A toaster oven is the most round-the-clock and convenient appliance for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. All you need to do is put your food, toast, or any other product inside the warm toaster and wait for it to be toasted and ready to be eaten! However, one does wonder if the heated toaster oven could heat up the house if used often.
No, toaster ovens cannot make the house hot because they store and use the heat they produce. In some cases, the exterior of the oven may get warmer than usual, but that does not contribute to making the house hot.
Since the oven mainly performs by heating, some people try to substitute heaters with ovens, especially during cool weather. Or under some conditions, like during the brokerage or repairing of a heater, they use ovens as a source of warmth for the house.
Note: Avoid using a gas oven with no chimney as a heating source. It will slowly take up the oxygen and produce carbon dioxide and then carbon monoxide, which can lead to poisoning.
Why you should not use a toaster oven as a source of heat
It is best to only use an appliance for a purpose it was meant for. Here are some of the reasons why you shouldn’t use a toaster oven as a source of heat:
It is inefficient
A toaster oven is a kitchen appliance, and it would be best to use it as one too. The heat it emits is used to make warm food. Any other work taken from a toaster oven would be inefficient and unsuitable.
Do not circulate heat
All the heat that the toaster oven produces while making, heating, or baking food is confined inside the oven itself. The toaster oven door and no spaces for the vent system make it impossible for the heat to escape the appliance, thus failing to heat the room or the house.
It can be dangerous
Gas toaster ovens burn up gas to produce heat and use the oxygen in the room for combustion. If left open for long, the ovens can use up the oxygen in the room and start producing carbon monoxide, which is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, which makes it hard to be detected.
When this gas is continuously emitted, it intoxicates the room creating the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, resulting in flu, passing out, or even death.
Read more about indoor air pollution through carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
It can overheat
Even though electric toaster ovens eliminate the risk of poisoning, they can overheat. This overheating is strong enough to result in a fire (especially if some leftover food is on the heating element). Therefore, it is important to take all the necessary safety measures and set the toaster oven on a surface far from fire hazards.
Leaving the toaster oven door open
While the only advantage of leaving the toaster oven door open is that your oven cools down quickly and the nearer places warm up, there are numerous disadvantages.
Some people like to leave the toaster oven door open so the oven can cool off quickly. Or some people open the door so that they can warm themselves with the heat that escapes from the oven.
Some downsides of leaving the oven door open are:
- Since the appliance is hot, it is important to stay cautious of the heat and hot handles to prevent any burns or injury. It can also be dangerous if your toaster oven does not turn off automatically.
- Since the electronic panels aren’t used to exposure to sudden high heat, they may get damaged.
- If you leave the door open to use the oven as a heater, it won’t be of any use since ovens cannot be used as a substitute for heaters.
- Carbon monoxide gas (due to oxygen use up) from the oven is dangerous and can cause mild to fatal accidents. And overheating of an electric toaster oven can start a fire.
Moreover, opening the toaster oven door may also damage the oven itself, so users should avoid keeping the door open for their safety and the appliance’s safety.
Some tips for handling a hot toaster oven
Place far from walls
Place the toaster oven at some distance from the walls so that they do not get burnt by the heat.
Keep away from electrical appliances
The toaster oven should also be kept away from electrical appliances like the fridge because even though it seems like a convenient option to place them together, the toaster oven’s heat can damage the electrical appliances.
Don’t push against a wall outlet
This is important because the cord goes through the wall, but the appliance should still be kept at a gap. If the toaster oven is left on and pushed towards the wall outlet, it may spark a fire which could grow to get worse.
Don’t place close to sink
In electrical toaster ovens, contact with water can cause a fire if the water interacts with the electrical component. The toaster oven can also get electrocuted or stop working.
Your oven should not be too close to any other part of the kitchen because not only does it produce heat, but it can also lead to electrocution (if it’s an electric toaster oven). Therefore, it should be kept away from the sinks as well.
Why does the outside surface of a toaster oven get hot?
When the temperature inside the toaster oven gets high, the outer surface also starts to heat up. The heat from inside starts to move to all other parts and makes the interior as well as the exterior of the oven hot.
Final thoughts on whether a toaster oven can heat up the house
Toaster ovens do not heat up the house as a heater would. The oven is a kitchen appliance used to make and bake food and cannot be used warm up the entire house but only in the closer areas. Ovens serve their purpose adequately, and any attempt to use them for different types of work will result in dissatisfaction and can be dangerous.