Countertop mini ovens: cheap, handy and with a size problem

Countertop mini ovens: cheap, handy and with a size problem

Is it worth buying a countertop oven, or is it just money thrown away on an appliance that will end up toasting bread? The question has been doing the rounds in Spanish kitchens for years, and the answer, as almost always, depends on what it's used for. A small 25 to 28 litre oven costs between €30 and €50 in Lidl or Aldi promotions, heats up in minutes and, according to several users, uses less energy than a full-size oven. But when the user wants to bake cakes, bread or pizzas with homemade dough, things change.

The Lidl oven: the favourite for price and performance

The most repeated recommendation is the countertop oven Lidl periodically sells for around €40, which has even been spotted for €30 at the Getafe outlet. Several buyers have owned it for more than five years and say it works like day one. "It heats up much faster than the big one, and since it's on for less time it uses far less energy," sums up a user who uses it daily for two people.

The key is the size: a shop-bought ready-made pizza just fits, but it fits. So does a tray for three servings. For a roast lamb or a lasagne, space gets tight. Anyone cooking for more than two people or wanting to fit a large pizza will have to fold or cut the dough, a drawback several mention.

Can it handle cakes and bread?

This is where opinions split. A user with baking experience insists there's no way to make a cake or a pizza with homemade dough in small ovens: "Things that turned out fine in the big oven — it's not that I don't know how to make them." Others argue the opposite: one user claims a 45-litre, 2,000-watt countertop oven bakes bread almost daily and reaches over 260 degrees.

The problem isn't the function but the power and heat distribution, according to some users. The cheapest models lose temperature when the door opens and don't cook well on two trays at once. Those with convection — hot air — make the difference. One user says a 39-litre Moulinex costing €119, bought after months of hesitation, cooks "absolutely everything", though large trays force you to fold the edges to fit.

Energy use: less than a full-size oven?

The logic seems clear: a smaller appliance heats up faster and therefore uses less. One user calculates that a 1,500-watt countertop oven versus a 2,000-watt full-size one means 500 fewer watts per hour of operation. For a supermarket pizza, the difference is marginal; for daily use, it shows on the bill.

What no small oven solves is cleaning. The walls get just as dirty and the reduced space makes the job harder. One user recommends taking the appliance to the shower and scrubbing it with very hot water and degreaser, letting it dry for a day and using it again. Desperate measures for an appliance that, chosen well, does the job.

The size trap and build quality

The difference between a €50 oven and a €100 one isn't just the brand. A buyer who owns both describes the contrast: the cheap one rusts after a short time, the glass is thinner and loses heat. The expensive one, a Moulinex 25 years old, is still immaculate. The conclusion is uncomfortable: cheap ends up expensive if you use it a lot.

For those cooking for one or two, the small oven is enough and the energy savings make up for it. For those making bread, baking or sizeable roasts, the bigger outlay avoids frustration. The original question — good, attractive and cheap — has an answer: two out of three, and the user chooses which one to sacrifice.