How to choose the best convection oven: expert advice
To date, you can find a lot of different devices for the preparation of tasty and healthy food. Recently, in the world of household kitchen appliances has become one such device more. This is an indispensable kitchen assistant that allows you to cook a lot of dishes that you never had to think about at home before. Convection oven for home built by convection principle, that is, cooking takes place by blowing hot air. Today, more and more people are paying attention to a healthy lifestyle, proper and high-quality nutrition, so the demand for such devices is growing inexorably. Below will be considered the main criteria that should be guided to select the optimal aerogrill.
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Scope of convection
This kitchen appliance can replace several others, which makes it versatile. Theoretically, the model of the average price category will help to do without the multi-cooker, double boiler, microwave oven, barbeque, fryer and dryer. Even buying the most affordable model, you can easily bake a cake, cook chicken, meat dishes, bake vegetables, and cook eggs, soup or cereals. As you can see, the scope of aerogrill quite extensive.
A nice bonus is the possibility of smoking fish products, poultry meat and animals. Smoke can be both raw and warm.
When choosing a device it is worth remembering that it is environmentally friendly, does not emit harmful substances, radiation, does not pollute the air and does not consume much electricity. In addition, the house will not be filled with unpleasant smells of burnt dishes. Food cooked on convection oven meets most environmental tolerances and standards. It turns out not only tasty, but also very useful, because most of the products in the cooking process do not lose their useful properties.
Design features
Correctly choose the necessary model will help understanding the device device. The construction of the convection oven consists of the following basic parts:
- a glass bowl that most resembles a pot with no handles;
- cover with a fan and a small motor.
The width of the bowl, as a rule, is standardized and is approximately 30 cm with a length of +/- 45 cm and a height of 30 to 60 cm. Of course, there are models with different volumes of bowls. Most often it depends on the number of family members, which means cooking:
- small containers from 8 to 12 liters;
- average container from 10 to 14 liters;
- large containers from 12 to 16 liters.
Choosing a convection oven, it is necessary to take into account that in the case of the first digit it is about the bowl itself, and in the second - about the volume of the entire instrument. with auxiliary ring, placed on top of the flask. It is due to this flask capacity is further increased by the stated 4 liters. In devices where the cover is removable, you can find as many as two expansion rings, which are standard. Of course, in this case the volume increases already to 8 liters.
The larger the volume of the bowl, the higher should be the power of the device itself.
Heating element options
Understanding the differences between them will help you choose the best model.We should start with the fact that there are several options for aerogrill: with the heating element, on a halogen basis and with the help of carbon. Devices with different principles of heating food have structural differences and different cost. Which is best suited for most needs, users have still not decided, so it’s best to give a list of pros and cons that distinguish each of the options.
Halogen
Heating with halogen has its advantages:
- fast heating;
- low cost;
- work at high temperatures.
The disadvantages include the following points:
- uneven cooking;
- small cycle of operation;
- high power consumption.
Carbon fiber
Advantages of convection oven with carbonic heater:
- low electricity consumption;
- rarely burns out during work;
- it is eco-friendly;
- You can cook dishes with a crust;
- high percentage of efficiency;
- constant and accurate heating temperature.
Disadvantages:
- do not leave next to working aerogril plastic appliancesotherwise they may be damaged;
- the paper next to the carbon fiber convection oven turns yellow;
- is sensitive to falls, the design itself is not durable.
Metal TEN
Advantages of aerogrill with metal heating elements:
- safe;
- food during cooking does not dry out;
- long service life of the device - more than 10 years.
Minuses:
- heats up for a long time;
- consumes a lot of energy.
There are not so many options, but the existing constructions definitely have a thoughtful choice, since have a number of design advantages and disadvantages.
Air convection control
If you need to buy an inexpensive device with limited functionality, then the option with mechanical control type. Reviews of such devices claim that they can be adjusted temperature of the air flow and cooking timer.
Of course electronic control unit gives much more possibilities for manipulations. There are much more speeds for adjusting air flows and their temperatures, and the adjustment step, on the contrary, is lower. Electronic control is so flexible in operation that you can cook anything with it.
It is important to remember that a model with an electronic control unit is always much more expensive than a mechanical one.
Also on the market now there are devices with touch type control.
Power level
It is necessary to pay attention to the power level of aerogrill, because the performance will be directly dependent on this, and, consequently, the time spent on cooking. However, high power in the case of aerogrill does not mean that the appliance will work better: often, for the preparation of most dishes, even an average level is sufficient. In addition, models with increased power often overdry food during cooking.
Power can range from 600 watts to 1800 watts. In any case, you should focus on the size of the container. If the device is small, then the power of 1500 watts is completely useless to him, 600-800 watts will be enough. Medium and large aerogrills, respectively, will require an increased range, from 1000 to 1500 watts.
Preference is equally important. It is necessary to think over in advance what is planned to be cooked most often, and what power will be enough for this, so as not to overpay for extra watts.
Options
The best convection oven will have only the functionality that its owner needs. The main option of the device is the preparation of everyday meals: cereals, soups, vegetables, meat, etc. Additional features include smoking fish and meat products.
Some devices are designed for home canning, but for these opportunities have to pay extra.
Convection with basic options will be much cheaper. Here a lot depends on the preferences of the consumer. If the daily operation of the device is not implied, then it will be quite possible to confine ourselves to only the basic set, without additional devices and capabilities.
Equipment
The choice of device involves the study of equipment. This process should be approached especially carefully, because many things may be superfluous, and those that are needed may be missing in the bundle of the device purchased.
Convection caps are found in various versions. There are hinged covers, others can easily be removed entirely. When purchasing a model with a particular lid, it is important to remember some nuances. Removable cover will cost less, but it is not very convenient to remove it, and the reliability of such models is slightly lower. Devices with hinged lid cost much more. In addition, acquiring such an option, it is worth considering that the device itself will need much more space on the table.
The basic equipment of aerogrill often includes several of the most necessary devices. Here's what you need for comfortable cooking in the first place:
- a set of grids;
- baking sheet, preferably not one;
- nozzle for cooking grilled chicken;
- tongs for sticking hot metal food.
The best brands and models of aerogrill
Below we list the most popular manufacturers of aerogrilli. In brackets are the most successful models of the brand.
- Нotter (HX-2098 Fitness Grill). This is a well-known manufacturer of aerogrills. The model range is presented by several devices with a various price range. A distinctive feature of the brand is the excellent quality of its products. Many users also note the high power of the instruments and many different settings. The optimal ratio of price and quality is also included in the list of advantages of this brand.
- VES (AX 725). Another well-known manufacturer of kitchen appliances. Wes aerogrills differ mainly in electronic control over cooking. The brand specializes in the production of halogen models. One of the drawbacks of this type of device is its fragility.However, an affordable price and a compromise quality increased the credibility of this brand from users.
- Polaris (PAG 1204). For those who do not wish to overpay for additional options. The manufacturer specializes in low-end and intermediate-level devices. The average price tag on the model of "Polaris" is from 100 to 150 dollars. The type of heaters, mainly halogen. Models are equipped with a mechanical control unit, which has less control and number of settings, but it is simpler and more reliable in everyday use.
- Mystery (MCO-1506). One of the main competitors of Polaris in the initial and middle price segment. Despite the widespread occurrence of this brand of equipment, there are a number of complaints about the quality of their products. Devices fail due to an electronic filling unstable to voltage drops. However, the affordable price tag allows you to close your eyes to some structural and engineering flaws. The average price for the models from "Mystery" is 100-120 dollars.
For everyday use, it will be better to give preference to a proven brand and to purchase a device that is not the most affordable device - it will last longer and cook on it will be noticeably more pleasant. Budget models from not the most famous brands are suitable for those who prefer to use the convection oven infrequently, if the need arises. In this case, you can safely buy a device with basic functionality and try it out in action.
It is not difficult to choose the convection oven, because today there are many models on the market for every taste and budget. The main thing is to determine your needs and designate the price to be spent on the purchase of the device. Before buying a selected model, it is best to examine user feedback and expert advice to find out if it meets all the necessary requirements and wishes.