Introducing the HERC Oven - Powered by Tealight Candles
$169 to $199
When I found out about this new invention, the HERC (Home Emergency Radiant Cooking) Tea Light Candle Oven by Titan Ready Water, I immediately recognized it as revolutionary. I ordered one for myself for Christmas.
Baking in the HERC Oven:
I must admit, I was really curious to see how/if I could actually bake things with something as inexpensive and readily available as tea light candles. This small oven uses 10 tealight candles. The baking time from one set of (10) might vary, depending on what brand of candle you are using – my bag of candles (Yummi – from Fred Meyer) says they last 4 hours.After letting the oven pre-heat for 30 minutes, I got about 3 1/2 hours of baking time in!
This oven also comes in a larger size (turkey anyone?!) called the XXL, which uses 20 tealights. I have only tried the small oven (so far!).
· Chocolate Chip Cookies
First, I tried out our favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. It baked the cookies very well, and took approximately 6 more minutes than the conventional oven. They were browned slightly on the bottom as they are supposed to be. There’s a baking stone in the top and the bottom of the oven to retain the heat, so when you open the lid to change cookies, etc. all the heat does not escape. The stainless steel is also very thick, and it is dishwasher safe.
· Cranberry Orange Muffins
My next experiment? Krusteaz mini Cranberry Orange Muffins. I am not a “cake mix” type of girl, but I was looking for something I could store that would be quick to grab in an emergency, and this mix uses water only. No eggs, oil, etc.
They also turned out well. I wanted a side-by-side comparison, so the tin on the left was done in my conventional oven (electric) and the tin on the right was baked in the HERC.
Again, just a slightly longer cooking time. And, my little mini muffin tins fit perfectly.
· Frozen Lasagna
It was performing so well, I decided to really push it to the limit. I stepped out of my comfort zone and purchased a frozen lasagna. I wanted to see if this little oven could take on the frozen solid casserole scenario.
I sometimes freeze a couple of extra homemade entrees for later use, and if I needed to use up my freezer contents in a hurry at the risk of losing them in a power outage, I wanted to see if the HERC could do it:
I don’t know if you can tell by the photo, but I got a kick out of the positive affirmations about the benefits of having family meals together. If I believe Stouffer’s, I now expect my children to “get better grades, confide in their parents, and be more likely to feel their parents are proud of them.” Actually, my children score well in those categories already. Maybe it’s because we actually do eat together regularly :)
Drum roll please…
The HERC oven actually baked the lasagna BETTER than my conventional oven. Yes, it took longer – about 2 1/2 hours in total – but I’ve made these a couple of times before, and this is how it compared to my previous experience:
· Conventional oven: Burned around the edges, cold in the middle.
· HERC: Evenly cooked, hot and steamy in the middle! I couldn’t believe it. And, it actually tasted better. Hmmm.
Note: My longer cooking times might be because of the particular tea light candle I’m using. I’m using what I had on hand. My new HERC oven will come with an oven thermometer, so I’ll know at what temp. I’m baking. The beauty of just picking up the loaner oven and using what I had (candles), is that I’m still getting outstanding results! Plus, it’s kind of fun to experiment.
Also, you need to let the oven “preheat” for about 30 minutes while the candles melt a bit and get up to their optimum burn.
· Hazelnut Crusted Halibut and French Garlic Roasted Green Beans
This really got me to thinking: If the electricity went out today, what would I have on hand to make for dinner? I pulled some (thick) halibut filets, local hazelnuts and French green beans (drizzle w/ olive oil, garlic, Penzey’s Forward Seasoning, coarse salt) out of the freezer and placed them in the HERC:
You know all those little tiny baking sheets and things that come with your toaster oven? Don’t throw them away (I have 5 children and never thought that size would be practical)! We try to be thrifty whenever we can, so we went to Goodwill and my husband found these awesome little pans: Heavy 9X9 square pan and some Wilton mini loaf pans. Perfect if you agree with my 5 year old, and don’t like your food to touch. I’m sure things would have turned out just as well if I had thrown it all into the same pan (9X9 square)…
Only 25 minutes later: Hazelnut Crusted Halibut and French Garlic Roasted Green Beans
Can you believe it? The fish was so flaky.
Other things I like about the HERC Oven:
· I can cook without the dependence on the sun (like the Sun Oven would ever work here in Portland, Oregon anyway), or limited sources like propane, charcoal, generator, etc.
· The price is much less than the Sun Oven (again, not an option if you want to cook in the evening, or in Portland, OR)
· No toxic fumes! Safe for inside!
· Tea Lights are inexpensive and readily available. I’ve been using the Yummi brand that I bought at Fred Meyer – a bag of 100 for $4.99 on sale @ Christmas time. I have 800 in a 5-gallon bucket!
· Did I mention it all comes apart and stores so flat/compact you will not even believe it?
· Cute little window so you can check on your creations
· Comes with a carrying tote
· Dishwasher safe
· Bottom stays cool enough around the edges to touch during baking
· Made in the USA
· Imagine if your child had a birthday during an emergency situation? This would easily bake a cake (8″ or 9″)!
Helpful hints:
· You’ll want to remain in the same room with your little oven since it is a flame that you’re cooking with
· I’ve added the “Ove’ Glove” (a pair would be nice) to my wish list because it can be tricky to get my pans in and out while wearing my jumbo oven mitts.
I think it’s a must-have for everyone who wants to be a little more prepared. I’m calling it my “Easy Bake Oven for Big Girls”.