I think I have found the ideal stove top oven! I've loved baking all of my life since I was a little girl. In retirement, I had a desire to live in an RV (by choice!). I love the minimalist life. But I was not happy at the thought of giving up a favorite hobby - baking. To use the oven in my RV was not practical since it requires a pilot to be either lit each time or kept lit all the time. And even then, I've heard the results are less than great.
I began to experiment with stove-top ovens. My first encounter was the famous one with the hole in the middle, the Omnia. Although I encountered TOO many less than optimal results (typically burning the bottoms of baked goods), I invested more money to get the silicone linings (2 sets, one for sweet and one for savory - both to prevent burning), the racks that hold the product up off the bottom (to prevent burning), a thermometer (that really isn't meaningful when you have to keep the flame so low), and the ceramic pan - something they should have included with the original unit in my opinion. I also bought a heat diffuser to use between the flame and the base of the oven.
Finally (after MANY more dollars spent) I could bake without fear of burning in the Omnia. but the "cost" ends up being quite high if you want to eliminate the chances for burning. Once I started the investment in the Omnia, I felt compelled to keep adding until I had a burn-free oven, but the price of all those parts really added up.
I tried a couple of other European models that worked better than the Omnia (the Tredoni and the Nona Aurelia). But they are quite big and take up more room on my stove. They are both great, but still limiting by either their size or having to always work around a hole in the middle.
Then I began hearing about the Hajka. It definitely intrigued me. Could this be the "perfect" oven I was looking for? The size is perfect. The design is impressive and well throught out. So I thought I would give it a try.
Before baking with the oven, I decided to add a few holes to the top (6, 4mm each) since I knew I would be using it primarily for baked goods. I have found that having a few holes allows the oven to breathe and bake more quickly on the tops of pastry and cake baking. And after I did that - wow - this little oven has really shocked me with an incredible performance ever since.
And all I can say is that this little stove-top oven is BRILLIANT! I have tested it several times and it is just as good as the Nona Aurelia (the Italian one with the glass eye). But that one is huge and actually takes a little longer to bake. This one is compact, heat efficient and really cute too!
I like to use heat diffusers any time I use a stove-top ovens and I prefer to use one with the Hajka. I was curious to see how well the Hajka would perform if I did not use a heat diffuser, and I found out that - remarkably - the Hajka does fine without it. I use a slightly lower flame when not using the heat diffuser. Even without the diffuser, the Hajka achieves an even browning all around from top, sides and bottom. Absolutely no burning, and after the learning curve with the Omnia, "no burning" is incredible for such a small, compact design.
I have also found that the Hajka bakes more rapidly (while still safely) than the Omnia bakes using the same quantities (same cake mix etc). I'm not sure why, because the results are never burnt, but it just seems to be more efficient with heat than either the Omnia or the Nona Aurelia (the Aurelia probably slower due to its size).
I have some smaller baking pans shapes and decided to try them out with the Hajka (something not possible with the Omnia). Since the Hajka comes with a "grate" attachment, I found that I can use that attachment to accommodate any of the shapes that fit within the radius of the oven (including little loaf pans). Every single one of those oddly shaped pans used with the Hajka have had the same results as I would get with a conventional oven: beautiful browning all around and baked perfectly.
I love how the Hajka comes with an enamel coated baking pan. This is a luxury and definitely enhances the finished product. I wish that Omnia had included their ceramic coated pan rather than requiring an extra purchase of $35 US.
The handle on the Hajka is genius. I still find myself reaching for a pot holder as I use for all other stove-top ovens (including the Omnia) since the handles on all the other stove-top ovens get too hot for me to handle. But the Hajka handle stands vertically by itself, secure and completely safe to handle without a pot holder. It is truly a genius design.
If I could give this oven 6 stars I would. I believe it has entered a market for stove-top ovens and come out at the top providing everything any of the other ovens can provide but with a lot less space and no unexpected costs once you make the initial investment. I highly recommend the Hajka.
