GE Advantium oven: Worth it?

[SUOrangeman]

GE Advantium

It looks like they're using halogen lamps to reduce cooking times up to 75%. Is it worth the $1000+ premium? (I have no idea what an oven costs these days anyway).

-SUO

 

[Moonbeam]

I don't know, but I'd sure want to hear what a good chef or too has to say about the process before I leaped. A thousand for a high end oven doesn't sound too high to me. I like those big massive gas Wolf(?) ovens.

 

[The Stigenator]

That is the "Flash Bake Oven".. its worth every penny if you want to use it. It uses light and infared waves to cook and brown. It was first developed for the commerical industry but you could get it at home back then for about $4000 but now the price has dropped for consumer use.

I would suggest it if your going to use it for stuff like cooking pizza's that tastes like pizzas in 1/2 the time what it would taken in a normal gas oven. Etc etc.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You realize you'd need to get a new cookbook. That'd screw up all of grandma's recipes. How would you know how long to cook stuff that's always been in a conventional oven. I like my maytag thank you much.

 

[Antoneo]

I saw commercials for this on TV a year back... looked impressive but I went microwave. Haven't heard any accolades from anyone so I didnt think much of it. Any of you guys have the Advantium?

 

[flot]

This looked really cool at first but the more I read the shadier it sounded. If you look at the main course recipes, it mentions time for "upper light" "lower light" and "microwave"... I'm thinking maybe it is a microwave that also just happens to shine really bright lights at your food to get the outside crispy??

 

[The Stigenator]

<< This looked really cool at first but the more I read the shadier it sounded. If you look at the main course recipes, it mentions time for "upper light" "lower light" and "microwave"... I'm thinking maybe it is a microwave that also just happens to shine really bright lights at your food to get the outside crispy?? >>



yup that is what it does..

The light waves heat it up.. if you put your finger in front of a camera flash you can feel the heat, well that is exactly what it does..

 

[SUOrangeman]

Well, my parents might be looking for a new oven after 20 years (probably 10 years with the current oven operating "at 50%" or less). So, this purchase wouldn't be for me ... directly. I figured the holiday season would be as good a time as any to see what out there on the oven playing field. Advantium is just my first stop.

A few things that I must keep in mind ...

There is currently NO gas fuel source. The existing oven (a Jenn-Air) is electric-powered.

The oven also has a cooktop surface which provides two burners and one griddle, with an exhaust vent in the middle.

The current setup is in an island, free-standing fashion, in that we can walk around it on all four sides. I will assume that my folks will still use this arrangement. Therefore, I doubt they'd want a stove with a raised instrument panel in the back (like most "wall" ovens).

The Advantium doesn't have a cooktop surface. So, an additional purchase would be required. Those flat ceramic surface tops like damn sexy.

Advantium and a few other models (non-GE) are using halogen lamps. It seems some other folks, like Maytag, use heat jets and other cooking "technologies."

Based on this info, are there any recommendations out there?

Thanks in advance.

-SUO

 

[The Stigenator]

you can get an electric cooking range for 1/2 that of the advantum. The cooking range will have a baking and grilling thing as well as 4 burners on top. The controls are front mounted. Go to sears and see what they have got for electric cooking stuff.. also check out homedepot, osh, and lowes.

 

[dirtboy]

My parents bought one of these last year. It's nice. Does an excellent job of cooking chicken and all sorts of things. Highly recommended.

 

[JC]

Hmmm...sounds like you have either a slide-in range (stands on the floor) or a drop-in (doesn't go all the way to the floor), Making an Advantium (the wall-oven style) work would
require major cabinet mods. I'd say go with a slide-in convection range, prolly still cheaper than the Advantium, no major mods required, cooks faster than a regular oven. Of course,
this doesn't address the venting issue, that's what the vent in the middle is for, sure you know that I take it there's no hood hanging over the stove now. So ideally you need
another downdraft range. So the ultimate would be a slide-in, convection, downdraft range. I can't think of one that meets those criteria right now, but it might exist. You really need
to consult a good appliance store (not SEARS!!!)

Good luck and happy cookin

JC

 

[SUOrangeman]

Good info, JCIV. Not being a home owner, I'm having to learn all the proper terminology overnight. But you seem to be correct on all accounts. No hood and downdraft venting. I just have to go home to see if the existing oven is indeed a slide-in. Even though I lived there for 20 or so years, I never really noticed (OK, so I was 5 we bought the house!).

I've read and seen some interesting things regarding ovens/ranges/cooktops over the last 24 hours.

-SUO

 

[Doggiedog]

I was looking at them too 2 years ago when renovating our apartment but dayam they were much more expensive than the Maytag electric range I got instead.