Bird-safe toaster oven and other appliances

I'm bringing home a new eclectus in a few weeks and have spent much of the last couple days researching bird-safe toaster ovens, hair dryers, flat irons, etc. I'm not feeling very confident that I can rely on the advice being handed out by the companies (at least the ones I've talked to), so I'm turning to this forum for help. Also, with new models being regularly introduced, I'm guessing these threads can become dated rather easily.

I have seen that some of the Waring toaster/convection ovens have a stainless steel interior that is PFOA/PTFE free. However, when I read the amazon reviews, some of them were really scary. Both of the ones recommended seemed to have safety issues, including the cord melting and the glass door shattering.

I live in a small apartment, so I need to be extra careful about protecting my bird from fumes. Does anyone have a different brand of toaster oven that they can recommend? By the way, also I'm told that some of the ones with stainless interior still have a zinc component (coating?) which I think will be problematic as well.

I also talked to Conair about their hair appliances, and I don't think they are as up on bird safety as they used to be. They said things like, "I remember we used to keep a list of bird-safe products." Does anyone have a recent-model hairdryer and/or flat iron that they can recommend?

I have decided after quite a bit of research on cookware that it's probably just safest to go with stainless steel. I have been using non-stick all my life, and I regularly cook sticky oatmeal over the stove and also thai food, so if anyone can recommend a brand/model that they have that doesn't stick too too badly, I would appreciate it. Thank you!

Wow!
You're thorough.
Thanks for all that info.
Yeah, I have just forgone all that stuff for a long time.
Too many stories of careul, conscientious owners who experience some sort of freak accident and then they have dead birds.
Good for you for reaching out and sharing.

Wow!
You're thorough.
Thanks for all that info.
Yeah, I have just forgone all that stuff for a long time.
Too many stories of careul, conscientious owners who experience some sort of freak accident and then they have dead birds.
Good for you for reaching out and sharing.

Why are you not looking at Mirowave /Convection? The market for Toaster Ovens fell apart when convection overs came on the market.

SailBoat said:

Why are you not looking at Mirowave /Convection? The market for Toaster Ovens fell apart when convection overs came on the market.

Click to expand...

Some of us still out there who still don't trust microwaves and have not been convinced of their long term safety for frequent use nor the safety/nutritional value of the food they cook (though I can't speak for the OP on their reasoning for a toaster oven). We never owned a microwave until we bought this place and one with a mysterious "convection" feature was included. It sits unused, much like the dishwasher, though I have been curious on what on earth a microwave needs convection for??? They heat by exciting water molecules in food, what purpose does convection serve? To make the food a more palatable texture? Or has someone invented a way to actually bake in them? Not that I'm tempted to try, more curious for the sake of curiosity.

Before our current commercial grade countertop oven, we had a Oster toaster oven for quite a few years. We got it at Target and while I don't shop there too much, I believe they still sell them with the stainless interior. Good little oven for light use, our never had any safety issues, never harmed Kiwi. The heating coil just eventually crapped out because we used it so much. We avoid using a microwave completely and cooking for 2 in a full sized oven wastes energy so we use our counter oven for everything and needed a commercial grade one. I don't think the 'typical' strain people put on toaster ovens (and those who follow instructions and apply common sense) have many safety issues with them and they should last a long time with average use patterns.

If you do plan to use it a lot, you might consider Waring's commercial grade range. They have a quarter and half sheet pan size, but owning a half sheet pan size one, most people wouldn't need an supplementary oven that large unless they plan to do what we do and not use a full size oven at all:

https://www.amazon.com/Waring-Commer...ountertop+oven

I do not use a hair dryer or irons on my hair. Air dry only (and with hair well below my waist that takes hours!).

I think most of the toaster ovens available now are also convection ovens.

Just a quick addition to this post: FYI - I was told by Conair that regardless of the PFOA/PTFE issue, the hairdryers that use ions are dangerous for birds.

I would listen to the manufacturer on that then. They have likely had reports of bird deaths from users of their products that produce ions. Why else would a business effectively turn away a potential customer if it wasn't a serious enough issue it was essential to warn them about a genuine risk? I am really not a hair tool expert but you may need to look at some of the tools marketed more towards the eco crowd. Usually those kinds of products tend to have a better safety record with birds, though contacting any manufacturer is still a good idea before purchase.

Edit: Our counter oven has convection. It sounds like a spaceship and is very loud when the fan is on, but does help heat certain baked goods more evenly. Cooking using convection (in an oven at least) has a learning curve. You have to adjust your cooking temp and time, which will result in a few less than perfect batches until you figure out the adjustments

Thank you. I have a convection oven now, but it is non-stick. Do you have a make/model for yours? Thanks

Oh, I see - I have never actually heard of a microwave convection oven. I'll look into it, thanks

Ours is several years old and no longer made, unfortunately. It was designed for restaurant use. The Waring commercial convection ovens are the closest most consumers would need for home kitchens, though I have not necessarily heard great things about Waring's consumer lines. Unsure about their commercial line:
https://www.amazon.com/Waring-Comme...F8&qid=1502985573&sr=8-3&keywords=waring+oven
This model would be closer to what we have, more targeted towards the commercial market (i.e. good for heavy use):
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/av...ven-1-5-cu-ft-120v-1600w/177CO16 120.html
If you've ever worked in a restaurant or bakery, you've likely used a similar oven where multiple half sheet pans all slide in at once rather than having to find pans small enough to sit on the racks like normal toaster ovens (though you can use the racks too). These ovens accommodate up to 4 half sheet pans at once!

For a more typical home use compact toaster oven, Oster does appear to still make the same oven we used to have, but no convection. Just a very simple, straightforward toaster oven for heating small portions of food:
https://www.amazon.com/Oster-Convec...502986025&sr=8-28&keywords=toaster+oven+oster

Kiwibird said:

SailBoat said:

Why are you not looking at Mirowave /Convection? The market for Toaster Ovens fell apart when convection overs came on the market.

Click to expand...

'Some of us still out there who still don't trust microwaves and have not been convinced of their long term safety for frequent use nor the safety/nutritional value of the food they cook (though I can't speak for the OP on their reasoning for a toaster oven). We never owned a microwave until we bought this place and one with a mysterious "convection" feature was included. It sits unused, much like the dishwasher, though I have been curious on what on earth a microwave needs convection for??? They heat by exciting water molecules in food, what purpose does convection serve? To make the food a more palatable texture? Or has someone invented a way to actually bake in them? Not that I'm tempted to try, more curious for the sake of curiosity."

Click to expand...

The early Microwave Ovens offer concerns regarding their protection of the users since they had little shielding across the front of the units. You may recall the days when signs needed to be placed on door fronts if a Microwave Oven was in use. Commonly targeting visitors with Pacemakers. You will note that those signs are totally gone as both products have greatly improved.

Convection Overs showed-up in the Food Industry over 20 years ago and are still a mainstay of the Food Industry. There ability to combine the fan effect of a Microwave oven and conventional oven technology allowed the wait time to be greatly reduced. But also provide a result like traditional stove /oven cooking but in less time.

Early consumer models had been little more than Microwave Ovens with reflector shields and a heat coil. Your statement really covered the issue well: 'mysterious "convection" feature' as they really did little to address the downsides of 'cooking' with Microwaves.

The newest versions have much larger conventional heating surfaces and larger fans than older microwave /convection ovens. With the exception of the Microwave unit. A convection oven is a traditional oven with a fan! This greatly reduces the issue of hot /cold spots in the oven with allows for quicker 'cooking.'

Yes, you can buy DVD's and/or watch all kinds of Internet sites that will show you how to 'cook' using a microwave oven. I am not a believer in cooking with microwave. If you get the timing wrong, which is easy to do and one has cardboard texture with a like favor. IMHO, Microwave ovens are for careful reheating of precooked (parcooked) food and just enough so that it is warm not overly hot.

I like Convection Oven technology, because it is in fact traditional oven cooking but more precise. The concepts are all the same, its only faster. They have changed the oven cooking /baking World for the better.

There is nothing cheap about a great convection oven. When mixing them with a Microwave Oven, they share the same fan and cook /baking space but that is all. The better units have a switch /button that switches between the two ovens.

So, why have a Microwave /Convection Oven? Space, Space, Space! They allow the double use of a single unit's space and that really works well in RV's and Boats. In a traditional home, it adds an additional small oven for those smaller meals or a huge meal that just one more cooking space is needed.

Convection Ovens are quickly replacing traditional ovens because they cook more evenly. Both use the same types of heating surfaces (electric or gas) but add a fan to eliminate hot and cold spots, which quickens the cooking /baking process.