Just as in my first halogen book, I want to show any newbie halogen users how to get the most from their machine.
There are many types of halogen oven on the market, but they basically all work in the same way.The two main differences are the size of the bowl and whether the lid is hinged or not. My first machine was from JML, when halogens started to become popular. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, and over time, it has been used more and more in our kitchen. Speaking from experience, I would opt for the largest bowl as this increases usability. You can also purchase an extender ring – a stainless-steel ring approximately 80mm high that sits on the rim of the bowl to provide extra cooking space. Since using the JML, I have progressed to the Flavorwave Turbo Platinum Oven. Out of all the machines I have used, this is one of the best: it has a hinged lid, digital settings, a three-speed fan and a preheat setting. I find unhinged lids can be a bit of a bugbear – I had a lid stand for my JML machine, though annoyingly this is an optional extra and is quite flimsy. If you can afford to buy a halogen cooker with a hinged lid, it is definitely a safer option.
A halogen oven consists of a large heat-resistant glass bowl with an electric halogen lid.The lid is heavy as it contains the heating element, fan, timer and temperature settings.The halogen bulb heats up the bowl and the fan moves the air around the bowl to create an even temperature. As it is smaller than a conventional oven, it heats up faster, reducing the need for long preheating and in some cases, reducing the overall cooking time. This makes it a very popular choice for those on a budget, living on their own or, like me, with a busy family. It also serves as a second oven and becomes invaluable at busy times like Christmas.
For safety reasons, the lid is fitted with a handle that has to be locked down for the machine to switch on. This means that when you lift the handle, the power automatically cuts off. If you have a machine with a hinged lid, you have to press the start button and remember to turn the machine off before lifting the lid.
The halogen oven does cook slightly differently to a conventional oven, so it is often a matter of trial and error when first starting out. I find cooking at a slightly lower temperature or cooking for less time usually gives the same results, so if you have a favourite dish you cook in a conventional oven, try it in the halogen bearing this in mind.
A halogen oven is not a microwave, so if you think you can cook food in minutes, you’re wrong! It does, however, have a multitude of functions: defrosting, baking, grilling, roasting and steaming are all within its capabilities. Remember that to get the optimum benefit, air needs to circulate around the bowl, so ideally place the food on a rack and avoid the temptation to overfill the oven.
This may sound obvious, but make sure you have a selection of oven trays, baking sheets and casserole dishes that fit in your halogen oven.You can use any type of ovenproof dish or tray: metal, silicon and Pyrex are all suitable. As halogen ovens are round it makes sense to use trays and stands of the same shape but just a little smaller so that you can remove them without burning yourself.When I first started using a halogen oven, it was frustrating to find that 80 per cent of my bakeware didn’t fit in the machine. If money is tight, you can often find great casserole dishes at boot sales or charity shops, so don’t think you have to spend a fortune on new cookware.
You can buy an accessories pack that contains a steamer pan, grilling pan, toasting rack and even an extension ring. These are highly recommended if you use your oven regularly. Many places on the web sell these, so a general search will point you in the right direction. Amazon is also a great place to look.
As experienced halogen-oven users will know, the halogen light turns on and off during cooking. This is not due to a faulty thermostat, as some may initially think. The light turns off when the programmed temperature is reached, then on again when it drops. Set the temperature and marvel at how quickly the oven reaches the required temperature – literally within minutes! I love the light: there is something quite cosy about walking into your kitchen on a winter or autumn evening to see the glow of the halogen cooker!
The oven is small enough to sit on a worktop, but do bear in mind you’ll need space to remove the lid, if it isn’t hinged. The lid can get very hot and is large and heavy, so it is often a good idea to buy a lid stand, though be careful when using this as it takes some getting used to. Alternatively, you could place the lid on a heatproof surface, but be careful not to burn yourself or your worktop. As with all electrical appliances, do not let your children near it as the glass bowl gets very hot.
Halogen ovens come with a 60-minute timer and a temperature setting dial. The Flavorwave Turbo comes with a digital timer and three fan settings. All halogens turn off when the timer setting has been reached. This means you can rest assured that if the phone rings or you are called away from the kitchen, your food won’t spoil.
Your oven should come with tongs to help you lift out the racks. They are quite useful, but I tend to use a more substantial pair of tongs. I find using oven gloves a necessity as they offer greater protection.
Foil is useful if you want to prevent food from browning too quickly. If you are using foil during the cooking process, you need to make sure it is secured tightly around the dish.The fan is very powerful, so if the foil is loose, it can float around the oven and could damage the heating element. Instead of using foil, try turning down the temperature, or place the food on the low rack, further away from the element, or use an extension ring.
Halogen ovens come with two standard racks: a low rack and a high rack. (It’s worth buying an accessories pack which contains other racks if you think you’re going to use your halogen a lot.) The racks can be used together so you can cook on two levels at once.The high rack is closer to the element, so use this when browning food. The low rack is used for longer cooking times.You can also cook directly on the bottom of the bowl; it works well but food will take a little longer to cook than on a rack as the hot air is not able to circulate as freely around the food.
If you are grilling, you need to place the food on the highest possible rack. The high rack that comes with the halogen oven may not be suitable for ‘quick’ grilling, but if this is all you have it will work just fine but will take a little longer. It’s worth purchasing an accessories pack, which contains a toasting rack (with egg holes). This can also be used as a grill rack. As this rack is closer to the element, grilling times are much faster – you can grill cheese on toast in 3–4 minutes.
Some people worry about baking cakes in a halogen oven. Make sure you set the oven to a low temperature for best results. If the temperature is too high and if you cook the cake for too long, you’ll end up with a crusty brown top and soggy middle. Read more about baking on pp154-56 before trying some of the cake recipes and you’ll see how simple halogen baking really is.
Most recipes I have found on forums don’t mention preheating. This is probably due to the speed the oven reaches its temperature; however, it is often worth turning the oven on 5 minutes before use, just to bring it up to the right temperature, especially when baking. I also found this to be the case when attempting to cook soft-boiled eggs. According to the Flavorwave recipe book, you should be able to cook a soft egg in 6 minutes just by placing it on the high rack. It didn’t work, so I tried again in a preheated oven and the result was much more successful. Some machines have a preheat function, which preheats the oven to 260°C for 6 minutes, but others require you to set to the required temperature and turn on.
All halogen ovens are self-cleaning: add a cupful of water, a squirt of washing-up liquid and turn on the wash setting.The combination of the fan and heat allows the water to swish around the bowl to give it a quick clean. If the bowl is very greasy, wash it by hand. This takes about 10 minutes. However, it’s just as easy to remove the bowl and place it in the dishwasher; it always comes out gleaming. The lid is a little trickier to clean, so follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, but whatever you do, don’t immerse the lid in water.