Tea light ovens are a unique and intriguing DIY project that have become popular online recently. The basic premise is that a confined space lined with reflective material can be used to focus the heat from a small flame like a tea light to cook food. While interesting in theory, do these ovens actually work for cooking? Let’s take a closer look.
How Do Tea Light Ovens Work?
A tea light oven is made by creating an enclosed chamber, usually out of cardboard or another easily obtained material. The inside walls of the chamber are lined with aluminum foil or another reflective surface. A tea light candle is placed inside the chamber and lit. The reflective walls concentrate and direct the heat from the candle throughout the chamber.
A pot, pan, or other vessel is placed inside the oven, with food loaded into it. As the candle burns, the concentrated heat slowly warms up and cooks the food. Tea light ovens rely on indirect, ambient heat rather than direct contact with a flame or heating element. The temperature inside a tea light oven typically reaches between 200-300°F.
What Can You Cook in a Tea Light Oven?
Because tea light ovens only reach moderate temperatures, they work best for cooking foods that require slower, gentler heating. Some foods that can be prepared in a tea light oven include:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Fried/scrambled eggs
- Casseroles
- Stews and chilis
- Rice
- Bone broth
- Poached fish
- Roasted vegetables
- Baked goods like muffins and bread
In general, foods that require high, direct heat like meats and most veggies don’t cook as well. Boiling water for coffee or tea is also not feasible. More complex recipes and foods that cook quickly just won’t work well in a tea light oven.
Benefits of Cooking with a Tea Light Oven
For the right foods and recipes, tea light ovens provide some unique benefits:
- Very energy efficient – a tea light only uses about 80W of power
- Portable – the ovens are small and don’t require electricity
- Reusable – tea light ovens can be used multiple times
- Safe for indoor cooking without a stove or oven
- Fun, creative DIY project using simple materials
Their simplicity and ability to cook without external power sources make tea light ovens handy to have in certain situations. They can be a nifty cooking solution for camping, power outages, or anywhere that cooking facilities are limited.
Downsides and Limitations
While neat in concept, tea light ovens do have some significant limitations to be aware of:
- Very slow cooking times – most foods take 2-4 hours to cook fully
- Temperature regulation is difficult
- Only recipes that work with indirect heat can be used
- chamber size is small – space to cook multiple items is limited
- Tea lights burn out in 3-5 hours, requiring constant monitoring and replacement
- Foil chambers degrade over time
- Not effective for boiling water or more complex recipes
Tea light ovens require patience and some trial and error to produce good results. They can’t replicate most normal cooking appliances. For regular day-to-day cooking needs, their limitations make them impractical.
Do Tea Light Ovens Actually Work?
Based on their pros and cons, tea light ovens do work technically, but with significant caveats. They can gently cook certain simple foods over several hours. However, their limitations prevent them from working as a primary cooking method for more situations.
As a survivalist/prepper tool or cooking novelty, they function reasonably well. But for daily kitchen needs, traditional ovens and ranges provide much better results, convenience, and versatility.
Tips for Successful Cooking in a Tea Light Oven
If you want to try out cooking with a tea light oven, here are some tips to help ensure success:
- Stick to recipes designed for slow, indirect cooking like stews, roasted veggies, simple baked goods
- Allow plenty of time, at least 2-4 hours for most foods to fully cook
- Use multiple tea lights and replace them every 3-5 hours for consistent heat
- Elevate food off the oven floor on a trivet or stand for better air circulation
- Wrap food in foil for more even heating
- Check food periodically and add water if drying out
- Opt for a larger oven design for bigger portions
With the right approach and recipes, tea light ovens can be an efficient alternative cooking option in limited situations. But for everyday cooking, traditional ovens and stoves will provide much faster, versatile, and reliable results.
Conclusion
Tea light ovens use simple principles of reflected heat to slowly cook foods, but have practical limitations. They can be handy for survival or recreational cooking, but aren’t suitable for daily meal preparation. With careful design and proper use, it is possible to cook some basic foods in a tea light oven. But traditional cooking appliances are superior for convenience, versatility, and consistency.