Flavorwave Oven Turbo Halogen Oven

 

 

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We bought one of these as a stop gap when our main oven failed and we were waiting for it to be repaired and it is so much better than I thought it would be. We've been using it for more than a year now and even use it in preference to our main oven for many foods. It makes the best roast potatoes I've ever had and is wonderful for anything that requires a crispy outside, a browned top or for heating bought food like fish fingers, spring rolls and breaded chicken. It's best on items that are thin, maybe up to three inches or so but we have made pies and cakes with it and they have turned out very well. Roast meat and whole chickens do really well in here but as most of the heat comes from the top larger cuts will need to be turned during cooking. Anything that benefits from being allowed to drain while cooking like sausages (especially lorne sausage,) bacon, burgers and such are great in here as all the fat drips to the bottom of the cooker and then it CLEANS ITSELF! After you're finished cooking add a little washing up liquid and water, turn it to clean and leave it for twenty minutes. We use this every day and now I'd not be without one!

Maybe I've been unlucky, but this is the 4th Halogen Oven I've bought over 2 years, the other 3 having packed up. One was JML the others were Cookworks branded. So I thought I'd try the Flavourwave version with the Allianz insurance, so at least I'll get my money back if the same happens. All the Halogen ovens whatever brand are made in China ( incidently that's not meant as an overall slur on Chinese manufacturing quality, in many fields, especially electronics, the Chinese produce top quality reliable consumer products ). Point is, all these ovens are built very cheaply, in exactly the same way ( probably the same massive factory ! ) with cheap components that will fail over a relatively short period of time. I've had 1 thermostat, 1 mecanical timer and a halogen bulb failure with my previous ovens, which were only used 3 or 4 times a week. They are manufactured at cost of no more than £10 to £15 per unit and this is reflected in the quality of components used.

So why the 5 stars you may ask ! Quite simply it cooks most ( not all! ) foods very well, and does save energy as claimed. I'd agree with all the positive reviews about its cooking performance. These ovens excel at cooking chicken, and ready meals taste so much better than a microwave.


Is there any difference in the cooking performance between the different brands ? In a word NO ! They all use the same Halogen bulb ( same wattage ie heat output ) and the same fan motors. Because they use a low tech mechanical thermostat controler, callibration varies between different machines even if they are the same model. That is, you may set one device at 180 degrees and it works at 180 degrees. Another oven, even the same make will only give 150 degrees for the same setting, and another will give 200 degrees. This inconsistancy explains why some people get bad results.

Two tips: ( yes I typed that correctly ! )


Always use the extender ring. Unfortunately this isn't supplied with the Flavourwave but well worth buying. The extra height will help protect the halogen bulb from cooking splatter, and will prevent excessive heat when reheating ready meals or overcooking top of a chicken. I suspect some that criticise Halogen ovens aren't using one.

For virtually all my cooking I use a circular cooking tray lined with silver foil placed on the lower wire stand, rather than placing food in the bottom of the glass bowl. This allows the hot air to circulate under the cooking tray, avoiding having to turn most things over, and avoids having to clean the glass bowl. eg I can cook a full chicken in the cooking tray ( with chicken best to start upside down, and turn over halfway through cooking ) and all the fat still remains in the tray, hence no cleaning of bowl. Oven chips, burgers etc require no turning, as obviously ready meals.

So far the Flavourwave is doing a great job and it does come with a very well designed stand.

Don't let me put you off buying one of these ovens. They are excellent devices. But if you want it to last for a few years make sure you get an extended guarantee with it !

So easy to use. The only problem I have encountered is the lack of cooking instructions for this type of oven on packaged foods which give conventional and microwavw timings so it's a case of trial and error initially. Apart from this I use it almost daily and cleaning is absolutely no problem.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great product
This is a great oven you can by cheaper models but you can't beat the best halogen oven on the market.

Published 5 months ago by FONZ1947

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic croissants
My normal oven takes ages to pre-heat, so this has saved me so much money as it provides pretty much instant heat. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Fuzybee

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my best buys
I bought this in the summer and this oven has been one of my best buys. The oven does cook quicker and is easy to use and clean. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Mrs. S. Avery

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant product
Great, fast results when grilling meat, fish or chicken.Also great as an oven for pies, flans,fish fingers, potato skins etc. etc. Fantastic 'self cleaning' function. Read more

Published 6 months ago by oldmum

5.0 out of 5 stars Now we're COOKING !
This is a brilliant piece of equipment. I wish I'd bought one a long time ago. Now I don't burn anything .. and if I did, I can watch it happen. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Bob

5.0 out of 5 stars QUICKER - BETTER - MORE ECONOMICAL
Bought this cooker after reading lots of reviews of various makes of Halogen Oven. Absolutely delighted with both the oven and ther after sales service from the Thane Direct who... Read more

Published 12 months ago by G. Wallace

5.0 out of 5 stars Now we're cooking on light!
The oven came 3 days after order which was a plesant surprise. I would highly reccomend that when buying the oven you also buy the extras, including the extender ring. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Rik

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant buys
I bought this for my sister who is visually impaired, she uses it daily and finds it easy to use even with her limited eye-sight .Best buy of the year

Published 13 months ago by nannydee

1.0 out of 5 stars it did not work
this was defective or a counterfeit product. it didnt defrost a thigh of chicken when set at the maximum temperature and set for 40 mins. Read more

Published 14 months ago by Liz

5.0 out of 5 stars The best way to cook!
This really is a great way to cook. Bacon, casseroles, roasts (especially veg) and baking pies cakes etc. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Precious

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