Introduction

The kitchen, the heart of every home, is nowadays equipped with modern appliances. One of the most popular appliances to have in the kitchen is an OTG oven for your various cooking needs. What is an OTG oven and how is it different from the microwave or any other kitchen appliance? Well, this blog will unravel the mysteries behind an OTG oven by explaining its working mechanisms, features, models, advantages, and comparison with microwave ovens. So, let's get going! 

What is an OTG Oven? 

OTG stands for Oven Toaster Grill. It is a small-sized, multi-functional kitchen appliance created to serve a variety of cooking needs, from baking to grilling. Unlike usual built-in ovens that become part of the kitchen structure; the OTGs are usually placed on top of a surface, making them easy to access for home cooks.

OTG ovens contain heating coils on both the upper and lower surfaces to cook food evenly. An OTG oven is equipped to toast, grill, and bake dishes using traditional heating methods that gives food a flavour like when it is cooked on a stove. OTG oven is ideal for cooking those complex dishes that require a human touch, like baking and grilling.

How Does an OTG Oven Work? 

Knowing the parts of an OTG oven is a good starting point for understanding how it works. Let’s take a look at what they are:

  1. Heating Elements: Notably, these ovens possess heating coils on either side; at the top and at the bottom. These coils can be regulated independently or simultaneously depending on what one wants to cook.
  2. Thermostat: This helps to maintain a uniform temperature inside the OTG which helps to avoid fluctuations while functioning. The heat level can be managed by the user according to the dish that has to be cooked in the OTG.
  3. Timer: To avoid overcooking and burning of food all ovens have built-in timers.
  4. Modes of Cooking: Modes of cooking such as baking, grilling, and toasting are offered by OTG ovens across brands. Therefore, the user can choose the appropriate mode for their meal preparation.
  5. Racks and Trays: Equally important are the adjustable racks and trays that come with these types of ovens to facilitate the even placement of food items.

Depending on what you want to do in an OTG, you choose to use either of the heating coils, or both at once. This allows you the flexibility to control the cooking process, whether you are choosing to grill chicken fillets, bake muffins, or toast some garlic bread for the evening.

What are some OTG Oven types? 

Over the years, OTG ovens have evolved to incorporate a lot of features, categorizing ovens into different categories. Some of them are:

  1. Standard OTG Ovens: These are simple ovens that are typically intended to carry out one function such as baking or toasting.  The small size of the appliance ensures that it can be placed in a basic cooking set and makes it available at affordable prices.
  2. Multifunction OTG Ovens: Built and equipped for multiple cooking modes from grilling, toasting, and baking, the increased capacity of such ovens allows for various delicacies to be cooked evenly and at once. Such OTG ovens are accompanied by features like multiple rack positioning, built-in convection fans, and rotisserie.
  3. Digital OTG Ovens: Accurate setting with digital display of time and temperature is possible with digital OTG ovens. Preset cooking programs are available for popular dishes. Sleek features like soft touch panell and digital display are available for options such as these.
  4. Convection OTG Ovens: Convection OTG ovens help in even cooking due to the presence of a convection fan that circulates the heat uniformly. It takes less time to cook as compared to other OTG ovens, and as the cooking time reduces the OTG becomes even more power efficient. 

For more information you can read How to choose the right otg oven

Difference Between OTG and Microwave? 

Let us understand the difference between these kitchen appliances and their modes of function according to our needs.

Cooking Mechanics

  • OTG Oven: Heating coils are used to produce heat for cooking, suitable for baking, toasting, and grilling.
  • Microwave Oven: Microwave uses radiation technique that makes it ideal for reheating, defrosting, and simple cooking.

Cooking Speed

  • OTG Oven: Heating coils take time to heat up, hence the cooking process is slower.
  • Microwave Oven: Requires less time to heat food.

Versatility

  • OTG Oven: Highly versatile as it is ideal for baking, grilling, and toasting.
  • Microwave Oven: Lightly versatile as it is primarily used for reheating and fast cooking.

Energy Consumption

  • OTG Oven: Uses more energy as the dishes are completely cooked by the OTG.
  • Microwave Oven: Used only for reheating purposes, it consumes less energy.

Food Texture

  • OTG Oven: Gives a great texture for baked and grilled dishes.
  • Microwave Oven: Retains the original texture of the food, but is unable to give the food any texture of its own.

Benefits of Using an OTG Oven

Having an OTG oven is a blessing in the kitchen. Let’s take a look at why:

  1. Versatility: An OTG is a multi-functional kitchen appliance apt for cooking various recipes.
  2. Cost-Effective: An OTG is more affordable compared to high-end microwaves and built-in ovens.
  3. Compact and Portable: Hassle-free movement and easy installation in small spaces is a key feature of OTGs.
  4. Customizable Cooking: The thermostat is an OTG that provides a temperature control feature for various dishes.
  5. Energy Efficiency:  For small to medium-capacity cooking OTG ovens are much more energy-efficient compared to large conventional ovens. 

Conclusion

An OTG is a friendly kitchen mate. It lightens the burden on occasions when you have guests at home and require your food to be cooked to perfection.  This multipurpose and valuable appliance offers a wide range of baking, toasting, and grilling solutions in your kitchen with ease. Available in various models it stands apart from microwaves in terms of cooking mechanisms and uses. Prestige offers a variety of OTG ovens with innovative features at affordable rates to choose from. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) Can an OTG oven be a substitute for a microwave?

A) An OTG oven is capable of baking, grilling and other functions that a microwave can’t do. However, it may not be efficient in reheating food or defrosting frozen food. Every device has its strengths and both are needed in the kitchen.

2) Is an OTG good for big families?

A) Yes. You can choose to buy an OTG that is suitable for the size of your family.

3) What should I do to maintain my OTG oven?

A) For optimal performance of your OTG oven, regular cleaning is important. Make sure heating elements, racks, and trays are cleaned after every use. Some models have self-cleaning functions to ease the maintenance process. You can refer to the product manual as well for more details.

4) Can I put metal utensils inside an OTG oven?

A) Please use only OTG - safe utensils in the OTG - oven. Avoid non-oven plastics or any other type of non-oven material.

5) How do I determine the right size of an OTG oven for my kitchen

A) The space available on the countertop, your personal cooking needs, and the number of people you usually prepare meals for should guide you in deciding what size would be best. Smaller ones would be ideal for singles or nuclear families while larger ones are better for bigger households or for those who use OTG to cook meals more frequently.

6) Does an OTG oven consume a lot of electricity?

A) While OTG ovens can consume more electricity than microwaves due to longer cooking times, they are generally more energy-efficient than large conventional ovens for smaller cooking tasks. Choosing the right size and using the appropriate settings can help manage energy consumption effectively.