Toaster Oven Fowl

[trebuchet03]

So, when possible, I like to use my toaster oven instead of the large oven. And it just so happens - I can cook while Cornish hens in there without a problem. It works out well because I'm typically only cooking for one or two people and firing up the range/oven seems rather inefficient.

Next time, I'll measure how many kWh it takes to cook one of these guys

Cooking Cornish Hens in a Toaster Oven



I also store my hot mitts on top of the toaster -- perhaps some insulation?




Anyone else cook "strange" things in toaster ovens?

[Daox]

I wouldn't say I cook strange things in mine. But, me and the wife use it all the time to prepare meals. Its quick and easy and heats up leftovers 100x better than a microwave.

[Frank Lee]

I'm a toaster oven devotee too. So much faster than the regular oven and so many things are better than when microwaved.

I like to do 1/2 a frozen pizza in there at a time; it also keeps me from eating the whole thing!

[SVOboy]

But think of how much wasted energy went into the chicken itself,

[Frank Lee]

I get free-range chickens (and eggs) from a farm. Downside is doing the butchering- don't much care for that.

[SVOboy]

My aunts get chickens from the farm next to my gramma's. Little kid named tanner raises them and then they all get together to chop their heads off and watch 'em run around,

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

But think of how much wasted energy went into the chicken itself,

That's a good point - I occasionally substitute tofu for meats (especially in stir fry's)... So here's what I found....

1 lb of Tofu (firm) contains 321 calories (~85 Calories per 120g)
1lb of chicken contains 640 calories

So equivalent energy of chicken:tofu is 2:1 (1.994:1)

I pay $1.97 for a pound of chicken (how much I paid for this instructable) - and $2.19 for 12oz of firm Tofu (so $2.73 per pound). For ease - lets say $2 for chicken, $2.75 for tofu.

So for equivalent calories...
Chicken: $2.00 (1lb)
Tofu: $5.50 (2lb)

CO2 (1lb chicken - 2lb tofu)
Chicken: 2.292 lb
Tofu: Having trouble finding this

Grain/Soy Resources (1lb of chicken- 2lb tofu)
Chicken: 6kg of grain or soy
Tofu: ~1kg of soybeans (plus a tiny bit of coagulant)

Life cycle Energy (1lb chicken - 2lb tofu)
Chicken: 14.4 MJ
Tofu: 39.2 MJ


Water (lb chicken 2lb tofu)
Chicken: ~660 gallons (actual processing: ~4 gallons)
Tofu: ~550 gallons (actual processing: ~3/4 gallon)
Beef: ~2500 gallons (just for comparison)


Land Use
Chicken: Having trouble finding (2.5 acres/yr feeds 2 people though)
Tofu: ~30 square feet

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Comments:

Tofu does come out on top.... But interestingly, eating chicken is far more energy efficient than a cheese pizza due to the resources necessary for milk/cheese production.

Energy - tofu loses here due to electricity input - almost half of that figure (47%) is electric input for production plant operation (lots of heating water and such).

Interestingly, about a kg of tofu only requires about 1/2kg of soybeans. Also note that the 6kg of chicken feed does not equate to otherwise 6kg of human food. Chickens are fed waste (grain hull, etc.) and by products from other processes.

CO2... Yes, plants do capture CO2. However, most of this captured CO2 is released to the environment - actual plant growing can be considered net 0 CO2. (much like burning 1 30 year old tree requires growing a same species tree for 30 years to reach a theoretical net 0)

When researching - there's a lot of info on energy for a pound of "tofu protein" as opposed to energy (calories). I almost fell into that trap - it's very misleading...


And holy crap! I spend a lot on Tofu - it seems really high, but I'm looking at my receipts... For me though, I use tofu in a meal with a lot of other stuff... Stir fry, for example, has a LOT of veggies

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If you buy Organic chicken... The numbers for chicken go up (on the order of 15%-30%). Poultry production is one of a few industries that has an increase in energy consumption from organic production. Also, many of the chicken data facts are based on "poultry" and are based on per dollar. If you pay more, those numbers go up proportionally.

[jwxr7]

We love our toaster oven. I can't think of anything too strange that we've cooked in there, but we use it about everyday.

If I'm in a hurry I start with some microwaves and finish in the toaster oven. Seems to taste as well as if it were all toaster oven time as long as the microwave time is limited.

We just upsized to a taller double rack one so we can fit more stuff in.

[bennelson]

Crock pots are also good for saving energy. Same idea, that they heat a smaller space, and the food more directly.

My GAS oven uses 200-300 watts to run the glow plug to ignite the gas. One would think a gas oven would be electrical energy efficient. Not that type!

I also open up the oven in the winter to let the heat into my house, and try to cook on the grill outside, to keep the heat out there.

[jwxr7]

we made sweet potatoes and ham in ours last night.