Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Regarding "ovens breaking", the only issue I ever experienced was when we self-cleaned the oven and it blew the thermal fuse. Other than that, never an issue with any oven.
You are so wrong. You really need to get out more.
Even when I worked really long hours, I used my kitchen at home. There is no faster, cheaper way to eat than to throw something together at home.
I NEVER eat at fast food places. Healthy people usually don't.
Once again - you can't just bring up anecdotal evidence and say "see, you're wrong". Cooking has changed. Lifestyles have changed. Where people eat has changed. I believe things will continue to gravitate toward shorter cooking time, more processed food and more fast food.
Since when did using a conventional oven become the cornerstone of gourmet cooks? How is putting in an oven ruining your kitchen so much that you wouldn't put one in?
I guess you also don't have a dishwasher because you only eat off paper plates?! And if you DID put in a dishwasher are you leaving out the sink since you'll have no need for it?
Does it make sense to replace one's oven with a medium sized chest freezer to augment freezer space in the refrigerator if 95% of the diet consists of frozen pizza, tv dinners and other such crap if all one is looking for in a diet is eating what one wants when it is wanted? Of course you would then need an appliance to heat that frozen item - how about a toaster oven?
Does it make sense to replace one's oven with a medium sized chest freezer to augment freezer space in the refrigerator if 95% of the diet consists of frozen pizza, tv dinners and other such crap if all one is looking for in a diet is eating what one wants when it is wanted? Of course you would then need an appliance to heat that frozen item - how about a toaster oven?
My understanding is that a toaster oven is a poor choice economically. They don't have the insulation that a standard oven has so every time you fire it up you are wasting energy.
You can certainly reserve the space in your kitchen for the addition of an oven in the future for yourself or for resale. But you can buy an actual oven for not much more than a toaster oven and IMHO your electric bill will thank you.
While I can appreciate your point as I don't cook that much either, I disagree with not installing an oven.
You're just limiting yourself and future buyers for no appreciable gain. I almost never use my oven either. I'm single, and generally when cooking for myself I get by with my nice toaster oven or my cooktop. However, it's nice to use the oven for larger cooking needs that do occasionally come up.
There's no real advantage to not having one. If you don't want to use it, let it sit, don't use it, but I wouldn't purposely not put one in.
Regarding "ovens breaking", the only issue I ever experienced was when we self-cleaned the oven and it blew the thermal fuse. Other than that, never an issue with any oven.
Yes! I cleaned my oven the day before a holiday dinner and this exact thing happened - bad, bad, decision to do before a big cooking day!
I've been pondering this thread, and here are my final thoughts...
I appreciate the idea of living with less, and I could certainly see myself functioning just fine with a rangetop and a toaster oven in a studio apartment environment. The question is: Would I be make permanent and expensive modifications to my home kitchen that precluded an oven? The answer is an unequivocal no. It's just too limiting. I'd leave the space open and use it for a moveable cart or other temporary set-up. That's my $.02. Do with it what you will.
Last edited by randomparent; 01-25-2015 at 02:24 PM..
1. A lot of people never use more than the capacity of a toaster oven.
And a lot of people do.
2.
Quote:
We've been trending toward spending less time cooking for the last ~100 years
.
I don't suppose any of that has anything to do with modern cooking utensils and appliances and more choices at the grocery store?
Quote:
I theorize that if time spent cooking continues to decrease and the birthrate continues to fall (smaller households, more single people, single parents, etc) - smaller ovens may become more common in the future. How long? I don't know...maybe 20-30 years from now.
The size of the average turkey isn't going to get any smaller, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by randomparent
Do what you will, but I'd recommend against it if you ever plan to sell your home. Buyers will expect an oven.
I wouldn't buy a house without an oven, unless I got a price break from the seller covering the cost of purchasing and installing an oven. An oven is a basic appliance. Every home should have one.
So, OP, why not put one in now, and simply not use it (although I bet you would ... )? If you wait until you sell the house in -- 20 years was it? LOL -- it's gonna cost you a whole lot more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Who defines what is necessary and unnecessary?
In this case, custom. It is customary for a home in the year 2015 to have an oven,
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
