Andrew James premium halogen oven plus accessories: a review
Comments(46)
Photo: Andrew
I want to introduce you to Andrew. He is our new kitchen assistant. When he arrived he was given the night off but in the morning was up early to cook a perfect full English breakfast. It took the same time to cook as using the conventional oven but instead of using two hob rings, the grill and the fan oven Andrew took care of the sausages, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon. Leaving me to make the fried eggs and work out how much electricity we were saving.
Andrew is quite chunky. With his 12 litre bowl he takes up a fair amount of worktop space. The one drawback is the instruction manual. I thought that Andrew was wearing a natty stainless steel belt until I realised that it was an extension ring that gives him an extra five litres capacity. Apart from the skewers the rest of the accessories had me flummoxed. A trip to the Coopers site revealed all. The 36 recipes are not great either as they are poorly translated and inconsistent. You can download a free recipe book from the Internet. I also invested in the The Halogen Oven Cookbook
On Sunday Andrew roasted a crown of duck and lots of potatoes. He was still wearing his extension ring as a belt so I had a bit of a problem fitting everything in. Again it took the same time as a conventional oven with the exception of the preheating time which is about 25% less in Andrew. Browsing other halogen oven manuals on the Internet I discovered that I was using much lower temperatures than a lot recommend. So I need to experiment with this. It’s easy to see how your food is cooking through the glass bowl rather than opening the oven door - this saves on electricity too.
The accessories – once you know how to use them – are handy too. A lid stand is a must as the lid does get very hot and might damage a work surface. Apart from the extension ring they can all be stored in Andrew’s bowl when not in use. The one drawback is that if you are not going to cook directly in the bowl you need round dishes for things like pies and casseroles. Luckily I inherited several from my aunt and now they are really coming into their own. The 12 litre glass bowl is quite heavy too so I wouldn’t recommend it for people who are not reasonably strong.
Although the instruction manual is poor, the Andrew James premium halogen oven cooker
A favourite present at Cottage Smallholder is a magazine subscription. Danny gets PCPro and it lives in the loo. I love Country Living for its idyllic dreamy content and great photography. We use the Magazine Group site for the cheapest possible deals. Click here
Thank you for your comments. And a bit of silly bath time fun with the Frothing Sea Monster trick!
Cutting energy costs
Recipe for sausages baked with herby garlic infused beans, bacon and tomato
Tracing some of my ancestors has taken me on a long journey
Recipe for lamb shanks braised in red wine with shallots: slow cooker/crockpot
The cupboard was bare – so what was The Contessa going to eat last night?
HG
Fiona- how do you know that you’re using less electricity? I’m posing this question as a skeptic- I want to know if there is a way for you to measure it against your regular oven. thanks!
Hi Paula
Our old conventional fan assisted oven uses max 4500 watts. Andrew is maximum 1500 watts so there’s no contest. As money is a bit tight ATM I did quite a bit of research before I bought it. Living out in the country there’s no gas – just electricity and oil. So our electricity bill is high.
We do have a mointoring device which indicates how much elecricity each plug in gadget uses. Gradually we are replacing the greedy ones or just throwing them out. so far we have cut our electricity bill from over £100 a month to about £50 a month. I hope that Andrew will have a big impact on our bill too.
Hi Fiona!
Glad you took the plunge on the halogen oven. I am interested to know if you find the cookery book worthwhile. I, too, have just been using the oven on the same temperatures I would in my normal oven, though I know the guidelines on the lid are for higher temps and therefore quicker cooking.
So please keep us updated!
Jackie
I started to read this article with some trepidation, as I’d ordered my very own Andrew last week. It’s been delivered to my mum’s for me to pick up on our way back to Croatia at the end of the month, I’m very excited about it, and pleased to read that it’s so far, so good for you and your new assistant
) Oh, and just so you know Fiona – you are entirely responsible for my Andrew AND for the slow cooker I bought in Lakeland last week 
) Can’t wait to read all the money saving tips.
I have spent a very absorbing time going to the links you provided which then threw up other links to look at. It has been so interesting and we have come to the conclusion that if you are happy so far with Andrew then we will get one soon. x
just found your site,really interesting,especially Andrew,the Halogen Oven,very tempted to go get one,i will keep coming over here from now on,thank you for sharing.
So glad you’re getting on well with Andrew – I love mine. The supplied recipe book was neither use nor ornament was it? I’m thinking of buying the book you mentioned, did you feel it was useful? Looking forward to more posts on how much of a help Andrew is – I use mine a lot, but don’t feel I’ve really pushed it to work hard yet, so I’m hoping for tips to get it working hard…
Hi Jackie
I don’t want to slate the recipe book but the free download gives almost as much information. There are two new books coming out soon and I think I will step down to WH Smith to look at them.
We are quite picky eaters and the recipes in this book probably work but I’m not a fan of pasta bake and similar.
Saying that it did open up my eyes to how Andrew could be used to advantage – multiple cooking in the one bowl – so I don’t regret buying it.
Incidentally I bought it because it had a) good reviews and b) a support website. The latter is a bit disappointing.
Hi Bib
Oh you won’t regret buying your Andrew. Or your slow cooker. Both have proved to be great investments for me.
Hi Wendy
As I write this Danny and Andrew are rustling up a full English breakfast! Andrew is great – no more heating up the large fan oven for a tray of oven chips – Andrew’s chips taste better incidentally! Roast chicken and all the trimmings tonight courtesy of Andrew.
Hello Carole
I’m really pleased with Andrew. Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Suzie
It’s early days for us with Andrew but he is cooking most days. There are several halogen oven cook books coming out in the next few months so I’d hold back if I was you.
I picked up quite a lot of tips immersing myself in halogen oven videos on YouTube.
Hello Fiona
I have been enjoying your site for some time now it is on my favourites! Congratulations to you and Danny for a lovely web site! Packed with interesting and inspirational stuff!
I look forward to hearing how things progress with Andrew – I am very tempted to get one. I have been a fan of slow cookers for years – both when I worked and now that we live in rural France – they are fantastic time savers and produce wonderful meals. I now own 2. My first one eventually got a crack in the pot. My husband got me a 6 litre replacement when he was back in the UK (they are much cheaper there than in France!) and then I stumbled on an unused Morphy Richards 3.5 litre in a charity shop here – of course, I grabbed it! On occasions I have both in use at the same time. (I also have 2 bread machines – also indispensable here – we have no shops in our village.)
Jouals
Hi there,very excited,i have ordered my own Andrew, will be delivered next Wednesday,can’t wait to start cooking in it.
Hi Jouals
We are using Andrew a lot – apart from when we are cooking enough to fill the conventional oven. The saving on electricity is great – you can even steam vegetables in foil alongside the roast/pie etc.
Love my slow cooker too.
Hi Carol
That’s great news I know that you won’t be disappointed.
Hi Fiona
Every since you first mentioned this gadget I’ve been longing to give it a try… We have an Aga and a microwave to cook with, but I would love to turn the Aga off during June/July/August. We’ve never done this because of the lack of an oven – I make bread, cakes and one-tray roasts all the time (meat & veg roasted in one dish), and we would miss this.
Sounds like I should be looking at one of these but I can’t get a feel for what it would really allow me to do. I mean: could I still cook a loaf of bread (in a 2lb loaf tin)in it; or a 3-4lb chicken?
And what’s the size/height of the dish itself? Amazon doesn’t give dimensions…
Ever so grateful for any hints. Do keep posting about your successes/failures with this oven.
Katyvic
Hi Katyvic
Andrew measures roughly 12 inches in diameter and the bowl is six inches high. The extension collar is three inches high. You would need the collar for bread or a large 3-4 lb chicken. We cooked one on Sunday and it was fine.
I haven’t tried making bread in Andrew but I have seen videos of bread being made in a halogen oven and have found a recipe here. You can also prove the bread in the oven. The main drawback is that the oven is circular so larger vessels need to be round.
So far we are delighted with the oven – being able to see what is going on makes a huge difference.
All,
I have the above Andrew James Halogen Oven and I find it ok.
I cant seem to cook anything using the 2 levels together.
Say breakfast for 2 needs both trays, 4 bacon, 4 sauages, pudding and hash browns (as described in top article)will not fit without using the 2 trays.
I end up moving it to the top rack to finish off and at this time the items cooked first are going cold or drying out.
I also cooked some home made burgers in the bottom rack as mentioned in the cook book with some oven fries in a top non stick tray. The fries cooked as normal but the burger while cooked wasnt browned. Had to finish it off on the frying pan.
On youtube clips you see them loading in stuff on both levels and all comes out perfect, in the real world this is not the case.
IMHO this oven is only useful for cooking either top or bottom tray not both together. Which for the most means that you need to cook the rest of your food somewhere else anyway.
Cooking things on single levels is fine but you are limited to 1 x 10″ tray. V Small for a dinner for 1 or 2.
Hi there,i’m so pleased with my halogen cooker,i have’nt cooked on the 2 level’s as yet,have baked Bread roll’s,Pizza,frittata,Chicken wing’s,Roast chicken and Vegee’s,Pork and Lamb chop’s,and Grilled cheese,all turned out really great,Regard’s Carol.
Cheers Carol.
If you want to cook in both trays the top one is getting the grill effect from the lamp so its browning.
But this blocks the direct light for the bottom tray meaning that only convection heat is cooking the bottom one. Food will take much much longer and wont brown. Its cooking like a microwave. No light = no browning. Yes/No
Hi David
I cook breakfast using two levels and it works fine. I start off the mushrooms (sliced fine in a foil parcel with a knob of butter) and the hash browns on the highest grid for five minutes at 200c. Then I move them onto the lower grid and put the sausages on the top grid for ten minutes. Then I turn the sausages and add the bacon slices to the top grid and also some tomatoes halved and in a foil saucer. Cook for a further ten minutes and everything is perfect.
I think that you are having problems because you are using the trays. Put the food directly onto the grids.
If you had put you chips on the lower grid and your beefburger on the top grid they would have cooked well and both would have browned. If you don’t want the burger to drip onto the chips put it into a piece of foil fashiioned into the side of the burger and turn it as per instructions.
Hi Carol
I was thinking of cooking fritatta in our Andrew and then I chickened out. Good to hear that you are enjoying your oven.
Hi david,thank you for the info re-garding the using of the two level’s,that makes sense,will try it out next time,cheer’s,Carol
Hi
After reading your reviews I have ordered an Andrew with a free 128 page book, It looks great!!!
Cant wait for it to arrive
Have used my Andrew to cook a chicken, Its absolutely brilliant. The chicken came out crisp and golden brown. Very impressed , I dont think my normal oven will get used again!!!.
The book that came with it is superb, I am going to give the Orange Cup-Cakes Topped with Fluffy Cream Icining a go this afternoon. (page 109 in the Andrew James Halogen book)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003BUZGGO/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
I’ll let you know how I get on
Hi Gilly
We’ll be roasting a chicken in Andrew tonight – it’s so much easier than using the cooker.
I love this cooker because of how it can transform your cooking not only in taste, but health. Ditching the microwave is one the best ways to retain those nutrients in our food. I think this is a similar product to what Dr. Mercola sells on his site, but the Andrew James seems to have more features!
I have just downloaded the book you mentioned and will take a good later….have also purchased one from Amazon on next day delivery….bread has come out of ( i call mine Ethan) Ethan great and just having a slice with butter yum
I got my halogen (think I’ll call it Jenny now), last Christmas as the grill in our Belling cooker popped it’s clogs.
My partner (another Fiona) gave me grief about buying another gadget destined for the kitchen cupboard.
Well, it has been used every day since then, I even took it to the Corrour estate where I go fishing each year because I knew how fast and efficient it was (and I wouldn’t know how to use an Aga).
Not a great fan of chicken in the past but in “Jenny” it’s lovely.
Hi Max
Like you, we have been amazed on how good Andrew/Jenny is. Since we invested in our halogen oven we’ve hardly used the conventional oven at all.
Yes chicken is great cooked in a halogen oven. Danny also does a mean roast lamb and roast beef to die for
Hi Ceinwen and Ethan
I haven’t tried bread in Andrew yet – thanks for the nudge!
Received my Andrew this week. Cooked roast beef yesterday. The book said to cook on 200 for 60 – 75 minutes. 3 hours later the beef was cooked through but tough. Has anyone else tried this?
Hi Maureen – may I ask what joint it was?
We have been happy with the results of our roasting in Andrew but I tend to do it hot (like 220) for 15-20 minutes and then drop the temp to maybe 170 for another hour or so depending on the size of the joint for medium rare. Cooking with the collar on.
One thing we did notice is that even though Andrew is a fan oven of sorts, we need to add maybe 10 degrees to the fan oven temps we would use in our conventional fan oven. For example if we cook at 180 in our normal fan oven, Andrew seems to require 190 to get the same results.
Intruiged now with the Andrew!
Gave my cheaper version away to help the aged last year as never got any good results!
I guess that technology has improved, moved on since then.
Where can I purchase this ingenious halogen oven please?
I’m determined to cut down the cost of my fuel consumption this year, reducing my ‘carbon footprint’,cutting costs, avoiding waste,I make bread alternate days and bake, cook lots, so Andrew seems ideal. Beats heating up the fan oven!
Where did you buy yours?
Many thanks, Odelle X
I call my halogen oven the Hadron Collider. It’s great for jacket potatoes and sausages. Such a saving instead of heating up a huge fan oven.
Hi Odelle
We bought ours from Amazon. There’s a link in the article above. They are now much cheaper than when we bought ours. Go for the one with the extras as the collar etc are essential.
Hi Rosanne
Love the name!
We rarely use our fan oven anymore. Andrew has taken over and saved us 17% on our electricity bill over the last 9 months
Hi Fiona All,
The creeping cost of fuel is alarming,so we all need to save ‘energy, fuel’ consumption, yet don’t want to compromise, especially on our meals!
As the nights are colder,what better than a good hot meal, it’s a basic commodity as far as I’m concerned.
Especially as I do ‘love’ good food by that I don’t mean ‘pricey’, just good homecooked meals. The simplest stews can be fit for a King without costing the earth, healthy, warming, tastes fantastic (just like my Mum would make)corny, yet true! Another reason why I love this site, like-minded people can get together and the input is amazing, a little online community with the help of Fiona, Danny,which all contributes to make such interesting reading, comments, tips and ideas! You are a clever lot out there! LOL
Thanks to all for the feedback on the Andrew, Jenny other names for the halogen oven, so I shall have a ponder through the link to have a look at the ‘Premium Andrew’ with great excitement.
Thankyou for all the great input, may need some prompts from you on bread, cakes, pies, to give me the ‘push’, LOL. As if I need it!
Happy Cooking All,
Much love,
Odelle X.
Hi Danny
It was a 1.2 kg lean topside. The top started to burn after about 30 minutes so I covered with foil and turned it several times
Odelle, I bought my Andrew from ebay. £49.95 with all the extra tools and delivered free. I ordered on Sunday, it arrived on Tuesday. It came from Co. Durham.
Maureen
Hi Maureen
Lean topside is a joint that needs to be slow cooked. Danny discovered this when I got a good deal on a vast topside joint. This is what we did with part of ours http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/tasty-beef-pot-au-feu-recipe-7020. If you were to roast this joint in Andrew it would need to be covered in foil and slow roasted for many hours on the bottom rack at say 120c degrees.
Poor you, what a disappointment. It annoys me when reliable cooking instructions are not included with a joint.
Maureen,
Mant thanks to you for the e-bay advice, what a bargain purchase you made, free delivelry, can’t be bad!
Shall be checking out e-bay now, never even gave it a thought!
Durham is not far from me, a beautiful city, I live in Co.Cleveland, amazing isn’t it?
Many thanks Maureen, take care, until next time,
Odelle X
Hi Fiona,
Excellent savings to be made on the cost of electricity, thankyou, great ideas and recipies for Andrew that you’ve included.
If I can get into town I just may have a look in W.H.Smiths myself to have a pre-view so to speak on the halogen cookbooks.
Should check out the dictionary, just realised spelling error to my note to Maureen! LOL
Apologies Maureen, I’m hopeless sometimes, my hands don’t work as effeciently as I’d like.
Lv Odelle X
Hi again Odelle
Forgot to mention I also bought halogen cook book on ebay.
Maureen
Hi Guys,
I would like to try making a cake such as walnut or carrot cake in Andrew but cannot find a recipe anywhere. Has anyone got one I could try pleaae?
Any simple cake would be welcome.
Thanks
Maureen
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for your feedback re:e-bay purchase of halogen oven,much appreciated.
I too am keen to use the oven for baking cakes,bread,pies so would be interested in any recipies you may find/try,sucess or mishaps(happy accidents I prefer)that you may encounter during the process save avoiding the same.
Happy accidents can be rectified easily,soggy cake?Steam/cook little longer,serve with custard/cream as dessert.
Overcooked cut away burned edges,ice with buttercream,or if lg cake cut into smaller cakes,coat with buttericing or chocolate moistens whilst ‘hiding’any kind of accident.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Odelle X
Hi Odelle and Maureen
I’ve done a bit of research on the Internet and found a recipe for cupcakes in the halogen oven. This lady has experimented with baking cakes in her Andrew so it might be a good place to start. Scroll down the page for the cupcake recipe http://cherrymay.com/thehalogencookbook/
Morning Fiona, many thanks for the above link re: cup cakes, didn’t realise that there were so many halogen oven books.
Much appreciated,
Odelle X
I am contemplating getting one of these to use in our caravan as the oven has seen better days but will be hard to replace due to its size.
Bit worried about how hot they get so I have been looking on a caravan forum and spotted this link for a recipe book so thought I would share it with you.
http://www.idealworld.tv/common/downloads/Halogen_Oven_Recipe_Book.pdf
hi just bought a halogen oven from the factory shop for 40quid and has all the extra’s lid holder two trays extender ring and loads of other bits and pieces its great.
Hi Lu
What a bargain!
Thanks so much for introducing me to Andrew! We’re just eating the first cake I’ve made with ours and I’m looking forward to trying your recipes. When we used him for the first time a couple of days ago our (very greedy) Lab was captivated by Andrew’s lights going on and off, illuminating the sausages inside!