Can I use halogen oven to make soap by CPOP?
- Thread starter valen2
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Hi, Valen!
You might be able to use this type of oven for HP or CPOP, but I have some concerns about it.
Is the plastic lye safe?
If soap batter got splashed up onto the lid, would it damage the heating mechanism?
Will your mother want to use this for cooking food after you make soap in it?
Is it large enough to hold a mold containing the soap?
Can the temperature be set low enough for CPOP?
If I were in your situation, I am not sure I would use this type of cooker. There are other ways to make good soap!
You really do not need to do CPOP. That is just one method of many to make soap.
To make CP (cold process) soap, I would just pour the soap batter into a simple mold (a cardboard box lined with plastic works well). I would then cover the molded soap with a towel. Or I would put the molded soap mold into an insulated cooler. If your weather is very warm, you may not need any cover or insulation at all!
To make HP (hot process) soap, I would cook the soap in a "bain marie" (hot water bath) or cook it directly on the stove top (very carefully!) You only need one or two pans and a hot plate or stove burner.
You might be able to use this type of oven for HP or CPOP, but I have some concerns about it.
Is the plastic lye safe?
If soap batter got splashed up onto the lid, would it damage the heating mechanism?
Will your mother want to use this for cooking food after you make soap in it?
Is it large enough to hold a mold containing the soap?
Can the temperature be set low enough for CPOP?
If I were in your situation, I am not sure I would use this type of cooker. There are other ways to make good soap!
You really do not need to do CPOP. That is just one method of many to make soap.
To make CP (cold process) soap, I would just pour the soap batter into a simple mold (a cardboard box lined with plastic works well). I would then cover the molded soap with a towel. Or I would put the molded soap mold into an insulated cooler. If your weather is very warm, you may not need any cover or insulation at all!
To make HP (hot process) soap, I would cook the soap in a "bain marie" (hot water bath) or cook it directly on the stove top (very carefully!) You only need one or two pans and a hot plate or stove burner.
Welcome Valen2! 
Ditto what DeeAnna said^^^.
I'd never seen a halogen oven before so out of curiosity I looked it up and just watched some YouTube videos how to use one..... and I just wanted to say that I personally would not use one to make soap, at least HP anyway.
The reason why is because the heat is generated by a halogen light on top that is circulated by a fan blowing downwards, which would be like HPing with the lid off and blowing hot air down on the cooking batter, which would dry things out and make it hard to pour.
Having said that, though, you might be able to use it for CPOP if you were able to warm up the oven a little bit, turn it off and then stick your soap mold inside, but the shape of the oven will limit what kind of mold you can use.
But good news- like DeeAnna said, one doesn't need an oven or crockpot to make good soap. With CPOP, all that one is trying to do is to encourage the soap to go through the gel stage. You can do that by wrapping your mold in towels and setting it in an enclosed box, or as DeeAnna mentioned, an insulated cooler. Since the saponification process generates its own heat, an enclosed box or insulated cooler will trap that heat and help to encourage the soap to gel.
Also- if the outside temperatures are warm enough, you can just stick your mold outside. That's what I do in the summertime here. Our summers are really hot where I live (110F/43C), and all I need to do is place my un-insulated mold out in my garage for a few hours to achieve full gel.
IrishLass
Ditto what DeeAnna said^^^.
I'd never seen a halogen oven before so out of curiosity I looked it up and just watched some YouTube videos how to use one..... and I just wanted to say that I personally would not use one to make soap, at least HP anyway.
The reason why is because the heat is generated by a halogen light on top that is circulated by a fan blowing downwards, which would be like HPing with the lid off and blowing hot air down on the cooking batter, which would dry things out and make it hard to pour.
Having said that, though, you might be able to use it for CPOP if you were able to warm up the oven a little bit, turn it off and then stick your soap mold inside, but the shape of the oven will limit what kind of mold you can use.
But good news- like DeeAnna said, one doesn't need an oven or crockpot to make good soap. With CPOP, all that one is trying to do is to encourage the soap to go through the gel stage. You can do that by wrapping your mold in towels and setting it in an enclosed box, or as DeeAnna mentioned, an insulated cooler. Since the saponification process generates its own heat, an enclosed box or insulated cooler will trap that heat and help to encourage the soap to gel.
Also- if the outside temperatures are warm enough, you can just stick your mold outside. That's what I do in the summertime here. Our summers are really hot where I live (110F/43C), and all I need to do is place my un-insulated mold out in my garage for a few hours to achieve full gel.
IrishLass
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