A roaster oven lets you roast large cuts of meat, steam your meats and vegetables, slow cook large amounts of food and bake the same items that you would in a conventional wall oven or range without the excess heat they create. The portability of the roaster lets you bake almost anywhere you have access to a 15-amp wall receptacle. Use your roaster to bake items, such as cakes, pies, convenience foods and casseroles and reduce the heat in your kitchen.

Place a baking rack into the bottom of the roaster. This promotes more even cooking of your food. Covering the baking rack with heavy-duty aluminum foil lets you use the baking rack as a baking sheet for cookies and pizzas.

Cover your roaster with the lid and set the temperature to correspond with what your recipe calls for. For example, a frozen pizza requires a temperature setting of 425 degrees Fahrenheit; packaged biscuits require 375 degrees Fahrenheit, while brownies require a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Allow the roaster to preheat with the cover on for 20 minutes.

Bake two dishes at a time if your roaster is large enough. An 18-qt. roaster holds two loaf pans, letting you bake two loafs of bread at the same time. Three 1 1/2- qt. casserole dishes fits in this size roaster, letting you bake an entire meal, such as a meat load, a side dish and baked potatoes.

Follow the directions of your recipe for cook times, as these will vary from dish to dish. Breads can take up to 75 minutes; baked potatoes can take up to 70 minutes.