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Could You Live Without an Oven?

This kitchen corner with dining nook is one of our favorite tiny kitchen spaces from Small Cool 2009. The whole apartment is only 260 square feet! Ann, the owner, made some tradeoffs, though, when she remodeled her kitchen into this bright and pleasing space. She traded in her oven! Could you live without an oven?

 
 

Here's what Ann says about her new kitchen:

After living with a rolling cart and full-size fridge for more than a year, I hired the Kitchen Couple (found through Apartment Therapy) to renovate, and I'm utterly pleased with the outcome. Now I have an under-the-counter fridge, two burners, and a built-in microwave. No oven — I traded it for drawers. It's nice to finally have somewhere to put my forks!

We admire her renovation; it's a beautiful little kitchen corner. But we were curious about trading in the oven. There are so many things you can't cook! And yet many cuisines from around the world don't use ovens at all. Most Asian cooking — including Indian, Chinese, and Thai — doesn't really use the oven. Even "baked" dishes like biryani and rice pilafs are cooked in a covered dish on the stove.

What about you? Would the lack of an oven seriously set you back? Or could you happily live without it?

If you are indeed missing an oven, here are a few posts that talk about how to cook without it:

Good Question: What Can I Bake Without An Oven?
Good Question: How To Roast Garlic Without an Oven
Good Eats: Oven-less Chocolate Cake
Good Question: Good Countertop Oven

(Images: Ann)

Comments (47)

Hmmm... since I'm more of a cook than a baker, I might be able make it work, but would seriously miss roast chicken and lasagna.

posted by sara jane on April 23rd 2009 at 11:33am
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I suppose it depends on how much one likes to cook. Me? Well, I probably could get by, but I wouldn't want to at all. I love my oven. But then again they have some pretty nice, but counter-top toaster ovens these days. I guess it just depends on the person.

posted by missmarie on April 23rd 2009 at 11:42am
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My husband and I have been "ovenless" for a year now, and I hardly ever notice.

When we need to "bake", we use the outdoor grill and a dutch oven. If I'm really in need of an oven (like when we have a hundred of pounds of zuchinni and I'm in bread making mode), I borrow a friend's kitchen for the day with the promise of dinner as thanks.

posted by mdevans on April 23rd 2009 at 11:45am
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I could if it was necessary. Mostly my oven is used for cookies and cakes - I'd just eat more pudding instead. :)

posted by LauraII on April 23rd 2009 at 11:46am
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Nope, absolutely not.

posted by spossberg on April 23rd 2009 at 11:47am
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As much as I love to bake, when my husband and I lived in Brooklyn we rented an apartment without an oven! And yes, we survived. We had to be creative with recipes and use alternative cooking methods. We had two burners which we used, but we never did break down and buy a microwave....it was an interesting experience.

posted by sprinklewithsalt on April 23rd 2009 at 11:47am
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I'm not a huge baker, but I would never go without an oven. I use ours constantly for pizza, cookies, dinner, lasagna, etc.

It's an interesting question, though. Friends of ours lived without a kitchen (no oven) for over a year because they couldn't afford the higher rent. They cooked with a microwave and a crockpot and that was it. The fridge was in the hallway. It worked for them, I guess, but when I saw that, I was very adamant that I wouldn't want to do it.

posted by inkstainedwriter on April 23rd 2009 at 11:57am
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No way. There are so many things I would miss without an oven...bread, cookies, pizza, roast chicken...the list goes on and on!

posted by minji on April 23rd 2009 at 12:06pm
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I could (and do) live without a microwave, but I don't think I'd want to go ovenless, so that's the trade-off I'd make. I'm not really much of a baker, but in the winter we make a lot of casseroles and other oven-centric dishes.

posted by cransell on April 23rd 2009 at 12:11pm
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No. I use my oven all the time. Even when it's 110 outside and using my oven will heat up my kitchen to unbearable temperatures I use my oven. Because the things that come from my oven are delicious, delicious bits of heavenly goodness.

posted by laetitiae on April 23rd 2009 at 12:13pm
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I did for 5 years in grad school but I didn't cook much then any the only thing it prevented was pizzas. However, I would be totally unhappy without one now.

posted by sally599 on April 23rd 2009 at 12:13pm
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Well, I lived without oven OR microwave oven for 3 years - so it's doable for sure. I make a killer stove top chocolate cake too ;D You learn a lot during college years - not all of it is included in in your GPA xD

posted by Herzleid on April 23rd 2009 at 12:14pm
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I've been living by myself for nearly a year and have only used my oven once (baking 4 pies at a time, plus a big pan of dressing for Thanksgiving). I bake/broil/toast EVERYTHING (including full sized pies, quiches, and cookies) in my convection toaster oven. I don't really even use the microwave. My big oven is used for pan storage 99% of the time.

If I had to cook for more than one or two people on a regular basis though, there's no way I'd want to be ovenless.

posted by mlleErica on April 23rd 2009 at 12:15pm
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I could do it. I mainly use the oven for roasted meats and veggies, and a nice toaster oven would probably work just as well.

I noticed on a visit to South Korea that even fancy residential kitchens didn't have ovens.

posted by heather77 on April 23rd 2009 at 12:16pm
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hmm... not sure that i could live without an oven.. but living without the microwave now!

posted by jchongdesign on April 23rd 2009 at 12:16pm
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I think I would be fine without an oven, but if making a major decision about getting rid of an appliance, there would be others to consider first...

Tough question!

posted by Liana WW on April 23rd 2009 at 12:21pm
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Not possible, I bake all my own bread and am a big time snacky baker. My oven is probably in use 3-4 times a week. I could give up my microwave if I had to, but not the oven.

posted by Hanna on April 23rd 2009 at 12:45pm
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If I didn't have space for a regular oven, I'd go for the microwave-convection oven combo! Maybe the one in the pics above is one of those? (As it is, I'm eyeing this one to replace my conventional over-the-range microwave!)

posted by jarobinson1 on April 23rd 2009 at 12:46pm
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My wife is a chef who constantly tests new recipes and ingrediants.

though we don't have a microwave there's no way could we go without our oven!!

posted by beanandpepper on April 23rd 2009 at 12:56pm
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no

posted by Nuke3ae on April 23rd 2009 at 12:57pm
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While I've been happily microwave-less for nearly 2 years, I use my oven a lot, especially now that I'm baking bread.

posted by Rivercat0338 on April 23rd 2009 at 1:06pm
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I bake almost all of our bread. I wouldn't give up my oven.

posted by ah-ha on April 23rd 2009 at 1:07pm
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I was about to say I couldn't, but I could conceivably use the crockpot for everything instead of the oven. Except maybe cookies. But who eats cookies (and not cookie dough) these days anyway?

posted by kestrel127 on April 23rd 2009 at 1:11pm
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No pizza...

NO PIZZA...

posted by bitterepiphany on April 23rd 2009 at 1:45pm
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I didn't have one for a year when I was on college. I am probably the only college student who asked, and got, a portable model for Christmas. They aren't too expensive.

Now it unthinkable. I would give up my microwave first.

posted by JudiAU on April 23rd 2009 at 2:02pm
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I could do it, but I wouldn't be happy about it. I use my oven nearly every day. However, if I had a really good toaster oven, I might be able to hack it.

posted by Marisa McClellan on April 23rd 2009 at 2:08pm
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The answer, simply, is yes. I tend to do a lot of stove-top cooking, and I also use my rice cooker to cook EVERYTHING these days. I think I've used my oven once in the full year I've lived in my current apartment to roast peanuts.

posted by bfootnovellista on April 23rd 2009 at 2:12pm
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I would ditch the microwave in favor of an over-the counter convection oven, or a combo model. We don't even have a microwave now...

We lived very well without an oven when we were remodeling, but the counter-top toaster oven/convection combo we bought (and kept) was indispensable.

posted by Married ...with Dinner on April 23rd 2009 at 2:36pm
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A lot of apartments here in Paris either only have at countertop oven (granted, many of them are capable of roasting a chicken) or a microwave/convection combo. I've been surmising that it's a combo of readily available, super awesome baked goods (baguettes hot from the oven 2x a day) on every corner and the small size of Parisian kitchens.

We did live in one place for 6 weeks that had only a microwave (no convection or regular oven) before we moved into our permanent place. I'm a regular baker and it drove me crazy. Yes, you can cook a ton of things on the stovetop, but after a while, I just missed the baking experience (and results). Now I've got this insane German oven that I can even use to grill kebabs. Heaven.

posted by Hannala on April 23rd 2009 at 3:10pm
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I could totally live with Ann's kitchen - such a nice efficient space! I've lived for over a year in a kitchenless studio with neither stove nor oven. I've found it's the cooktop that I miss most - not being a baker, the only thing I used the oven for was roasting chickens.

posted by chez shoes on April 23rd 2009 at 3:20pm
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yeah.. if I was a raw foodist!!

I tend to eat lighter fare in the spring and summer, but not having an oven in the winter would do me in. I'm anti-microwave, and don't have a grill yet (the george foreman doesn't really count), so cooking everything on a hot plate just wouldn't cut it!

posted by fitzowicz80 on April 23rd 2009 at 3:25pm
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No. Freaking. Way.

I had to make do with just a mini-fridge and shared microwave in college (food allergies...cafeteria cross-contaminated everything...no student kitchen...). I managed, but it was not pleasant. I like being able to roast and bake things.

posted by Stiletto on April 23rd 2009 at 3:30pm
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If I could have a back-up toaster oven for when I just REALLY need some fresh chocolate chip cookies, I could go ovenless.

posted by HelloChloe on April 23rd 2009 at 3:35pm
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maybe. i realized this week i didn't use mine once this winter.

posted by Lady J on April 23rd 2009 at 4:03pm
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There's just no way. I'd go nuts. In fact, I think I'd go nuts with that little counter space and burners that close to the wall. I realize it's a small space, but I think I would find a different way to arrange things.

posted by Kakugori on April 23rd 2009 at 4:28pm
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i won't own a microwave, so the only way i'd go ovenless is if i had a good little convection/toaster oven.
i could totally make do with one of those.

posted by abigailbelle on April 23rd 2009 at 4:35pm
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No, but I could live without that flat screen TV>

posted by SFGail on April 23rd 2009 at 6:21pm
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Absolutely! I moved into an apartment with no oven and bought a benchtop cooker as a temporary solution.
It works so well I've never moved on to the full-size equivalent!

posted by msleesh on April 23rd 2009 at 6:23pm
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There is no way I would voluntarily live with out an oven... I guess life in Prison would be a place I might not need an oven I would get a job in the Kitchen... I would however do with out the TV and get a small convection oven...we would starve with out our oven well with out our 3 ovens...

posted by tex.a.lex on April 23rd 2009 at 6:48pm
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Few apartments in Hong Kong come with ovens (baking isn't big in Asia), so I have a countertop model. It takes up valuable counter space, but I can do everything I need to do -- from roasting chickens to baking three-layer cakes (though only one layer at a time) -- so it's worth it. I rarely miss my full-size oven.

And my kitchen isn't much bigger than Ann's.

posted by annaholl on April 23rd 2009 at 10:23pm
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We got rid of our microwave a while ago as part of a remodel. We had only been using it to melt butter! The oven is in use constantly, so it would be a huge sacrifice to not have it.

We're actually in the process of building an outdoor clay oven, so maybe when that's done, I could conceive of let getting go of the indoor one.

posted by tarah on April 24th 2009 at 8:56am
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If it's just cooking for one or two people, I suppose I could lose a full size oven, if compelled. In actuality, my partner and I could probably get away with an oven the size of our above-the-stove microwave/range hood.

posted by david @ justveggingout.com on April 24th 2009 at 11:29am
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Both of my parents use their ovens (and dishwashers) as storage for pots and pans. Asians aren't much for baking (as already pointed out) and they seem to do just fine. My formerly-single father used and still uses a toaster oven to get things (read: frozen pizza and canned biscuits) done and my mother has one of those microwave/convection combo things.

I don't know that I'd WANT to do it, but if a father can make passable meals for himself and his 2 daughters with a stove, 20 year old microwave, and a garage sale toaster oven, living without an oven is definitely possible.

posted by DoubleH on April 24th 2009 at 9:31pm
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@DoubleH Lol my mom also uses hers for pots and pans storage. True, asians don't bake much but my diet only includes less than half of asian food. I also love to bake, so if I was ovenless I would be heartbroken.
I could, however manage to get by. I guess what I cook or bake will just be limited.

I stayed over at my mom's for a week and tried to use her oven. When I preheated it at 400 to bake a cake, the apartment became a smoke chamber...
I had to use her toaster oven instead so I transferred my batter into a tiny muffin tray and settled for cupcakes.
I also made puff pastry. I couldn't find a cookie sheet small enough to fit so I made a one out of tin foil and cardboard.
It was tiring/time consuming to repeat piping/baking in small quantities but oh man... those cupcakes and puff pastries tasted soooo good!

posted by Fuzzyummy on April 26th 2009 at 5:05am
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I resonate with all the comments about Asian cooking and the lack of ovens.

My husband and I are on month 8 in South Korea with no oven and no microwave.

It's possible and calls for a lot of creativity. I can't wait to have one again though, even though I don't bake much. Not having one makes it harder to prep meals early in the day to just stick in for 20 minutes when you come home from work.

Also, it was especially hard during the holidays. No Christmas cookies.

posted by meganpardue on April 26th 2009 at 8:41am
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We've been without an oven for nearly two years in our rental apartment. Replacing it would require removing door-frame moldings and moving an entire row of bookcases, so we've been putting it off.

We've gotten by quite nicely with a countertop toaster/convection oven. I've been able to make everything I normally would in it -- pies, loaves, small whole chickens -- save for cookies and pizza. The latter I miss the most as I used to make pizza almost every Friday night.

Of course, now that we're looking to move a functional oven is at the top of the must-have list, but I have learned that I can live and cook without a full-sized one.

posted by cursive mechanic on April 27th 2009 at 11:13am
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When I first moved to NYC I lived in Little Brazil (right off of Times Square) in a tiny apartment with no oven/stove. Not the best accomodations, but I made do with my toaster oven (perfect for pies and smaller roasts), an electric skillet, quesadilla maker, George Foreman grill, microwave, hotpot, and crockpot. The fuse would blow whenever I plugged in more than 2 appliances at the same time, but I soon solved that with a power strip set up on the kitchen floor. I wouldn't move back there if you paid me (now I'm in Brooklyn with a real big-girl kitchen), but it certainly didn't stop me from cooking and entertaining...

posted by margaretjean on August 24th 2009 at 1:23pm
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