What Should You Look for When Buying a Tandoori Oven?

Tandoori ovens are effective little cooking appliances that can cook a variety of things and are low-cost, so if you're in the market to purchase one it is a wise choice. Let's analyze what you should look for when buying a tandoori oven - there are a few key considerations to keep in mind before determining your final purchase.

Here is a basic overview of the main things to focus on when trying to find the right tandoori oven that is suitable for you:

• Cost
• Size
• Functionality
• Brand recognition
• Customer feedback

Cost

This is often the main concern for anyone when looking to buy any type of product no matter what it is. If you're looking for something bigger that has more functionalities, you are going to have to pay a higher price. If you are looking for a tandoori oven at the cheapest price possible, then you will be able to find one at rock bottom prices, whether it is online or at Walmart, Target or some other appliance store.

For dirt cheap possibilities, check the online classified sites. You can find great deals for used items on sites like Craigslist and Backpage. Heck, I once had a small tandoori oven, and when I moved, I didn't want to drag it with me, so I gave it away on Craigslist for free. So deals are to be had if you are in the right place at the right time. New tandoori ovens range from $20 to $150 in price. Of course, if you want to buy the best of the best, then the Breville BOV800XL is for you.

Size

This can be a key element, depending on how many people in your household you are cooking for, and whether you plan to just use it as a supplement to your main oven. You're lucky to cook two meals or four slices of bread in the smallest tandoori ovens. On the other hand, you can cook a regular-sized turkey in the larger ones. You'll be lucky to cook two servings or entrees in a smaller unit, but you could get away with cooking up to four in a larger one. If you plan to use it for baking a lot of larger items likes cakes and pies, then you need a medium to large size unit.

Functionality

The functionality you are looking for in a tandoori oven is another thing to consider. Do you want to be able to bake? What about broiling? Then there are special features such as auto shut off, timed cooking and auto cleaning. Make sure the functionality will be something you will actually use, and not something that just "sounds neat".

Brand Recognition

Do you want to go with the popular, mainstream brands like Cuisinart, Breville or Kitchen Aid? Or some of the less known ones or familiar brands that are trying to break into this market like Euro-Pro, Delonghi or Wolfgang Puck? Some of these brands look to attack a certain segment of the market. For example, Wolfgang Puck introduces more of a high-end tandoori oven that caters to the gourmet crowd.

Breville is a familiar brand that has a lot of different kitchen appliances available such as blenders, tandooris, pressure cookers and coffee makers, so they seem to be a trustworthy brand. Black & Decker imparts the word "quality" in their brand from their history as a popular tools provider. That and the fact that they have a lot of different tandoori models available make them to seem like a decent brand to choose. The key thing about brand is make sure the company backs their products. The tandoori oven you purchase should have at least a one year warranty attached to it.

Customer Feedback

This is a great way to research a tandoori oven to find one that is best for you. Just search online for customer reviews and see the feedback on the various models. You can find reviews on Amazon, Google Products, Price Grabber and all the major retail and shopping sites. You'll find out which models have consistent problems so you know to avoid them. You'll see which features customers tend to enjoy so if you have the same interest in that feature, then perhaps that is the model for you.

Most of the sites will have ratings as well that people can give each product. Keep in mind the higher number of reviews, the more likely those reviews will actually reflect the quality of the product. Most shoppers tend to be more motivated by bad experiences than good experiences as far as leaving reviews, so you can slightly bump up the overall customer satisfaction a little bit when analyzing the reviews.

Let's look at a couple of models so we can see what kind of tandoori ovens are going for which prices.

Slice Tandoori Oven, White

First up is the Sunbeam 6198 tandoori oven. I chose this model to look at because it is more on the lower end for price, size and functionality. Also, I actually once owned a Sunbeam model similar to this one. This model is small - you can cram four pieces of toast in it or perhaps a couple of pieces of chicken. It does have some decent functionality to it. It has timed cooking with auto shut off, temperature control and dual baking/broiling cooking. You can find this model for as low as $20, but typically it will be closer to $30, which is what is it going for currently on Amazon.

I actually had a great experience with my Sunbeam, but this model only seems to get average reviews on Amazon. Perhaps people were expecting more. It was perfect for me when I moved into a temporary place that did not have an oven. I was able to use this model to cook sandwiches, entrees (like chicken, pork and steak), potatoes, French fries and roasted vegetables. I'm not much of a baker, so I didn't use it for that. However, it was also great for quickly reheating leftover and frozen foods. The quality of food cooked matched that of a regular oven, and it even cooked the food faster. It certainly met all my cooking needs.

the best tandoori oven

The higher-end tandoori ovens tend to range around $250. This Breville model currently is priced at just under $250 on Amazon, and it is quite a fancy model. It features digital controls and is pretty sizable as well with an interior volume that's larger than half a cubic foot. You can comfortably fit six slices of bread inside, or even a rotisserie chicken if you're looking to cook dinner for the family. Check the review of the Breville BOV800XL

Remember to keep all these key things in mind, which are what should you look for when buying a tandoori oven. We hope you found the information useful, and best of luck finding your perfect tandoori oven!