A bachelor griller, mini oven[1] or mini kitchen[2] is a countertop kitchen appliance about the size of a microwave oven but which can instead grill, bake, broil or roast food. It generally incorporates one or two heating elements at the top and bottom of the appliance, has one or two hobs (American English: burners) on the cooktop, or a ceramic hotplate, and may incorporate a rotisserie.[3][4]
It can be used to fry, bake and grill (American English: broil) foods. It is an alternative to reheating prepackaged meals in a microwave oven.[5]
Modern bachelor grillers have controller knobs to control cooking temperatures. These are steadystates, a combination of a potentiometer and a thermostat, which ensure that the temperature stays stable.
History
The expression is at least 100 years old, with early versions generally powered by gas.[6][7] The expression derives from the stereotypical idea that a bachelor will not cook anything properly, if at all. It has also been used as (and may have originated as) a brand name: the 1905 Journal of Gas Lighting, Water Supply & Sanitary Improvement (page 410) describes "illustrations of the firm's "Welcome" and "Bachelor" grillers, their "Vulcan" cooker, and an assortment of brass fittings for gas".
^Spring, Justin (March 2006). The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about Setting Up & Cooking in the Most Ridiculously Small Kitchen in the World. Broadway Books. ISBN978-0767920162.