Your toaster oven isn’t just a convenient countertop appliance—it can also save you money! Using a toaster oven instead of a full-size oven reduces energy consumption, cuts down on cooking time, and even helps you avoid overheating your kitchen.
On average, a traditional oven takes about 20 minutes to preheat to 400 degrees, while a toaster oven can heat up in half the time. Plus, with its smaller cooking space, a toaster oven cooks food faster, making it a time-saving and energy-efficient tool. If you’ve got one stashed away in your kitchen, now’s the perfect time to dust it off and start saving!
Here are 10 ways to save money with your toaster oven:
Cooking Frozen Packaged Foods
Your toaster oven can handle anything frozen and prepackaged. From quick dinners to snacks, you can pop these in and get crispy, delicious results:
- Personal pizzas
- Chicken nuggets or tenders
- Meat pies
- TV dinners
- Fish sticks
- French fries
- Frozen pasta
- Pies
By using your toaster oven, you avoid the longer preheat and cook times of a full oven, saving both time and energy.
Roasting
Toaster ovens are perfect for roasting smaller items. If you’re making something that drips, just place it in a small roasting dish (disposable pans from the dollar store work great). Here’s what you can roast:
- Nuts and seeds
- Potatoes
- Garlic
- Marshmallows for s'mores
- Small cuts of meat like chicken breasts or sausages
Baking
Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet or savory, your toaster oven can handle it. Bake small batches of your favorites:
- Muffins
- Cookies
- Brownies
- Cornbread
- Pillsbury rolls, biscuits, or croissants
Melting
Need to melt a topping or ingredient without turning on your full-sized oven? A toaster oven can melt everything perfectly:
- Cheese for nachos or pizza
- Garlic butter for bread
- Chocolate for drizzling
- Sugar for caramelizing
Defrosting
Unlike a microwave, which often unevenly defrosts food, a toaster oven thaws food evenly. Whether you’re defrosting hamburger patties for homemade burgers or a frozen loaf of bread, your toaster oven prevents overcooking during the defrosting process.
Warming
With a toaster oven, you can warm plates, serving containers, and bread without the high energy costs of a regular oven. It’s also ideal for keeping baked goods like:
- Homemade bread
- Buns
- Bagels
- Pitas
Broiling
Broiling in a toaster oven is a quick way to sear the outside of your food while keeping the inside tender. Use the broiler function to:
- Sear meat
- Roast vegetables
- Melt cheese on garlic bread
- Finish off French onion soup
Reheating
Microwaves often leave food soggy or unevenly heated. Your toaster oven, on the other hand, can help to reach zero waste eating and reheat leftovers while preserving their texture and heating them evenly. This works especially well for:
- Leftover pizza
- Casseroles
- Bread-based dishes
Crisping
If you love crispy food, a toaster oven is perfect for reviving its texture. Reheat foods that were originally crisp to bring them back to life:
- Garlic bread
- French fries
- Breaded meats like chicken fingers
Second Oven for Parties
Planning a big meal? Your toaster oven makes an excellent backup oven, helping you bake, roast, or warm extra dishes when space in your main oven is tight. It’s also a great tool for making quick breakfasts, like toast, eggs, and bacon, all in one go.
More Benefits of Using Your Toaster Oven:
- Beat the heat: Toaster ovens don’t project as much heat as regular ovens, so they’re great when you don’t want to overheat your kitchen, especially in the summer.
- Save on space: Toaster ovens are compact, making them ideal for small apartments, dorms, or even vacation homes.
- Budget-friendly: They’re affordable to buy and cost less to operate than a conventional oven.
From cooking your favorite frozen foods to baking, roasting, and crisping, toaster ovens are incredibly versatile. The only thing they can’t handle is a large roast or turkey, but for everyday meals, they’re more efficient and economical than a traditional oven. If you’re living in a small space or just want to save on energy bills, a toaster oven is an essential tool for your kitchen. Start using it regularly, and you might find yourself wondering how you ever lived without it!
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