KNB: Nu-Wave Infrared Tabletop Oven

I saw this in a catalog, and I was intrigued. A portable oven where I can cook a whole chicken even straight from the freezer??? For less than $100??? While I essentially have no need for an additional oven since my conventional oven does a good job already, my curiosity got the better of me. This seemed like a very good idea for those who do not have the space in the kitchen for a conventional oven, or for those who simply cannot afford one. How about college students? it also claims to be able to bake muffins or rolls...that I gotta try.

Anyway, I checked out the product reviews in amazon.com before I made this purchase. The first dish I made out of this is roasted cornish hen. While it took a while to bake, I realized I made a mistake of not cooking the back for half the time intially before turning it over to cook the breast part. But we ended up with very moist chicken which we loved.

Then I tried to cook steaks (marinated) in it, and they were tender and moist as well. My husband was very pleased with the results, and we were not sure whether it was the marinade that made the steaks moist though they were well done, or it was the oven itself.

The advantages are that I can cook frozen foods without having to pre-heat the oven, and end up with cooking time same as that using conventional oven minus the thawing time. Easy clean up as well (just like you would ordinary dishes). It does not heat up the kitchen as much as conventional oven does. The space it has for baking is just right for a family size meal (as long as I am not planning to bake other things like rolls or breads at the same time).

I did buy an extender ring (for additional $38++) so I could bake big chickens and small turkeys in it. The extender ring includes the transparent ring that makes the wall higher, and a rack that is 2 inches high, plus additional smaller nonstick baking pan.

While this is another clutter on my countertop, after I am done getting to know it, I will pass it on to my older son when he goes out of the house, living on his own, cooking for himself or with a friend. (Or I might love it all the more as time goes by!) I will still have to experiment baking yeast breads or muffins or cakes in it. If it really does as promised on ads, then I have got myself a winner at a bargain price.

This is what I got from my recent google ads and foodbuzz earnings. So my dear readers, if you have been enjoying my recipes here, paki-klik lang po ang mga gugel adverts for additional incentive for me to keep on posting. TY!