Baking polymer clay comes with ease. It requires just the right intensity of heat.
Regardless, too much heat could burn the clay, while less heat makes the baked clay fragile.
So, when making a polymer clay, the best option for you to bake lies in the ability of the baking oven to give desired results.
The toaster oven is usually your best bet for polymer clay ovens. It is an outstanding choice. However, most homeowners go-ahead to purchase new toaster ovens that are separate from the ones they already use for cooking and baking purposes to avoid fume contamination and irritation.
How To Bake Polymer Clay?
- Know that baking polymer clay in your toaster oven is entirely safe.
- Ensure to use a thermometer when you bake to keep the temperature in check
- Preheat the oven before you begin to bake the polymer clay. This ensures that the oven beads are hot enough to start baking to avoid breakage.
- To avoid having glisters on the baked polymer clay and also to stop it from being glossy, do well to bake on a sheet of copy paper or an index card.
- The appropriate baking surfaces are metal pans, glass, index card copy papers, ceramic tiles, and battling.
- To avoid having brown spots on the clay due to oven spikes, do well to cover the clay with aluminum foil or index cards.
- Also, bake the polymer clay on a battling or a bread baker’s rack.
- Keep in mind that you can bake polymer clay multiple times to get desired results. You can also add extra layers of raw clay to it when re-baking.
When baking a lump of polymer clay in a toaster oven, the essential thing to do is to keep the oven in a well-ventilated and dry place with the appropriate temperature being kept in check by a thermometer.
Pros And Cons of Baking Polymer Clay in Toaster Oven
Toaster ovens are best used for polymer clay baking. They are an outstanding choice and are easy to use, control, and monitor when being used.
They are very close to those of standard clay-bake ovens. The good thing is most households have it in their kitchen and already know how to operate it.
Even though toaster ovens are used in the kitchen, you can also use them to make clay. You need to clean the oven and use the good fresh air occasionally.
Clay will not leave residues of harmful chemicals on your oven. As a plus, it won’t cost you anything extra since you already own one.
On the other hand, small ovens are not only inconvenient for oven-baked polymers but can overheat so much. However, you can as well use them for baking clay.
You will most likely use a thermometer for temperature checks and temperature spikes. They also require you to frequently check your clay, giving you frequent trips to the baking oven.
If you burn the baked polymer clay, toxic fumes may linger on for an extended period before you eventually have clean, non-contaminated air in your kitchen.
These fumes are not poisonous but can cause allergic reactions such as eye, mouth, and nose irritation.
However, if you live in a large house, most family members prefer that the clay and cooked food be separately kept while baking polymer clay.
All these are standard guidelines that you should follow to maintain good health and hygiene for every family member.
To get a grasp of these guidelines, always ensure to thoroughly read the baking procedures that come with the clay packet.
What Temperature Should You Bake Polymer Clay On?
The ideal temperature for baking polymer clay is 275°F. And when baking at this temperature, go on for at least 30 minutes on about one-quarter inch of thickness.
Well, you can bake polymer clay at this exact temperature and bet to have it come out at its best texture.
The polymer clay baked at 1/4 inch of thickness is a way of making it fuse and cure properly.
However, fluctuating temperatures can be a real challenge in baking the clay.
You must heat the baking beads for a long time to help the clay cure well and firmly.
That is why baking polymer clay requires you to preheat the oven to the appropriate temperature the manufacturers have suggested you use, which is around 230°F to 275°F.
If your clay does not sink after cooling, you can be well assured that it is baked just right.
However, if you feel it has not been baked to your satisfaction after 30 minutes, you can bake it all over again.
This time uses an oven thermometer to check and maintain a balanced temperature for baking.
How To Stop Polymer Clay From Burning?
Polymer clay can also be baked conveniently using an aluminum foil without any challenges arising from it. Aluminum foil serves as a core creator for polymer clay.
Index cards, ceramic tiles, glass, and aluminum foil are primarily used as baking surfaces and as a protective layer against clay burn and brown spots.
If you, however, do not have this to prevent burning, ensure to position your baking shelf at the center of the oven and tent the oven beads.
Also, ensure to bake oven beads at the correct temperature to avoid breakage.
At low temperatures, oven beads are brittle and tend to break easily. Nevertheless, well-baked polymer clay becomes very strong and water-proof.
Does Polymer Clay Cause Health Hazards?
Baked polymer clay can be over-baked and release toxic fumes, irritating the eyes, nose, and mouth. Always make sure you know the exact temperature you are baking clay on.
Also, polymer clay is used for making art and craft but not for eating, cooking, or drinking items.
Just baking polymer does not pose a health hazard. Polymer clay only causes harm when it is burnt while baking.
They give off Hydrogen chloride fumes into the air, which are irritants.
Top 10 Best Toaster Ovens For Baking Polymer Clay
Getting the best toaster oven for baking polymer clay can be cumbersome as there are many brands, reviews, and features you will get across in the process of finding a good toaster oven.
Toaster ovens come on top when baking polymer clay because it makes curing and shaping clay easy.
The best toaster oven for polymer clay includes:
- Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Ovens
- Toaster Oven by Mueller Australia
- Black +Decker Toaster Oven
- COMFEE’ Toaster Oven Countertop
- Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven
- BLACK + DECKER toaster oven TO3230SBD
- NUWAVE Digital Air Fryer
- AMACO Craft/ Clay Countertop Oven
- Elite Gourmet Maxi- Matic Toaster Oven
- Cuisinart Toaster Oven
These toaster ovens have been chosen as the top best toaster oven due to their outstanding features and efficiency when baking polymer clay.
In addition, several tests and trials have picked them as one of the best in the market.
Conclusion
This article discussed how to use a toaster oven for baking polymer clay, the step-by-step procedures on how to do it, the pros and cons, the temperature used in baking polymer clay, and the best toaster ovens for baking polymer clay.
Polymer clay is used for carvings, sculptures, ceramics, vases, aircraft parts, and textiles.
