Toaster Oven Vs. Convection Oven With Electricity

Conserve electricity by using a toaster oven.

Ovens are used for foods that cannot be prepared on a cooktop. Toaster ovens and convection ovens are two types of oven appliances used for baking, warming and broiling foods and powered by electricity. Unlike a stovetop, a toaster oven and a convection oven circulate warm air above, on the sides and below the cookware that contains the food. They are also used to broil foods by directing heat to the top of the item being cooked.

Toaster Oven

Toaster ovens are handy “mini-oven” supplementary cooking appliances, used for toasting, browning, baking and reheating. They run on electricity and feature temperature ranges from 200 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Some models have both upper and lower heating elements. Toaster ovens can range from small units with just enough space to toast bread or warm a small pie, to units with enough room to cook a whole chicken. They typically include conveniences such as grill pans, stainless steel racks and crumb pans for easy clean up after use.

Convection Oven

A convection oven uses electric heating processes that speed up baking and roasting time in comparison to a conventional oven, reducing cooking time anywhere from 20 to 40 percent. For example, you can roast a 12-pound turkey in a convection oven in about 2½ hours, where the same size bird would take anywhere up to 4 hours in a conventional oven. A convection oven can serve as the sole oven for a range or as an option to a conventional oven on a range with double ovens. Convection ovens can also be installed as separate, wall-mounted slide-in units.

Similarities

Toaster ovens and convection ovens are modern cooking appliances that are powered by electricity. There are no natural gas, liquid propane or wood-fueled equivalents. Because they do not exhaust gas fumes, they do not require venting hoods or pipes to vent smoke and fumes from the kitchen to the outdoors. A toaster oven uses less electricity because it has a smaller oven compartment, and a convection oven uses less electricity because it reduces cooking time in comparison to a conventional electric oven.

Differences

A convection oven is a heating technique option, chosen over or in addition to a conventional oven powered by electricity or one that is fueled by gas or propane. Unlike toaster ovens, convection ovens have a fan inside to blow and circulate warm air. Toaster ovens do not have fans and totally rely on heating elements, such as coils, to heat foods. A convection oven is a large-capacity oven, with an oven chamber that is typically large enough to cook anything from a 20-pound turkey to a small, individual “pot pie” size meal. Because of its size, a convection oven uses more electricity than a toaster oven to preheat and maintain heat in its oven chamber. A toaster oven, on the other hand, is a small unit that is not relied on as the “main” oven in a home. It is used as an energy-saving appliance to prepare small meals. A toaster oven can also be portable and used indoors and outdoors, while a convection oven is positioned in a permanent location inside the kitchen.

References

• California Energy Commission: Stoves, Ranges and Ovens
• BC Hydro: Trim Your Cooking Energy Use
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Cooking
• Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen: Conventional Oven Vs. Convection Oven
• Toaster Oven Guide: Toaster Oven Buyers Guide
• Aubuchon Hardware: All About Toaster Ovens