The Halogen, Infrared, and Nuwave Oven Buying Guide

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By Muktu

The halogen oven is the greatest invention since sliced bread. The big difference is you can’t cook a whole roast beef with sliced bread. I recently got a halogen oven for myself so I thought I’d share my experiences with this wondrous machine. If you’re thinking of getting one of these ovens, don’t hesitate. The only thing you might have to worry about is how fat you will get from eating all the delicious food you cook. But the good news is you get a counter-balance of health using a cooking method that allows you to limit the high cholesterol foods that make it into your daily diet. Read on to find out everything you need to know about these awesome ovens, or look here for a great price on one of the best ovens on the market.

There was a time when the only place you could buy a halogen oven was through the home shopping channel. You can still get a Nuwave Oven by this method today. I used to watch intently every time they featured one of these awesome ovens. I always wondered to myself if they really worked in real life. The only thing I’ve ever bought on the home shopping channel was something called a “tornado mixer”. It was basically a cup with a built in swirl mechanism at the bottom. Why not just use a spoon?

Good question. I wish I would have thought of that before I bought the stupid tornado mixer (that broke after 2 days). So I never allowed myself to think about buying a halogen oven over the TV. But one day I saw one of these beauties at my local department store. It was like it was calling to me. I saw the picture on the box – an oven with a whole chicken in it – and I was sold. I scooped up my new oven and have been growing fatter ever since. I have two kinds including a Nuwave oven (which is technically an infrared oven) and a JML halogen oven as well.

Top Three Ovens on the Market

You don't need to wade through various Nuwave oven reviews to find the right oven for you. Here are the top 3 (from all brands), and you can see for yourself how well-rated they are on Amazon. All are good choices that will have you up and cooking in no time.

  1. Nuwave 20322 Pro Digital-Controlled Infrared Tabletop Oven
  2. Secura Halogen Infrared Turbo Convection Countertop Oven
  3. Morningware HO1200M-WOR Infrared Halogen Oven

Buying Options for the top 2 below

The Number One Oven - Nuwave all the way

The Nuwave Oven - Over a Hundred 5 STAR Reviews can't wrong! Buy One of these great ovens at awesome prices RIGHT HERE - Nuwave 20322 Pro

Number Two - Secura Works Great Too

Here's a great second option with dozens of 5 STAR reviews itself - Secura Halogen Infrared Turbo

How does a Halogen oven work?

If you were to ask me, I would say this thing works by magic. Delicious juicy magic. But if you were to ask an engineer, s/he would tell you that it works by halogen bulbs superheating the air inside the oven, which in turn is circulated around your food by a fan. So unlike a regular oven where the heat stays still, a halogen oven, infrared oven, or Nuwave Oven Pro is constantly caressing your food with hot air, making it all juicy and moist. What a naughty oven! It can do a lot of things like roasting, baking, grilling, and steaming – all because of the intense heat and rapid air movement. It's the same type of thing found in a convection oven except these things come in more portable packages that fit on your countertop. They are also cheaper than buying a whole wall oven that will need professional installation. So if your question is: does a Nuwave oven work? The answer is yes.

What are the advantages of owning a Halogen convection oven?

Yes, I eat with no pants on.
Yes, I eat with no pants on.

Halogen Oven Recipes

If you are looking for halogen oven recipes, you really don’t have to look that hard. Halogen oven recipes aren’t all that different from regular ones except that cooking times will be greatly reduced. So you won’t really have to make too many alterations to the methods you already use. Instead you’ll have to figure out how to spend the extra time – maybe by making another dish or setting the table. The best halogen ovens are perfect for cooking whole chickens. Whole chickens come out fine in regular ovens too, but of course you always have to deal with a pan full of grease and chicken fat afterwards which can really build up in your oven over time.

Halogen Roast Chicken
1 Chicken
Butter
Garlic
Honey
Onions
Apples
Salt and Pepper
BBQ sauce
Soy Sauce

This is an easy halogen oven recipe to follow that is super fast. There are no exact measurements because it’s up to you to “eyeball” the amounts. And each ingredient isn’t overpowering enough to ruin the entire chicken so experiment with your method. Form a marinade with the BBQ sauce, Soy Sauce, Salt and Pepper, and add any additional herbs you like. You can let the chicken sit in the marinade for a few hours or overnight (preferred). When it’s time to cook, slather the chicken with butter, making sure to put some under the skin as well. Cut up the apples and onions and place some inside the chicken, the rest will be put on the roasting surface under the chicken itself. Cut up the garlic and put it where you like: in, on, under, over, all-over your chicken – it’s up to you. Coat the skin with honey, and you’re ready to roast. Set to the right temperature for your machine and roast till it’s done. Voila! You get a great juicy chicken with a mix of flavour influences and a great hint of fruity sweetness.

Portability

One advantage is that you can move it around your kitchen, unlike a microwave oven or your regular larger countertop convection oven. You can place your halogen convection oven where it will be easier to use.

See your food

Halogen and infrared ovens have see-through glass cases so you can watch your food cook. When was the last time you could actually see something cook clearly in your regular oven? It’s pretty neat to see something go from being a cold slab of meat to a delicious dinner.

Faster Cooking

This is a major selling point for most people. I actually like to let thing slow roast sometimes, so when I’m doing that I’ll use my regular oven or even one of my barbecue gas grills. But for super fast roasts you can’t beat the halogen oven. You wouldn’t think that something could cook so fast and so evenly in such a short time period, but cooking with a halogen oven or Nuwave Oven Pro makes it possible.

Juicier

I’ve noticed much juicier food especially when it comes to chicken. In a regular oven I always have problems with chicken breasts drying if they just sit there to bake. But I never have anything but moist chicken with my new oven. The way it cooks food really locks in all the juices.

Self Cleaning

Like many convection ovens, the halogen convection oven is self cleaning so that makes thing a lot easier. I have a George Foreman grill that I hate to clean so it’s gotten pretty disgusting after all the grease build-up. But my halogen is easy to clean and there’s a portion I can even put in my dishwasher.

Healthier

No more need to slather your pans in oil to make sure things don’t stick. Just put your food on the rack and let the heat do the work.

Several tools in one

No other appliance combines so many features in such a compact package. You get the speed of a microwave oven, but the food actually tastes good. And you get the same deep flavours, if not better, than if you were to cook on your stovetop or electric oven. You can even cook food from a defrosted state, although that may be taking lack of planning to a whole new level.

Ok so I have my halogen oven, now what?

The best thing you can to with your oven is to experiment. Eventually you’ll find the recipes that work for you. Remember that things may change a bit because your cooking times will be shortened. So if you are used to doing things a certain way, it might take some trial and error to find a new cooking routine. Overall, I like to use my Nuwave Oven Pro for roasting. It’s very convenient and I like watching the food cook through the glass. You’re likely to get juicy flavourful food no matter what you do, but taking the time to marinade your meat will really pay off too.

Overall, this has been one of the best additions to my kitchen in years. And it might not happen to you, but I know I’m going to get fatter because I’m cooking all sorts of things that used to take too long, or were too complicated. I never had the time to cook a whole roast chicken in the oven before. But now I’m cooking chicken, duck, beef, and lamb like crazy. Sometimes I try something just to see what it tastes like using this cooking method. So my jeans may be a bit tighter, and my wallet a bit lighter, but I’m thoroughly enjoying my halogen oven. Some of the more popular brands are the JML halogen oven, Morningware oven, or the Nuwave oven pro and it's not hard to get a great deal online. Check out the links above for Nuwave oven reviews and a selection of more great products.

Comments

billyaustindillon profile image

billyaustindillon Level 2 Commenter 2 years ago

Enjoyed the review and loved the title.

BJBenson profile image

BJBenson 2 years ago

I have a different type of oven , but we love it just the same as you do yours.

shazwellyn profile image

shazwellyn Level 4 Commenter 2 years ago

Brilliant review. I might pick one up from Amazon - they are always competitively priced and have free post! Thanks for the great information - have been toiling with the idea for some time:)

Pamela99 profile image

Pamela99 Level 7 Commenter 2 years ago

I thought this was a great review and it looks like a good product.

SilverGenes profile image

SilverGenes Level 4 Commenter 24 months ago

I've been wondering about these for a while now. Thanks for the review - it's now gone on the wish list for sure!

Tim May 18 months ago

Thanks for a peppy, but honest, article. I did a lot of searching and found mostly either price quotes and sales leads OR a bunch of articles written at a very low level. Your article was not just pitching one particular model, and you pointed out that people need to experiment. Well done. (No pun intended.)

I bought one of the halogen models and am looking forward to experimenting with it.

Years ago my mother swore by a "Nesco" plug-in turkey/roast cooker, and one year she bought me an "American Harvest" glass dome cooker for Christmas. It never got very hot, so I only used it a few times. The new generation of halogen units seems like a better bet.

Thanks for your article.

Beadedpony 16 months ago

I have been cooking with a halogen/convection oven for over 22 years!! I can't remember the last time my regular oven was turned on. My countertop halogen is used for everything -- chocolate chip cookies, bisquits, air frying, chicken, prime rib, veggies, shishkabob, etc., etc., etc. Everything tastes fabulous and the unit is wonderful for sticking to a diet!!! I love the oven so much -- I have 2!!!!!!

Anna 15 months ago

Have been thinking of getting one of these for some time. Can anyone tell me, does it really make much difference whether I get the original with the special reinforced glass with 5 year guarantee, or is one of the cheaper versions just as good. Where i live there is currently a Sunbeam model at a reduced price. Also, is smaller size with lower wattage just as good? ie 1200 watts/11 litres compared to 1440 watts/13 litres. Thanks in anticipation.

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