Help buying a countertop oven
My wife has given approval to buy an oven. We live in Taiwan, so size is a determining factor in our apartment. Our main uses will be for things like fish, chicken, and bread. I can't give a budget figure because things seem to be more expensive here than in Europe or North America. The only conditions are that it be apartment-sized, suitable for the higher temperatures needed for bread, and NOT be 220v (ie. 110v is OK). Also, we'd probably like something Japanese because of quality, and it'll most likely give us the best bang for our buck here.
Even if you don't have any personal experience with this kind of oven, what are some things I should be aware of? Do I need the ability to steam if I'll be baking bread in a Dutch oven? Do I need a fan? How do I determine the oven's efficiency and ability to retain heat?
I don't own or use this type of oven, but have heard a number of people very satisfied with Cuisinart CSO-300. (Or the newer versions of the same product, CSO-300N and CSO-300N1).
No oven this small is ever going to be the perfect bread oven, but this model has been designed to be able to bake bread, and that is certainly better than nothing.
There may be better models out there; there are more expensive ones, that's for sure. But I've noticed a lot of people who are happy with this Cuisinart and using it a lot. Most of them have been using it for everyday cooking and heating of food - I haven't seen as many comments about the quality of the bread.
You may find the 110v not hot enough more in the line with a toaster. There are a number of threads here about, try site searching. Here is one:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/50914/baking-toaster-oven
If you can get one with a steam/ water cartridge I sure did enjoy the oven I had in S Korea, popped the cartridge out to stop the steaming. I also purchases a deep crome stand with wheels and a cooling top shelf that worked out nice because no counter space.
Our apartment doesn't have any 220v outlets. Most things here are 110v. I'd have to call an electrician to install 220v, and that would be more trouble than it's worth.
convection microwave ovens with turntable, e.g. Panasonic Dimension 4.
The rotating action of the turntable diverts heat away from the center, so you get more heat at the outer edge of the turntable and progressively less towards the center. It is not so bad for baking bread but absolutely negative for cookies and biscuits because the browning is not even, which can only be resolved if you turn each cookie 90º halfway through your baking.
If you are going to use a DO, the extra money you would be spending for steam may be a waste. If you like your loaves dark, and you are using a DO, convection may be a plus. During the first part of the bake, keeping the loaf will keep the exterior of the loaf moist so it can expand and develop oven spring. When you take the top off, the convection will keep the heat even, and will dry out the exterior so you get those great flavors from a darker crust.
Thanks, everyone. There aren't many available here, but I've narrowed down a list.
I ended up getting a locally-made Taiwanese oven called Dr. Goods. It has a pretty good reputation here. It's 42L and cost NT$8450. I fired it up last night, and set it to 250°C (its maximum temperature). The oven thermometer I bought read 246°C. I'll play around with it at slightly lower temperatures to see how stable it will be.
https://www.ucook.com.tw/products/dr-goods-%E7%83%A4%E7%AE%B1
To that, I bought (but haven't yet used) a Lodge cast-iron griddle to help disperse heat around the oven, keep the internal temperature more stable, and retain some heat when I open and close the door.
https://shop.lodgemfg.com/griddles-and-grill-pans/double-play-reversible-grill-griddle.asp
If you don't mind a small oven, this is the one to get! I have one!
Oster large Toaster Oven..jpg