I've recently bought a halogen oven from Costco (sub £30, 17 litres I think) but am now wondering if a mini oven would be more practical (and easier to clean) for our few weeks France this summer? Currys have an 18 litre mini oven on offer at £24.99 at the moment and I'm wondering if that may be a better option?
I do already have a slow cooker and a plug in griddle.
We have just bought a second hand caravan and the oven is spotless (and would like to keep it like that) so I have just bought a halogen for the caravan as I use one all the time at home. You can cook anything in them - from roast dinners to pizzas or sausage and oven chips - and they are easy to clean This will replace the mini oven which we used in the folding camper - which only had a 15 minute timer and three heat settings.
I have never had a halogen but I used to have a mini oven for my tent. As a solo camper it was fine and I could cook just about anything in it including toast. I can't remember the size of mine now but it was a Cookworks from Argos costing about £30.00 at the time. It wasn't the smallest one you can get but not the largest either. My opinion was that cooking for 1 or 2 would be fine but you may struggle cooking for a family.
It may well be that a halogen oven would be better as they would be easier to clean and easier to see how the food is doing inside. Size-wise I am not so sure, but many people use them and seem to be able to cook full meals for their families.
Another consideration is the overall size. A mini oven is quite large on the outside even though the oven inside is comparatively small. A halogen may be better in this respect.
OH loves her Halogen so much she rarely uses our main oven now whether we would actually take it camping is still debatable as its fairly big and the glass bowl could end up in many pieces, then on the other hand it does gives lots of options on what to cook.
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
I would suggest cooking at home with the one you have and see how you get on, if it works for you then your sorted.
------------- Thank you Donnod123
------------
Coleman Evolva (might have more than one shhhh)
And now a VW T25 high top.
Tilley Titan
Tilley Trio
Cobb BBQ
Donnod123....a cob might be the answer but I don't really want to spend that sort of money, but thank you.
As for the halogen thing,.....goes the glass bowl not need to be dragged to the shared communal sinks all the time to be scrubbed? I haven't really done my homework, how do you actually use a halogen oven?
I love my halogen and have killed a few but I would estimate I have used them for 180+ hrs each so get good mileage from them . As it uses less than half the electric of my main oven I use the halogen most days at home too.
I can cook a full roast for 2 adults & 3 children using the halogen (with extender ring) & 1 hob, I do cheat and buy the frozen Yorkshires which get put on top of the cooked roast potatoes for a few minutes. Some meals do require cooking for the children first then adults but I don't find that a problem.
I now insist on having one with a hinged lid as I found the separate lid & stand hard to get on with. You only need to take the bowl to the washing up are if you have cooked something greasy on the grill (such as sausages & bacon) but I use a pan for these (he who thinks we have a cleaning fairy doesn't), a quick wipe with a soapy washing up sponge is normally all it needs.
we use an electric mini oven for our two week camp in France.
Saved us loads we cooked part bake bread heated croissants.
pizza,,quiche, lasagne, crock mousoiurs
It is fab, There are just the 3 of us though. would have to juggle thinks around for more then four people
Think I will leave the slow cooker at home this time.
The Halogen is used like a convection oven. It really is the simplest thing to clean. Add water and a little washing up liquid and turn on for 5 minutes. I have a 17L which I use at home and a 12L with extender which I use for camping.
We have a mini oven which fits inside the gas oven. Easy to take out and use and then pop back. We have a halogen oven but found it took up rather too much space.
Halogens are great. The only problem we found when using it camping was where to put the lid with the heating element inside. I had to stand there holding it while OH dished up. I think the next thing I will buy is one of these. Its versatile and can also do chips. The power is only 1.5kw so fine on most camp sites.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Mini oven or halogen oven?
but I would estimate I have used them for 180+ hrs each so get good mileage from them 
. As it uses less than half the electric of my main oven I use the halogen most days at home too.
