I am rating this 3 stars because it cooks very well, crisps the outside of foods and cooks fast. BUT, it doesn't get 5 stars because the attachment of the top handle just isn't robust enough and it is likely to break. The lid is heavy. With my first one of these, the handle attachment to the lid broke on the second day. When I got it fixed, the other side of the handle attachment broke a few days later. I consider it to be a design flaw. The handle itself is a bit weak and it attaches to the lid with 2 little plastic 'knobs' that insert into the lid. But they really are not designed strong enough our thick enough and they break off. If they would design the handle to be stronger, they would have a much better product. If yours breaks, they can send you a replacement, if you keep your information and order number AND YOU MAY ALSO NEED THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND SHIPPING BOX, SO SAVE THEM. If it is out of warranty, I don't think the handle would be too hard to fix by drilling a 1/8th inch hole through the handle from both sides and inserting a 6 inch long, 1/8th inch diameter metal 'dowel' or 'pin' or long screw to extend all the way through the top, and from one side of the handle to the other. The top of the lid has enough room for a 'dowel' like this, and this would replace the weak 'knobs' that are on the handle now. The handle is essential as part of the 'switch' that turns the oven on and off. If it breaks, you could tape it in place to keep it fixed in the 'on' position, so that the oven works, but who wants their nice cooker to sit on the counter with the handle taped on? In addition, the trouble is, the lid heats up and you really need the handle to lift the lid and take it off, easily. Maybe your handle will hold up better, but be gentle with it. Other than that, I can't say enough about how amazingly this thing cooks.
Addendum: I got another lid, but the first time I used it, the handle fell off. Luckily, it didn't break this 3rd time, so I was able to put it back on. The trouble is, the lid is heavy glass and it contains the fan motor and heating elements. When the oven runs, the lid is hot, so when you take it off, you can't just set it directly on a counter top, since it may cause damage. After looking at the whole assembly for a while, I decided there are several things you can do. First, don't use the `lid holder' that comes with the set. To set the lid on the holder requires you to turn the lid sideways and that puts more pressure on just one arm of the handle. If you must use the holder, then lift the lid with two hands one hand on the handle, and one hand on the black plastic part of the lid, which isn't hot. This extra support will help protect the handle much more than just lifting by the handle itself. But a better choice is to either have 2 hot pads ready, on the counter top, to set the lid on, OR, just use the metal extender ring that comes with the oven and set the lid directly on top of it, on the counter. If you do it this way, you can just lift the lid straight up and down, with one hand, and by not turning it sideways, you avoid the extra stress on the handle. I still think it is a great oven and I am happy with it. I can recommend it, as long as you understand the difficulties that you can have with the lid. I just wish the handle were designed stronger.
I saw the Fagor 12 Quart Halogen Tabletop oven on QVC. I saw it on Amazon for a great price, and no shipping! I was wondering if this was another gimmick. I use it to make dinners every evening for my husband and I. The meat is never dry and it tastes delicious. I love cooking again because of the shorter cooking time and the cleanup is a breeze. We are eating healthier now, and the food tastes amazing. Fagor is a pretty good brand, and I wanted to simplify my life....It can't get any simpler than this. :-)
I'm trying all kinds of foods and with great success!
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I purchased the Secura Halogen Oven along with the Fagor Halogen Oven. My first purchase was the Secura model, but after doing a little research and comparing specs I noticed that Fagor model was essentially the same oven without certain connivence features (such as a removable electrical cord). The Fagor was nearly 25% cheaper so I opted for it and was going to return the Secura box un-opened. Due to mishaps by Fedex, which have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, I ended up with both ovens at the same time. I first opened and tried the Fagor model, because this was the oven I planned to keep. After cleaning the oven as instructed by the manufacturer, I noticed the convection and heating process of the Fagor: theres a halogen bulb that produces heat and a fan motor that creates convection by circulating air. When you clean the oven as instructed a small amount of smoke or steam is created inside the oven and you can see the airflow of heated air. So far so good, but when I actually tried to use the Fagor for the first time for cooking, the halogen bulb blew out and sparked a little. Obviously this is not suppose to happen and to me indicates low quality control on the part of Fagor. Perhaps I just received a lemon; either way I was very disappointed.
I was then forced to use the Secura model (I had food that needed to be cooked). I followed the same cleaning process, and to my surprise the Secura's convection seemed stronger than the Fagor's. The steam inside the Secura oven seemed to move faster and more forcefully. I then used the Secura for cooking and it worked flawlessly. So far the Secura has been trouble free. Also, the Secura has a feeling of quality and attention to detail that the Fagor lacks (however it is more expensive). The plastic base of the Secura seems sturdier. The Secura also comes with a more detailed recipe book and the fore mentioned detachable electrical chord. All other accessories are the same.
Often times products by competing brands are produced by the same manufacturer and/or in the same production plant. However, this does not always mean equivalent overall quality of the finished product. In my instance, it is been made very clear that Secura's oven is better than the Fagor and worth the additional cost.
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My frist one did not heat up. But Amazon sent me another one it worked fine then 28 days later while cooking cookies in the cooker it just stop working. I give amazon five stars but the cooker three for not working after 28 days. We used this everyday.
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My George Foreman grill had just broken after many years, and then I saw this Halogen oven in an outlet store. A George Foreman grill is perfect, but it's really only for grilling. I don't like to use the oven in my apartment since the last tenant obviously tried to clean it hastily and it smells like oven cleaner. Desiring to avoid toxic fumes, I was delighted to find this alternative. Also, since halogen bulbs give the best light, I was amazed to see that our friend halogen could also fuel the oven of the future. Not only that, this oven looks like a robot and has knobs and lights on it, and I thought, wow! it's like the Jetsons! If it can pitch hit for George Foreman (the grill, not the fighter), we're in!
Boy, can it! The general rule is that you can subtract a quarter of the cooking time for an oven recipe. But it doesn't just bake. It broils, steams, grills, roasts and fries. How does it do that? By two processes. The first uses a circular halogen element that lights when the oven is working. The second works like a convection oven, with a fan to blow the heat around. A few astute and unlucky reviewers have noted the design flaw--the flimsy handle. We'll discuss the work around in a moment.
An accomplished chef likely would not need it, but if you're a guy like me who otherwise would be waving a Stouffer's dinner (and yes, I did try a TV dinner in this oven, and yes, it did work), you want to keep the box. The pictures on the box give a much better idea of how to set up the oven than the included booklet. I was very surprised that you got so much in the box with this oven. There's a low rack, a high rack, an extender ring which increases the capacity of the glass bowl to 17 qt. capacity--enough to cook a 16 lb. turkey! Also, there's a fry pan. The booklet has both an English and a Spanish section. The English section is 37 pages, and includes basic directions, a two page chart of cooking times (almost identical to the chart in the George Foreman grill booklet, so that was a no brainer), and 20 pages of recipes, helpful in adapting your own to the oven. I put the oven on a glass counter protector, as with my toaster, but the glass bowl also sits in a removable plastic cradle. The box says you can use both racks to cook two different food items at once.
So how does it work? It's the epitome of simple. The handle on top is an electrical interlock. Push the handle down, turn the right knob to the temperature, and set the left timer for up to 60 minutes, The halogen element comes on, and goes off when the time's up. Any time you pull up the handle, power goes off. The handle has warnings on it that it gets hot, and there is a metal wire rack included to put the handle in to let it cool down. It doesn't get all that hot. You just need pot holders or an oven glove. The glass lid has a metal rim around it, and fits firmly into the rack once you hold it in position. But, as one reviewer noted, the top element is in the lid, so hold the lid when you put it in the rack. Or, as another reviewer suggested, who had bad luck with the handle breaking, set the lid on the metal extender ring. That's the easy fix. There's an odd tongs thing included to turn the food items during cooking, but two normal cooking tongs would work better.
Believe it or not, there's a wash setting on the control knob you can use to clean the bowl, as it blows the soapy water around with the convection fan. The halogen oven is not like a microwave. It's fine to put metal in it, like the included fry pan, or use aluminum foil for easy clean up and even cooking. Be careful with the handle, and this oven is win, win, win. More good news about halogen, the light of the future. GE is now making halogen screw-in light bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs. They are far better in every way than flourescents or CFL bulbs. They are also far more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and meet the new energy standards. GE rates halogen as "crisp, bright light". Lowes calls it "the best light". Halogen bulbs are great for reading, and excellent in floor fixtures. Try one and see. GE 78798-12 Halogen General Purpose A19 Bulb, 72-Watt, 2-Pack So that makes four wins for halogen, the light of the future.
We use this to make burritos, it works great! :) Also would work well for grilled cheese and the like :)
