Tell me more ×
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite

I'm moving into a small apartment with no oven. Before, I had a 16" oven stone to bake my bread and I'm looking for something to keep baking.

Would a duch oven over a gas kitchen work? I can't use coal (I have no terrace or backyard).

Do you have any suggestions to survive without an oven?

share|improve this question

4 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

I would recommend a combination toaster and convection oven. While I have a regular oven in my small apartment, I rarely use it in favor of saving energy (and money on my energy bill) by using the toaster/convection oven. I have purchased toaster oven sized muffin tins (just a 6 muffin tin) and a toaster oven sized roasting rack that fits two sizes of meat. My oven came with a roasting pan. The convection features have done wonderful things for my pies. You can get them big enough to make pizza in. As long as you aren't cooking for a crowd, it will work wonders. Things I've successfully baked in there include:

  • Muffins
  • Cake (did have to do it one cake at a time for a layer cake)
  • Pie (the convection feature is perfect for pie!)
  • Bread
  • Cupcakes
  • Pitas
  • Steak (well, it was a broiled steak recipe - the best I can do without a grill)
  • Chicken breasts

I had a friend who rented a place that has a convection cooking setting on the microwave. We successfully used it to make muffins once, but I haven't tried it further.

share|improve this answer
What, no pizza? I thought that's what toaster ovens were made for. – Joe Aug 11 '10 at 20:45
@Joe - our convection/toaster oven only goes to 500. We do pizza at as high as we can go, and since the big oven goes to 550, we do it there. Plus ours is 9" x 13" - hard to fit a 12" stone. – justkt Aug 11 '10 at 22:36
oh, right, trying to cook the crust. You have to go with alternate crusts for the toaster oven pizza -- english muffins, baguette, bagel (although, you have to fill the hole w/ something to avoid drippage), naan, tortilla (for those who like the thin & crispy), etc. Most any bread product will do. – Joe Aug 12 '10 at 2:14
@Joe - we found ovens that came with stones for 12 inch pizzas. Since we have a conventional oven, though, we didn't want it taking up that much of our limited counter space. All that to say, it can be done. – justkt Aug 12 '10 at 12:31
up vote 3 down vote

A counter top/toaster oven can probably cover many of your needs.

You can get ones that will hit the normal 500 F of an oven.

Here is a list of examples available at Bed Bath & Beyond

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote
  • Hard as you may try, the dutch oven still cooks from the bottom up and is not like a conventional oven which heat comes from all over the place
  • You can buy a counter top oven and I don't mean a toaster oven; rather you can actually get a mini oven with two racks.
  • It all depends on your budget too. You can buy a normal oven, if you are in north america, you can get a 110 volt rather than a 220v oven provided your electric circuit can handle it (consult with the owner or a certified electrician)
share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

If you still want to make your own bread, you may want to purchase a bread-maker. Or, you can make your own boiled bagels. For the last step, I've heard you can pan-fry them instead of baking them.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.