I recently got a link to a lady who has been experimenting with a gutted toaster oven and tea lights. And I just had to try it in my toaster oven that I converted for rocket stove baking.
Wow, it works!
I did a little research and found there is a tea light oven out there called the Herc (puppy sells for right around $400, yikes!).
I did not bother to gut my toaster oven, and I cut my hole in the bottom to sit on top of the rocket stove. The lady who was playing with her version had holes drilled in the back which did not allow it to heat up like mine does.
So, here goes…
The Herc has these fancy terra cotta bricks on the top. Well, we know you can bake on unglazed terra cotta and that it holds and radiates heat – I went down and bought a $1 unglazed terra cotta plant saucer and used some leftover heat resistant caulk to attach it to the inside top of my oven.
I only have one place to slide in my grate, so I went to my “obtainium” pile and selected a piece of hardware cloth (Small mesh wire, I have no idea why they call it “cloth”.) cut it with a good scissors to the size of the bottom of my oven and then bent 4 to raise the grate.
Then I placed the tea lights (Walmart brand is the best I have found at less than 5 cents apiece and go for about 4 hours) on the base of hardware cloth around the 4 sides so that I didn’t burn what I was baking. I also slid out the bottom tray that on mine I had drilled holes into – it worked with it, but some of the candles went out as they needed more air.
It takes from 15 to 20 tea lights for my oven to bake a Rhubarb Crisp. I’m on a Rhubarb Crisp kick – rhubarb season – and have baked 3 now in this oven – I’M PLEASED!
Generally, you can use your tea lights 2 to 3 times for baking which means you have your cost down to 15-25 cents per use – Dare you to heat up your big oven for that! Your kitchen stays much cooler than if you do start your big oven too.
This actually worked better than the Camp Heat, so I am adding to my stock of Walmart tea lights. And I am keeping this oven in the house as for summer it makes much more sense to use it than to start up my big oven for most of what I am baking for 2 people.
Looking for other ideas on off-grid cooking? Check this post on 6 ways to cook when the power is out.
That seems pretty much unbelievable to get heat like that just from tea lights. It certainly adds to one’s choices.
I don’t particularly like rhubarb, but that sounds delicious!
A number of years ago, the kids and I spent some time in a barely-heated and well-ventilated room above a garage. I bought tea lights in bulk just for the cheer, but we discovered that a handful of them (set in groups of 3 placed about 3″ apart) took the chill off the room and actually made it quite warm when the temperatures were above the teens. I’ve sworn by them ever since and have a couple hundred in my storage. I wouldn’t have thought to try cooking with them, but I really like this idea. I currently have all the supplies needed, so I think I’ve found a rainy-day project for the kids!
I’m glad your ‘experiment’ worked so well Bev! I’m currently looking for a new used toaster oven, but now I know not to throw the old one out!
testing…
OK…wondering how long this will last :-) As you know Bev, I love t-lights! Both for the aquarium “fireplace” as well as in my convection oven. I seldom use my oven/range unless it’s for a big pizza or for baking artisan breads. I have a toaster oven in the travel trailer and use it instead of my RV oven (propane) when we’re plugged in to electric (paying for it anyway). I did the experiment (I think it’s posted here someplace) in my convection oven and t-lights did get it pretty warm. As for the terra cotta/ceramic plate? I’m thinking it will take longer to heat up but…retain the heat longer? Guessing it could go either way…longer to heat and retain heat or quicker to heat and lose heat.
As far as I can determine, the terra cotta plate is supposed to produce a convection component to the oven.
The toaster oven worked fine on the rocket stove without the terra cotta. However, I can see the potential for thermal mass heat and convection heat given the experiments we were doing this winter with terra cotta pots used as convection room heaters.
It worked… That was the success. :)