After you have chosen an Oven Toaster Grill (OTG), keeping your brand preference, use, and family size in mind, you need to have a thorough knowledge of the nifty features of this mighty kitchen appliance. Otherwise, you may not be able to reap OTG's wonderful benefits.
So, to maximize your cooking experience and serve the tastiest dishes, keep the following things in mind.
Make the most of the heating modes
Like most ovens for baking/Toasting/Grilling, an OTG also allows you to set the heating mode you want to cook in.
With some popular brands, you get to choose up to five modes of heating on the Cooking Function Selection Knob, which allows you to roast, toast, bake, grill, and do more, on your oven toaster grill.
For browning the top of your dish, keep the top heating on. However, if you need an even distribution of heat while cooking, keep both the rods, on the top and bottom, switched on. Similarly, if your OTG comes equipped with the rotisserie feature, you can switch on the heating rod on one side or keep both the heating rods active.
These various heating modes on your OTG, allow you to try a wide range of recipes in it.
Preheat with care
An OTG needs to be preheated before you can cook anything in it. The recipe you are making usually mentions the duration. So set the temperature accordingly.
This step is crucial, and failing to pre-heat the oven to the right temperature, seriously affects the outcome of your recipe.
If you preheat the OTG to a lower temperature than the one you will be cooking at, your food may be undercooked or may take longer to get cooked. Alternatively, if your OTG is heated to a higher temperature, your food may burn. This is especially true for cakes, where the top may crack from the high heat. So, make sure you follow the instructions.
Alternatively, you can also use an oven thermometer. This helps you easily check that your OTG is heated to the right temperature before you start cooking.
Take advantage of the motorized rotisserie
If your OTG comes equipped with the in-built rotisserie feature, complete with forks, make sure you make the most of it. This feature lets you enjoy your barbeques and spit-roasts, for some perfect dinners with friends and family.
Just string the meat or veggies on the forks and cook!
Enjoy carefree cooking
After you have prepped all the ingredients, selected the heating mode and adjusted the temperature, set the timer as mentioned in the recipe. It is imperative to choose the correct timer settings to achieve the desired results.
OTGs usually come with a timer that ranges from 0 to 60 minutes, for smaller models. While some larger models allow up to 120 minutes.
Once the cooking is done, the Ready Bell in the OTG will ring to let you know that the dish is prepared and ready to be served.
Insert your cooking tray with care
Your OTG comes with several grooves on the side, inside the compartment. For even cooking, insert your cooking tray or grill, in the middle grooves. Change according to the recipe or the results you want to achieve.
Updates you on the cooking in progress / Illuminated chamber with white glass
The white glass door is a feature available with some OTGs. Otherwise most of the OTGs have tinted glass doors which make it difficult to find out the progress in cooking. The advantage of a white glass door with an illuminated chamber is that it helps in allowing you to keep a check on the cooking in progress. In case there is any issue it can be seen through the glass door and necessary steps can be taken to get the best cooked meal. Keep your OTG clean
After you finish your cooking, make sure you let your OTG oven cool down. Afterwards, wipe it down with a clean cloth.
An OTG usually comes with a bottom or crumb tray that collects all the drips from your cooking. Make sure you keep this clean too. This will prevent bacteria from building in your oven.
Practice makes improvement
If you want to get better at understanding your OTG and get better at cooking in it, there is just one simple solution, PRACTICE!
The more you try out recipes in your OTG, the better you get acquainted with the appliance. So, do not get disheartened if you fail in the beginning. Keep observing how your oven behaves and learn from your mistakes. This is also the best way to get the most out of your OTG.
So, keep these simple tips and tricks in mind, and we are sure, it will be soon, when you can proudly and confidently flaunt your cooking skills, using your beloved Oven Toaster Grill (OTG)! You can check out some AGARO Lifestyle OTG's too!
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