very versatile, the only concern is that the copper plating isn’t that robust and I can see it tarnishing or peeling after excessive use. It’s great for frying something and then going to slow cook mode. I think I’ve used it for steaming too. That is good value as I paid nearly 80 squids.