How Does an Infrared Oven Work?

So, you’ve you heard of infrared ovens. That’s why you’re here.

You heard about them, thought they sounded cool or that they’re probably the future, but then you realized:

“I have no idea how these things actually work. What even is an infrared oven exactly?”

I’ve got you covered.

What Infrared Ovens Actually Are

They’re a pretty cool way to cook your food, and they’re different from the traditional ovens that most of us are used to.

But do you know what’s interesting about them? They’re basically the same as your toaster… just… taken to a whole new level.

So, how do they work? Well, it all has to do with infrared radiation.

No, not that kind of radiation.

It’s a type of electromagnetic radiation that has a longer wavelength than visible light. That’s right — all it is, is simply a type of light.

When the infrared oven emits this radiation, it’s absorbed by the food, causing the molecules in the food to vibrate and produce heat. And as you know, that’s what you want.

Why Infrared Ovens Are Pretty Energy Efficient

One of the best things about using infrared radiation to cook is that it makes the food cook more evenly and quickly. This is actually true. I’ve been testing it myself for the past few weeks of using my Ninja Foodi Infrared Oven.

The reason? It’s because the infrared radiation directly heats the food, rather than heating the air around it like a traditional oven does. As a result, the food cooks faster and more evenly, and is less likely to dry out.

Another big advantage of infrared ovens is that they’re more energy-efficient than regular ovens — you’ll see this plastered all over their marketing. Since they heat the food directly, rather than heating up the whole oven, they can cook food faster and more efficiently. And that’s why it saves you energy each time you cook, and, as you can imagine, why getting one helps out with your energy bills in the long run.

Plus, infrared ovens are often smaller and more portable than regular ovens. So, if you have limited kitchen space or you want to be able to cook on the go, an infrared oven might be a great option for you.

Unfortunately, we still also have a whole actual oven built in too, that we no longer use.

We were thinking of using it as storage but that sounds like a terrible idea, even if it’s now permanently unplugged.

All in all, infrared ovens are a pretty neat way to cook your food. They cook it faster and more evenly, and they’re more energy-efficient too. If you’re looking for a new cooking method, give an infrared oven a try! I’m so glad I got mine.