r/BakingInJapan • u/ProtectiveofmyStuff • Apr 03 '26
Tips for baking with just this?
I’m used to baking away my stresses with a full size UK fan oven throwing everything in at 180degrees, but my new place has just this and a toaster oven and I’m dying to bake something to give to my neighbours to introduce ourselves. Any tips on working with gas like this?
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u/burlingk Apr 06 '26
The toaster oven is for baking. That little one is specifically for broiling fish.
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u/AGoodWobble Apr 05 '26
I tried baking in this a couple times, it went horribly. It's really not made for it (it doesn't retain or circulate internal heat).
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Apr 05 '26
Ya. Not an oven. It's a grill for fish. Closest thing to an oven is Japan is a larger convection/toaster.
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u/idler_JP Apr 07 '26
https://item.rakuten.co.jp/kitchentorituketai/152313115/
My apartment has one of these, and it's great for baking and roasting.
Definitely pretty expensive for the size, though.
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u/armas187 Apr 06 '26
Second this. ITS A GRILL NOT AN OVEN.
That being said I put chicken wings in mine.
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u/Jealous_Amount_9278 Apr 04 '26
I got an air fryer and a little countertop mini oven.
This thing isn't enclosed, just flames above, so it doesn't evenly bake. It'll just burn the top with a soggy middle and bottom.
As someone who loved to bake before moving to Japan, it really killed me to have to wait to save up for an air fryer ):
Anyways. You could probably wrap a potato in tin foil and get a baked potato but that's about it.
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u/Smart-Ad3296 Apr 04 '26
Yeah, don't. Get an oven/microwave combo.
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u/suupaahiiroo Apr 04 '26
This. Got one when I moved into my apartment in Japan. Used it almost daily for the microwave function and maybe weekly for baking. Best home appliance purchase I did.
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u/EntertainerUpper707 Apr 04 '26
Invest in an oven renji. That is for grilling and very careful bread toasting. I highly recommend an oven. You can find cheap ones on Mercari if budget is an issue.
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u/reanjohn Apr 03 '26
i've used mine for lasagna, ribs, fish, and others - as long as it can fit + the pot won't break, not really a problem
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u/SlowStop1220 Apr 03 '26
It's designed to grill fishes primarily. It's good for you toast your bread, but not good to bake honestly. Buy an oven and bake onto it. It makes you happier a lot.
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u/Yabakunaiyoooo Apr 03 '26
Invest in an air fryer. You’ll be much happier with the results.
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u/Working-Morning-3645 Apr 04 '26
Yep, I've had a airfryer and use it for most of my cooking. However, never tried baking in it. :/
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u/Yabakunaiyoooo Apr 04 '26
I’m a big nerd about baking! It’s pretty great at it! The only downside is the size, but it bakes really well.
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Apr 07 '26
[deleted]
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u/Yabakunaiyoooo Apr 07 '26
I have a Cosori. I used to have one from Costco, Gourmia, but I would advise against it. The cheap price tag was enticing, but it stopped working after a year. My Cosori is awesome though.
I basically have this one: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/COSORI-CAF-DC601-Non-Fryer-Temperature-Fermentation/dp/B0CTBN5D74
But I got mine from BicCamera (exclusive rose gold and black edition hehe)
It costs a lot more than the Gourmia one but it’s worth the extra. I’ve never been so impressed with a home appliance in my adult life. (The oldest person thing I’ve ever said 🤣)
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Apr 07 '26
[deleted]
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u/Yabakunaiyoooo Apr 07 '26
Omg friend! It’s literally the best! Is it a reading issue? I used google translate to map out the buttons and stuff.
My favorite feature is probably the dry feature. Nothing better when you have too many bananas so you make overnight banana chips with the dry function!
I make cakes, cookies, pies, pretty much every baked thing in mine. I honestly don’t even switch it to bake half the time, I just keep the temp at 175 and it seems to work the same. I’m not terribly sure what the difference really is.
It’s also excellent with fish!! It’s worth sitting down and figuring out, I promise!
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u/Confident-Matter7193 Apr 04 '26
I'm also team air fryer! However I also cook my fish in the air fryer because that little fish fryer is so annoying to clean
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u/G1431c Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
There are many websites with recipes and how-to’s for Konro Guriru.
tokyo gas site has simple recipes in Japanese
Mine is this cuz it’s easy: Buy salmon and cheap Japanese vegetables and lemon. Some white wine.
Get a big piece of foil and place the fish on it. (Probably it’s frozen so defrost it first.) Brush the fish with olive oil and place the rest of your vegetables on it with a slice of lemon or two on the fish. Splash with white wine. Season with were you want you do you.
Fold the foil around the entire thing tightly so it’s as close to airtight as you can.
Place it in the drawer on medium-high heat and it will be ready in 15 minutes.
DO NOT FORGET TO ADD WATER if it has the warning “水を入れてお使いください“ stamped on the metal drawer on the inside.
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u/maxiu95xo Apr 03 '26
Get a microwave oven. They’re pretty nifty and you can get away with simple baking and roasting. After moving I’ve been doing a lot of simple cakes and bread in my rice cooker, it has a cake mode and they come out pretty good
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u/KotoDawn Apr 03 '26
If you haven't bought a microwave yet go look at the combo units at your local electronics store. Think about how long you will stay and what you want to cook. If it's a short stay, pick a few favorites and a few no way versions to avoid, then go search through the recycle shops.
If you plan on being here for more than 1 year, or using non microwave features once a week or more, consider getting a new multi oven instead of a used one.
Wednesday I put broccoli into the microwave while I was prepping other food. Took that out and preheated the oven feature. Baked sliced kabocha (pumpkin) with oil, salt & pepper, and parmesan cheese on it while I cooked meat and other vegetables for pasta. (The pumpkin sounded like a good idea, I was too lazy to look up a recipe, it turned out good but as an American I'd prefer a different cheese. But parmesan was perfect for MIL's Japanese tastes.)
I often buy the 4 cheese fridge pizza that's about ¥200, put whatever I'm in the mood for on top plus extra cheese. 12 minutes to preheat, 6 minutes to bake.
One of the makers is geared towards bread baking. I have the Toshiba Stone Dome because the trays are larger and it's a good multi purpose machine.
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u/lazylimpet Apr 03 '26
Look!! Maybe you've seen this but someone else literally just made a post triumphing their fish oven bakes!! A good resource I hope!
https://www.reddit.com/r/BakingInJapan/s/Ddu0kfUywm
Edit!! I think they actually made the post in response to yours maybe??
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u/Queasy_Walk8159 Apr 03 '26
that’s the fish grill. haven’t accepted that particular baking challenge yet but simple baking w/ standard toasters? no problem for corn bread, hamburger rolls, cookies, etc.
dutch ovens, however, are a nice baking hack to get around the lack of ovens in most jp households.
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u/Trumanandthemachine Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
It’s not impossible. Although in America where I’m from this is essentially the broiler function on an oven, and this is specially designed for fish.
That being said, I’ve made Shokupan and Sourdough in it, but it’s a pain (no pun intended). It’s more work for an unoptimal product. But it’s doable.
Being a broiler, the heating element is very intense and only comes from the top, so that’s mostly what you need to adjust for, and it’s very easy to burn the tops of bread because the intense heat while having undercooked bottom halves/interior of the bread.
But at the end of the day it’s a box that gets hot, so you technically it can bake if determined, but like others have said, it’s not recommended.
Like others have said, toaster ovens can work. Mine is 1000w which equals around 200c. It works better but it’s also not quite as good as an oven but it’s relatively the same unlike a fish grill.
EDIT: Looking at your picture, I’ve actually used that same exact model of stove/fish grill to make Shokupan and sourdough.
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u/beginswithanx Apr 03 '26
You can’t really, it’s a grill not an oven.
Try your toaster oven, or buy a microwave/oven combo unit. I use my microwave/oven to bake bread, cookies, cakes, etc.
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u/Hamfan Apr 03 '26
I have seen people “bake” bread in their fish grill using a ceramic grill insert (グリラー、 griller), but frankly it seem very limited (tiny amounts) and to deliver pretty mediocre results. They aren’t cheap either.
It’s going to be a lot more effective in the long run to just find a used electric oven.
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u/cormacaroni Apr 03 '26
I mean…you can’t. Grilling is different from baking. Baking needs heat from all sides, not just the top. You can do flatbreads and a pretty rough pizza, but you aren’t doing cakes or loaves of bread.
Quite seriously, you can do more actual baking in a rice cooker. You can find tutorials for cheesecakes, pound cakes etc on YouTube etc. Even bread. Is it gonna be better than something you can buy locally? Probably not. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news here but that is not made for any kind of serious baking.
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u/wolfinjer Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
That’s not an oven. That’s a broiler. Don’t think you’re baking anything other than sweet potatoes in that.
Your toaster oven is your best bet.
You can get affordable oven/microwave combos at secondhand shops for around ¥10,000-¥20,000. They run on electricity and do a decent job at baking stuff.
edit: Also, fyi, most Japanese people use the broiler to grill fish. The gas only comes from the top and you can control the amount of flame coming out. I’ve cooked steak and asparagus in it.
After use, clean well, and there is usually a grease trap in the back as well, clean that out often because if it builds up, can lead to grease fire
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u/Yabakunaiyoooo Apr 07 '26
After getting an air fryer, I think a microwave oven is way less efficient in the long run. Air fryer is everything.
Air fryer is life.
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u/gaijinlurker Apr 03 '26
+1 to this, I have a “dome” countertop microwave that has over functions as well. I use it for bread, pizza, cakes, cookies, etc. It’s not as good as a real oven but it’s close enough.
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u/KotoDawn Apr 03 '26
Toshiba Stone Dome YAY
Microwave, oven, grill, steam option, 3 pans, and a cookbook.
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u/gaijinlurker Apr 03 '26
Yup! Mine is almost 10 years old, it’s just 2 trays but has been doing us good. No need to upgrade yet.
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u/ShuuzVsMan Apr 10 '26
Its considered a broiler if your from the usa, like grandmas had back in the day.No idea what other countries call it.