[Explored] Why Does It Say Not To Cook In Toaster Oven?

Who doesn’t like having a morning toast? The dripping down maple syrup and butter does make anyone droll, and an egg or two with it? Heavenly! And there’s nothing better to toast them in but a toaster oven.  

You can heat up a cookie, bread, or even some pre-packed mills in them. Which is what they are intended to do. They are just a bigger version of the pop-up toasters. 

But why does it say not to cook in a toaster oven? You are already cooking stuff like toasting bread, baking cookies, and warming up frozen foods. But why not that? 

This is because toaster ovens are not equipped with controlled heat distribution and ventilation like other ovens. So warming up is fine, but not cooking a whole dish from scratch. We will guide you through why this is forbidden and what might happen if you do so. 

Reasons Why It Says Not To Cook In Toaster Oven

Although called an oven, toaster ovens are not an oven. They are just bigger versions of toasters. You can toast and crisp your bread and bagel, maybe heat up the leftovers a little, that it. 

And cooking? It should be left out of the list due to the following reasons. 

1. Exposed Heating Element Is A Fire Risk

If you haven’t noticed yet, toaster ovens have their heating element exposed. You can see it go red while it’s on. And if you leave your bread in it and forget, it will start to burn. Imagine putting in fat, grease, and spices in it. It will be nuclear! 

2. Not Designed For Cooking, But Toast

A cooking oven has all the necessary requirements to cook, broil, roast, and bake. These requirements include a concealed element, exhaust, and other safety measures. Which a toaster oven lacks. What it can do is toast in big batches. 

3. Uneven Heating

As there is no heat distribution facility in the toaster oven, the heat is focused on only a few places. So if you put it in a dish, it won’t get cooked thoroughly. Some parts of it will be cooked, some will be overcooked, and most importantly, some parts will be raw. 

4. Difficult To Clean And Prone To Damage

All these exposed elements and lack of ventilation, and air circulation makes it good for any dry food. Cooking ovens have a layer of coating that is easy to clean. As a toaster oven is not meant for greasy messy food preparation, it lacks the necessary coating. So if you put in something to cook, not only it will be unevenly cooked, but also splatter all over it. And cleaning it is a nightmare. Set aside the fire and fume it might cause due to the grease.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers – FAQs

What cannot be cooked in the toaster oven?

Foods with raw ingredients, fat, grease, and lots of moisture cannot be cooked in a toaster oven. At the same time any food that is wrapped in paper, wax paper, wooden bowls, plastic wrap, and storage, food packs made for microwaves are not safe for toaster ovens. 

Is cooking in the toaster oven the same as cooking in the oven?

No. Cooking in a toaster oven is rather toasting and crisping than cooking. In regular ovens, you do the cooking, not only toasting. 

Why can’t you use parchment paper in the toaster oven?

Parchment papers are great wrappers. But that doesn’t alter the fact that they are papers with nonstick coating. And this makes them highly flammable. So putting them in the toaster oven with an exposed element can cause a fire. This is why you can’t use parchment paper in a toaster oven. 

Conclusion 

So, we suggest you leave the toaster oven to do the toasting and invest in a cooking oven. You can use the stove tops too. But not the toaster. It will do more harm to itself and you than any good