Cooks Essentials Compact Oven Item Number833536

[iloveshopping]

Hi
I ordered this item yesterday and now am wondering if they are better than Halogen Ovens. Does anyone know what are the benefits of each?

I liked this compact oven as it appears to be very small and I just want to use it when the main combi oven is in use and I want to cook a pudding, some roasties or roasted veg.

Just noticed that the item 833536 is now on waitlist. I hope I haven't got a customer return!

 

[still18inmyhead]

Can't tell you what this one is like, but I have had a halogen oven for a few years now and love it. I did a roast on Sunday, and cooked the roast potatoes chicken in it and they all came out beautifully. You save time because you don't need to heat it up for more than a minute. I do lots of meats in this and they don't dry out. I also have a Starchef and that is invaluable for porridge, stews and reheating stuff in minutes, again without drying stuff out. My main oven only gets used if I have guests, otherwise the Halogen and Starchef are just right for two of us.

 

[SallyMc]

I got a Cooks Essentials one similar to that a few years back, it was a TSV.

Sorry to say it was rubbish. Every bit of it got red hot, timer didnt turn it off at the end of cooking, thermostat wasnt accurate, warming anything incinerated it....went back very quickly.

However I love my halogen ovens, even though they rarely last longer than a year in my tender care, but I use it everyday, often several times a day - would never want to be without a halogen oven.

I have to say in my opinion, no comparison between the mini oven and a halogen oven.....halogen everytime for me.

 

[SydneyRose]

I had the compact oven a few years back. it was okay. I found it very hard to clean especially with meat because the fat kept spitting at the sides and you couldn`t clean it off. I did roast potatoes on the top but because it wasn`t non stick you had to scrape the potatoes off. I am now on my second halogen oven after having the first one three years using it everyday and eventually it burnt out, but i thought that was pretty good with three years use. I am delighted with the halogen ovens the only thing I don`t cook in it is cakes because they can burn the top. Other than that i feel it is a must in the kitchen.

 

[kirkiegirl]

Are the halogen ovens being recommended above the Ideal World ones or a different make?

 

[SydneyRose]

My first one that lasted 3 years was the turbo flavourwave. The one I have now is the Andrew James costing £40.00 plus a two year guarantee.

 

[madmax]

Take a look on Amazon they have a great range of halogen ovens at very good prices and often with FREE p&p.
I wouldn't be without mine I use it at least twice every day and it has saved my ££££ on my fuel bills.
So if you can I would cancel the mini oven and get onto amazon and get a halogen oven quick !!

 

[still18inmyhead]

Mine is a Flavourwave and was bought off QVC. It is used at least 5 times a week and is still going strong after 3 or so years

 

[iloveshopping]

Called CS and it is too late to cancel my order so I'm going to try it. Then I can return it under 30day MBG if I don't get on with it. BTW looked in to halogen ovens a bit and apparently it is best to buy one with an extender ring as it evens out the cooking temperature for things like pizzas.
I do think that the halogen may have been more versatile.. didn't realise you could cook cheese on toast in it.

 

[dollydimple]

Hi
I ordered this item yesterday and now am wondering if they are better than Halogen Ovens. Does anyone know what are the benefits of each?

I liked this compact oven as it appears to be very small and I just want to use it when the main combi oven is in use and I want to cook a pudding, some roasties or roasted veg.

Just noticed that the item 833536 is now on waitlist. I hope I haven't got a customer return!

My daughter bought one of the cooks essentials ovens a couple of years ago and she wouldn't be without it. In fact, when her main oven broke and she was waiting for the landlord to replace it ( and he wasn't quick) she managed admirably with the little oven and her microwave to cook for her family of 4. She had to adapt some things, ie cooking temperatures etc but she was so pleased to have it. She won't get rid of it. It is in the garage now in a box as a contingency if she needs it but she often says she might put it back in her kitchen as it was so useful.

I have a halogen oven and yes, it makes lovely cheese on toast and I've used it to warm some things up but not too confident with it to cook something from scratch with it. I think I need to practice a bit more with it. It may be the model I have - it is a prolectrix - because I have read glowing reviews about other models.

 

[loujareth]

I have the Cooks Essentials mini oven with the rotisserie facility, comparing it to the one you have brought iloveshopping, the difference is mine is slightly bigger, fan-assisited and has no dip in the top and there's a third control as well but that's for the fan and rotisserie settings. Love mine, a family of five our household and it really helps with the load as I opt for that oven first then use my main oven only if I need the room for whatever I'm cooking. It's also been great when I have massive meals and loads of people to cook for and brill at yorkshires. Had mine for a while now, a few years and it hasn't died on me yet (prob break next time I use it now!!.) I don't use the rotesserie anymore as it only took really small joints and chickens were awkward. I would also like a halogen but thought it wouldn't be big enough for a family. Might get one when this one breaks, I also use two massive cooks essentials low pressure cookers, the ones with a small weight on the lid which they don't sell any more mores the pity as I rate them highly. I have lot of cooking pots from QVC actually inc. a rice cooker that I love too. I think it's all down to what you prefer cooking with personally, you might find you get on really well with the little oven. Let us know what you think when you use it.

 

[iloveshopping]

@ Dollydimple I think you should have a go at a roast chicken with veg if you eat that. People seem to rave about their roast dinners.
If you haven't got a halogen recipe book Amazon have some at £3.59 including free postage. good luck

 

[dollydimple]

My daughter bought one of the cooks essentials ovens a couple of years ago and she wouldn't be without it. In fact, when her main oven broke and she was waiting for the landlord to replace it ( and he wasn't quick) she managed admirably with the little oven and her microwave to cook for her family of 4. She had to adapt some things, ie cooking temperatures etc but she was so pleased to have it. She won't get rid of it. It is in the garage now in a box as a contingency if she needs it but she often says she might put it back in her kitchen as it was so useful.

I have a halogen oven and yes, it makes lovely cheese on toast and I've used it to warm some things up but not too confident with it to cook something from scratch with it. I think I need to practice a bit more with it. It may be the model I have - it is a prolectrix - because I have read glowing reviews about other models.

I have the Cooks Essentials mini oven with the rotisserie facility, comparing it to the one you have brought iloveshopping, the difference is mine is slightly bigger, fan-assisited and has no dip in the top and there's a third control as well but that's for the fan and rotisserie settings. Love mine, a family of five our household and it really helps with the load as I opt for that oven first then use my main oven only if I need the room for whatever I'm cooking. It's also been great when I have massive meals and loads of people to cook for and brill at yorkshires. Had mine for a while now, a few years and it hasn't died on me yet (prob break next time I use it now!!.) I don't use the rotesserie anymore as it only took really small joints and chickens were awkward. I would also like a halogen but thought it wouldn't be big enough for a family. Might get one when this one breaks, I also use two massive cooks essentials low pressure cookers, the ones with a small weight on the lid which they don't sell any more mores the pity as I rate them highly. I have lot of cooking pots from QVC actually inc. a rice cooker that I love too. I think it's all down to what you prefer cooking with personally, you might find you get on really well with the little oven. Let us know what you think when you use it.

my daughter had the same one as loujareth, with the rotisserie. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[stratobuddy]

I had the one with the rotisserie (I think it was a TSV).

It was fine until one of the grill elements burnt out, so I eventually threw it away. I never used the rotisserie, I mainly used it for making cheese on toast.

I bought a similar one from Lidl, but the grill was not powerful enough to brown the toast or melt the cheese. I should have returned it, but left it too long.

 

[iloveshopping]

Looks like I'll never know what is was like as the courier tracker shows a status of 'order generated' on the 13th June. When I called QVC CS to ask what this meant she said it meant that it got lost somewhere between QVC and the courier company!

I smell a possible rat as it took 4 days to dispatch and I noticed that the stock was showing waitlist just after I ordered. I think it never existed!

So I'm being sent the items never arrived declaration letter to complete.

 

[iloveshopping]

The one I ordered from QVC never arrived. The email with the tracking info just shows a status of 'Order Generated' for 11th June. QVC are sending me a form to fill in and claim a refund. I won one on Ebay for £18.00 incl next day delivery and it arrived today. It looks in perfect condition apart from no instructions. Would have cost me £36 incl postage from QVC. Of course no 30day mbg or warranty but expect it will last a while.

 

[loujareth]

WOW, thats a better deal. Was it exactly the same one?

 

[iloveshopping]

Yes it is the identical model brand spanking new but with no instructions but not a problem. Tried out last night and it is fine. I bought it for occasional use when the main oven already has stuff cooking. It slides around the work surface when I open it so will need to buy some rubber feet to put over the existing ones.