MIAMI member, Chris Levy, is a huge fan of her Remoska oven and tells us why using this versatile and economical appliance has transformed her cooking and saved her money.
She also shares her recipe for making bread in a Remoska.
What is a Remoska? It’s a saucepan-shaped oven that cooks at 180C/350F and uses about one fifth of the electricity of a standard oven. It’s not a slow cooker. The Remoska comes from the Czech Republic and is sold exclusively by Lakeland, in 3 sizes: a small one which for single servings , a standard size and a large one suitable for a big family.
My husband and I spend a lot of time each year in our touring caravan and other caravaners kept telling us how good a Remoska was, especially as French caravan sites often only have 3 amps of electricity (enough to run a Remoska). I looked at the price and didn’t think I could justify the expense. (You could always try Ebay or Freecycle). Then a high street bank paid me compensation for giving me the run-around and I decided to invest it in a standard Remoska.
How did I ever live without it? I do most of our cooking from scratch – I have a food allergy, so ready made meals are a problem. Now I cook pies, cakes (I bought a cake tin that fits inside the Remoska) and casseroles in it. I’ve made fruit cake, apple cake, Bakwell tarts and shortbread. I roast the best chicken you’ve ever tasted, jacket potatoes and even bread. Yes I know bread usually cooks at a much higher temperature but it works, so I do it.
My husband says that the electricity bill has dropped a lot, as I’m not heating a large oven for one item. There are 2 other advantages to a Remoska: in the summer when it’s hot I can run a lead into the garden keeping the kitchen cooler and secondly and more importantly I NEVER HAVE TO CLEAN THE OVEN as I now only use it to store the Remoska.
The Remoska was the best thing I have ever purchased.
A video from Lakeland on the Remoska
Recipe for making bread in a Remoska
Ingredients
- 500 grams strong flour (either white or 50/50 white flour and wholemeal)
- A pinch of sea salt
- A tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- Dried or fresh yeast – I find Easy Blend yeast does not work
- Warm water
Method
1. Fill a mug with warm water, comfortable to put your finger in, add 1 teaspoon of yeast and the honey, give it a stir and leave in a warm place for about 15 mins.
2. Place the flour, salt and oil in a bowl. Give it a stir and add the yeast mix, stir in well and add just about enough warm water to incorporate the flour into firm dough.
3. Knead the dough well either by hand or I use a food mixer, then place dough in a warm place to rise to double its size. This usually takes a couple of hours but it can be left over night.
4. When the dough has risen sufficiently, knock down the dough and knead again for a couple of minutes. Place it in the unplugged Remoska; there’s no need to grease it. Put on the lid and put it in a warm place. After a couple of hours it should have risen to about twice its original size.
5. Plug in and turn on the Remoska and cook for 30 mins. Turn out on to a cooling wire.
That’s it! Eat and enjoy!
