Maximize Small Ovens for the Big Game
Super Bowl parties are all about finger food. You don’t want to be huddling in the kitchen while your team is making its move on the field. The challenge for the host is how to put out a steady stream of appetizers without missing the key plays, great commercials, or the halftime show. Oven occupied? Then this is the time to draft your small ovens like your microwave or toaster oven. Consumer Reports made a scouting report and here’s what we found.
Microwaves
More and more microwaves on the market today have a convection mode that can be used to brown and crisp food. In our tests, one of the microwaves with a convection function, the GE Profile PVM1790SR[SS], $600, did a good job baking biscuits, which is how we test that function.
Another midsized countertop model, the LG LCSP1110[ST], $230, features a pizza oven in a drawer-like oven beneath the microwave cavity, although it can't be used at the same time as the microwave. Still it has preset buttons not only for pizza but other baked goods such as appetizers. It scored very good overall as a microwave and baked biscuits to satisfaction.
Toaster ovens
A large toaster oven can also serve as a second small oven. Use one to heat appetizers or to warm up pie for dessert. Several of the toaster ovens in our tests have convection heating, which manufacturers claim is faster and cooks more evenly. At least one model, the Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P, $110, has speedy infrared heating.
Three of the five toaster ovens on our recommended list come from Breville and range in price from $180 to $270. Two of the small ovens, the Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS, $270, and the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL, $250, have convection ovens that make them more versatile. All of our top models have cooking options that help when you’re making something more complicated than toast.
When you have to punt
If you have a double oven, then your game strategy is set because you can cook different dishes at different temperatures. Also consider using a pizza stone to heat pizza and other appetizers. Because they retain heat, you can turn out trays of food one after another.
Similar to a toaster oven but capable of higher heat, the Black & Decker 5-Minute Pizza Oven was able to cook a crowded tray of appetizers in our tests. It also made great pizza. Enjoy the game.
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