The halogen oven is an oven with a difference. It cooks food in a glass bowl using a glowing infrared light, with a front row viewing seat. The best halogen oven in Japan is usually found among foreign imports, but nonetheless relatively affordable.
They make excellent air fryers, and are an a good choice for small roasts. You can also try your hand at small savory cakes, and other baked goodies. A halogen oven is also one of the few simple ovens you can use for steaming.
Halogen ovens are not exceedingly popular in Japan and there aren’t many locally designed products. They can be listed as [ 赤外線対流 ハロゲン カウンタートッ プ オーブン ] infrared convection halogen countertop oven, [ 赤外線対流式オーブンフライヤー ] infrared convection oven fryer, or [ エアーフライヤー オーブン ] air fry oven in the very general sense.
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How a Halogen Convection Oven Works
A halogen oven is a countertop oven device that consists of a glass bowl which rests on a stand. The lid houses a convection fan and halogen infrared emitters.
The Infrared mechanism emits radiant waves which agitate the molecules on the surface of food, causing the food to generate its own heat. This then cooks the interior as the heat is transferred through conduction.
Manufacturers claim Infrared technology can reduce cooking times by almost half, but this is not so for all types of food. Halogen lights produce less residual heat, and are extremely energy efficient.
Is Infrared Cooking Actually Safe?
Infrared cooking is a type of radiation producing a dry heat, and often high temperatures. This can generate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are carcinogenic to humans.
PAHs are typically found in charred foods, grilled foods, or foods that are cooked at high temperatures for a long time. The bottom line is halogen cookers cook in a relatively short period of time, which may impede the production of harmful compounds.
Foods cooked at a high temperature, should be cooked in the shortest time possible avoiding any black charring, or you should cook at a lower temperature and for a longer time.
Cool Things About Halogen Oven Cooking
- Looks cool
- No defrosting or preheating
- Fat free cooking
- Retains moisture
- Thermal disinfectant
A halogen oven stands apart as a kitchen appliance, especially in Japan. It has a refreshing aesthetic, so not another box sitting on your counter. The fan doesn’t make a lot of noise, and very little excessive heat is produced around the device.
No defrosting or preheating is necessary, so you can get straight from your busy day to heating up your frozen dinners. In addition, cooking requires very little any extra water or oil, and food retains much of its natural moisture. In this way, they are also the perfect air fryers.
Because infrared light is also a thermal disinfectant, it can extend the shelf life of your cooked food, especially bread and dehydrated fruits and vegetables.
What You Can Do With a Halogen Oven
You can roast or air fry anything you want in a halogen oven. Depending on the size, it can take a whole chicken, chicken wings or breasts, a leg of roast, potato fries, or whole jacket potatoes.
You can of course bake any kind of seafood, and with some water in the bottom, it becomes a steamer. The main advantage, however, is that you can prepare a whole meal with vegetable sides as well.
Halogen ovens can also be used to bake bread buns, banana cake, cup cakes, cheese cake, cookies, tarts, and other types of desserts. There are also many other savory dishes you can do such as homemade pizza, lasagna and macaroni cheese.
The Halogen Oven in Japan: How to Choose The Best One
If you already have a number of appliances vying for countertop estate, check the product dimensions before you buy. See our handy comparison table at the end of the reviews.
Electrical cords on halogen ovens tend not to be so long, so make sure there’s an electrical outlet at least within a meter.
If you don’t like cooking in degrees Fahrenheit, then you will have to choose either a convertible digital model, or a model designed for the Japanese market.
For making small amounts of dried foods, make sure the lowest temperature is at least 50°C. If you just need to make jerky, a 60°C minimum is recommended.
Things Most Halogen Ovens Have
There are usually two racks – a low rack for roasting and baking, and a high rack for broiling and grilling. Except for small ovens, there’s an extender ring which fits into the glass bowl to raise the height for full-sized roasts.
There are various types of pans. Firstly, there’s a general purpose baking or griddle pan. Then there’s a broiling pan with holes or a mesh pan that doubles up as a steamer.
To steam vegetables or dumplings, add enough water to cover the bottom of the bowl, and then place a steamer on the tall rack. Some ovens may have a mess basket which is for the usual fried foods.
There is usually a lid stand to rest the power unit lid while you look inside. If there isn’t, you can buy one or just use a metal rack. Lastly, there should be a set of large tongs for lifting food from the cooking bowl.
Things That Make a Difference
- Knob or digital settings
- Temperature range
- Timers
- Manual and recipe book
For the most part, halogen ovens have just two knob dials, one to set the temperature and timer respectively. Parallel imports with knobs only have Fahrenheit settings, but they’re easy enough to get used to.
If you want a digital display with better incremental settings and a choice between Fahrenheit and Celsius, our best to buy recommendation is a good pick. Our fifth product recommendation is the only one with multiple preset functions.
Temperature settings can vary from 60℃ or slightly below, to around the standard oven temperature of 220-230 ℃. Some ovens are less than this, but this affects whole roasting rather than baking and simple broiling.
Most ovens have a 60-minute auto shutoff timer. Our best to buy product, has up to 2-hours and a rare delay start timer so you can start cooking when you are not around.
If your oven doesn’t have a substantial recipe book, you can always download manuals for other products as a guideline, or look at other online resources.
Best Halogen Oven Selection in Japan
- Nuwave Oven Pro Plus – Best Halogen Convection Oven in Japan
- Nutrichef 13 Quart Halogen Oven – Best Value
- Coo-Fun Infrared Air Fryer – Best Small Oven
- Big Boss 16 Quart Oil Less Fryer – Best Large Oven
- German Pool Infrared Convection Oven – Best Programmed Settings
Click on Image to Go to The Review
赤外線対流ハロゲンカウンタートップ オーブン
Reviews For The Best Halogen Ovens in Japan
Whether you’re looking for a small, medium, or large sized halogen oven in Japan, we have the best selection. Two of our picks only display the temperature in Fahrenheit, but our best to buy gives you the choice of Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Best Halogen Oven in Japan – NuWave Oven Pro Plus
Specs:
- Incremental digital thermostat
- Set to ℉ or ℃
- Delay start timer
- 2-hour cook timer
- Reversible rack
- 12 inch enamel pan
- 3-inch extender ring
- PTFE / PFOA contaminant free
Unique Design
Unlike other halogen ovens, the Nuwave doesn’t have a glass bowl, but rather a domed lid. It rests on a cool to touch base that can easily be moved to the table and used as a serving tray. The 12 inch baking tray is good for a 30 cm family sized pizza, and it can take a 16 lbs / 7 kg turkey or a 14 lbs / 6.3 kg ham.
The 3-inch extender ring for large roasts rests on the bottom surrounding the roast, and the glass dome is placed on top. The cool to touch control lid locks into the glass dome, and the dome can be tilted off at a 45 degree angle into the dome holder so you can inspect the food.
Additional Features
The controls are completely digital so you can enter any incremental temperature and you can change the display to celsius. It also has a unique delay start time like a conventional oven. There’s a quick reheat button and you can also keep food warm at 155 ℉/ 66℃ for 2-hours. The reversible rack is quite useful as well. When flipped over to the lower 1 inch height, the taller legs act as support for roasts or large cuts of meat.
Extra Info
There is a very comprehensive English/Spanish manual, and it includes many well presented and instructive recipes. You may also be able to purchase a red color model. People report that this appliance can last up to 5 years with regular use, and less when using every day.
Cons:
- Maximum of 350°F (177°C)
- Some rotation needed
It’s hard to find a lot of cons with this product. One thing people worry about is that the upper temperature is only 350°F (177°C). This doesn’t affect cooking in general, but it makes the oven less suited to baking bread. Also, the bottom doesn’t cook as well as the top, so especially with double tier roasting, so you need to rotate foods.
* Stock is limited on Amazon Japan and prices fluctuate widely.
Nutrichef 13 Quart Halogen Oven – Best Value
Specs:
- Stainless steel extender
- Simple knob controls
- 65℃ / 149℉ to 250℃ / 482℉
- Mesh rack, cooking tray, thongs
- 60 minute timer
This halogen oven does what it claims to do at a reasonable price— namely defrost, broil, roast, bake, steam, grill, and BBQ. There’s a stainless steel extender to increase the height, and the mesh rack can be used for toast and cookies. The cooking tray has enough room around the edges for vegetables and potatoes. You can cook about 8 chicken thighs both above and below with two tier roasting, and it takes about 45 minutes to cook a whole chicken.
Cons :
- Only fahrenheit
- Shortish cord
- Manual insubstantial
Because this is a parallel import and non-digital, the only temperature setting is Fahrenheit, but it’s easy enough to make the adjustment. The instruction manual in English / French lacks proper tips, recipes and intel on how to get the most out of your appliance. For this, you can consult a similar appliance manual online or follow general guides on halogen cooking.
* You can also choose an 18 quart model.
Coo-Fun Infrared Air Fryer – Best Small Halogen Oven
Specs:
- Temperature in Celsius
- Low and high rack
- Recipe book included (日本語)
This oven is big enough for standard potions for two people. It’s mostly suited to fried foods and fish, and it cooks faster than a gas oven grill. For the price, most people are satisfied and the best results are with potato fries and yaki-imo. For a smallish oven, the lid still gets hot, so always place it on the wire rack. There are two racks included— one high and one low.
Cons:
- Some food rotation
- Bulky for easy storage
Even though this is one of the smaller air fryers you can get, for some people it is a little large to store away. The unit is about 30cm square, so check if you have a place for it before purchasing. Foods like tonkatsu and kara-age generally need rotating halfway through cooking, otherwise the underside is not so crisp. One way to improve this is to spray on a little cooking oil beforehand. The maximum temperature is less than larger models, but can reach about 220℃.
Big Boss 16 Quart Oil Less Fryer – Best Large Halogen Oven
Specs:
- 5 possible colors
- Extender ring
- Mesh basket
- Cooking guide on lid
- Defrost & dehydration
- 60 minute timer
- Comprehensive manual
This oven fryer is fairly large and is more suited to a household of three or more depending on what you like to cook. It’s large enough to cook a 6 to 8 lbs (2.7 to 3.6kg) bird or roast. It’s also a good size for pizza and baking bread.
Two nice extras you don’t find on all ovens is the concave mesh basket which is particularly good for fried chicken wings, ika rings, and potato fries. Also, the handle is a safety mechanism, so when you lift it up, the heater will shut off. A small oil sprayer is included, and a little oil can help give fried foods a better texture.
The thaw or wash setting can be used to defrost food, as a thermal disinfectant, or you can use it to dehydrate fruits and vegetables. The manual is only in English and French, and it has a comprehensive temperature guide with cooking tips.
Cons :
- Only Fahrenheit
- Average cooking times
This is a parallel import and only Fahrenheit models are available. Overall, this Big Boss is pretty well reviewed, except that some people feel it doesn’t cook as fast as an infrared cooker should. For average cooking times, potato fries take about 20 min, a whole 6 lbs chicken about 40, baked potatoes 45, shrimp tempura 15 min, and chicken breast and salmon steak about 18 min.
German Pool Infrared Convection Oven – Best Program Settings
Specs:
- 9 auto select cook modes
- Expandable 7 to 10 liters
- Unique flip lid
- Lock protection
If you’re looking for a machine with all the bells and whistles, you could try this German Pool halogen oven. German Pool is a Hong Kong based company with joint technical cooperation with Germany. They make a wide range of both small and large household appliances. English information on this product is available on their website, or you can download the manual.
The fully digital display is only in Celsius and there are five one touch cook options including for cakes, rice, toast, pizza, and steaming. It comes with a good quality baking pan and fry pan with holes for oil to drip down. It has the normal low and high racks and the flip lid is on a bracket and slides up for the extender ring.
Cons:
- No delay timer
- Pricey
- No user reviews
There are a lot of nice features on this halogen oven, but for the price they do not include a delay timer. There are also no user reviews available anywhere and their products are not so globally available, but they appear to be a high quality manufacturer nonetheless.
Best Halogen Oven in Japan Comparison Chart
Product | WDH (mm) | Thermostat |
Nuwave | 322 x277 x405 | 50‒173°C |
Nutrichef | 330x178 x381 | 149‒ 482℉ |
Coo-Fun | 300x275 x315 | 60‒220℃ |
Big Boss | 406x317 x343 | 200‒460℉ |
German Pool | 277x405 x322 | 50‒250°C |
For more choices for an oven see :