Best Eco-Friendly Portable Ovens for Your Next Outdoor Cookout
By Beth Rush
The right eco-friendly portable oven is an invaluable addition to your next outdoor cookout. They prepare dishes and maintain the appropriate temperature to preserve food safety, and you can use them nearly anywhere you go. They’re also handy daily, saving you from long office microwave lines when your lunch break is short. Here are the eight best eco-friendly portable oven brands to consider when adding to your gadget collection.
What Makes a Portable Oven Eco-Friendly
One feature that makes portable ovens so eco-friendly is their relatively small carbon footprint. Many models use conduction heat technology to minimize energy consumption. They use a fraction of the power of your typical home oven, which usually requires a 240-volt outlet thanks to massive electricity needs.
Conversely, many eco-friendly portable ovens require only 12- or 24-volt connections — you can plug them into your car’s lighter or charging port. Many models also come with 110-volt compatibility, allowing you to plug them into standard outlets.
For the ultimate in sustainability, you can power your eco-friendly portable oven via the sun. Connect a Jackery or similar portable power source to the right size panel and voila — you can now enjoy off-grid dining that’s every bit as tasty as home cooking.
Why Everyone Needs an Eco-Friendly Portable Oven
Your break lasts 30 minutes, and there are three or four people ahead of you waiting on the break room microwave. Is it time to struggle through your afternoon on that pack of half-stale crackers you found stashed in the back corner of your desk drawer? Not if you have an eco-friendly portable oven. Most models aren’t significantly bigger than your standard cooler, meaning you can schlep your meal and the means to heat it to work with you.
Of course, your eco-friendly portable oven also comes in handy at outdoor gatherings. Many models come with stay-warm serving trays that maintain the foods on your buffet at a constant temperature. You can even use it to keep pizza warm in your living room on movie night. The boxes won’t catch fire until they reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so maintaining a toasty 325 degrees doesn’t require you to dirty a fresh container.
Eco-friendly portable ovens help maintain food safety. According to handling rules, buffet items should maintain a consistent temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the ovens on this list will help you achieve this.
8 Eco-Friendly Portable Ovens for Your Next Cookout
Consider adding one of these eco-friendly portable ovens to your next shopping list.
1. ROTTO GOON
The ROTTO GOON portable oven allows cross-country travelers to stay healthy and dine in style. With a 2-in-1 12- and 24-volt adapter, it plugs into any vehicle’s lighter port for plenty of power. This feature also makes it compatible with many portable power packs, meaning it’s perfect for outdoor gatherings or your next camping trip, too.
This design fits most containers, including glass, stainless steel, plastic, Tupperware, metal and cardboard — as long as it has a flat bottom. Alternatively, wrap your meals in aluminum foil and place them directly into your portable oven. Cook meat from scratch in as little as an hour and a half and heat up precooked meals in a fraction of the time.
Available from Amazon: $34.99
2. Aotto
The Aotto eco-friendly portable oven stands apart for its collapsibility. A convenient shoulder strap makes it easy to carry to picnics or your favorite campsite. The removable heating tray stands independently as a warmer, making it perfect for the buffet at your next outdoor cookout. The flat surface was easily wiped clean with a microfiber cloth.
Available from Amazon: $34.95
3. Vevor
Here’s one of the fastest-heating, eco-friendly portable ovens around. The Vevor’s 100-watt, high-power heating plate can take your meal from raw to perfectly cooked within 25 minutes. It’s easy to carry by the attached handle or shoulder strap and weighs only 1.72 pounds. The high-quality nylon exterior resists damage and fraying, even with repeated daily use, and easily wipes clean.
Available from Amazon: $27.71
4. Breeze Touch
The Breeze Touch is the best eco-friendly portable oven with set-it-and-forget-it functionality. Its automatic temperature control lets you set it once and walk away for hours without fear of burning your meal. The outside of this design includes a handy side pocket for carrying utensils. It’s compatible with multiple container materials and doubles as a warming plate for your next outdoor cookout.
Available from Amazon: $22.99
5. Kabbas
This portable oven has a 2-quart capacity and a removable warming tray. Keep it in the box to maintain a constant temperature for hours when taking your lunch to the office. Alternatively, remove the heating tray for your outdoor buffet. It’s the perfect holiday gift for people who travel or spend long hours on the road, such as truck drivers. Of course, it could bring a little joy to your stocking as well.
Available from Amazon: $29.99
6. InHeat
The InHeat portable oven is a bit more advanced than other models. With eight heating modes, this eco-friendly portable oven may be the best one for your next outdoor cookout, keeping everything at the correct internal temperature to maintain food safety. However, it’s best for glass and foil food containers only. This model also has a deeper capacity than other models, making it ideal for those with hearty appetites or many mouths to feed.
Available from Amazon: $45.99
7. Auingote
Most of your heat-resistant containers stay safe in this portable oven that features an indicator light to let you know when your food is ready — just set it and forget it. It automatically adjusts heating time based on food portions. It’s foldable and portable, slipping easily inside a backpack for taking along on camping trips and plugging into your solar power bank. The aluminum heating tray is removable and can be used as a warmer during buffets.
Available from Amazon: $28.35
8. Oddier
The last eco-friendly portable oven on this list, the Oddier, keeps your food toasty between 140 degrees and 230 degrees Fahrenheit, with automatic cycling to prevent burning or drying out your meal. This model is a bit different in that it recommends removing the heat tray from the oven itself before use. Those using the tray inside the outer insulation bag should allow heat to dissipate fully before folding the material and placing it in their backpack.
Available from Amazon: $25.99
The Best Eco-Friendly Portable Ovens
Eco-friendly portable ovens are the versatile kitchen gadgets everyone needs. They maintain food safety at your next buffet and make hot meals possible anywhere, even in your favorite off-grid camping location. They also spare you from long lines in the lunchroom and are perfect for frequent travelers. Select your ideal model today and enjoy life more deliciously.
About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!