A toaster oven is simply a small countertop oven; it can be used in a similar fashion to a large oven, as described in that section. The main advantage is that you don’t have to heat up a large oven just to warm up and egg or two.  And, if your back isn’t what it what it used to be, it’s nice to have the eggs heating away at eye level.

PREPARATION:  Line the metal tray of your toaster oven with absorbent paper of some sort–paper towel, newspaper.  If using emptied eggs, double check to make sure that the drain hole is open, with no membranes or wax plug in the way. Place your pysanky onto the tray.

PROCEDURE:  Turn on the oven to its lowest “bake” setting.  Place the eggs and tray oven.Check occasionally to see if the wax has gotten shiny and begun to melt off;  the time needed will vary depending on whether the eggs are empty or full.   Finding the right baking time is a matter of trial and error.

When the wax gets glossy, remove the tray from the oven, and wipe the egg(s) clean with a paper towel, cloth, or other tissue (some pysankary use toilet paper or tissues). If significant amounts of wax remain, you can heat the egg(s) a bit longer.  If there are any small smudges of wax remaining, you can choose to remove them with Mineral Spirits or Goo Gone.

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