French door toaster oven, gimmick or useful?

[sudsmaster]

Oster has come out with a french door toaster oven. It looks attractive enough, and the doors seem to work, but I really wonder if it's worth an extra $50 to $100 for doors that close sideways.

It is bigger than the average toaster oven, taking a 16" pizza, but that means it's going to take up extra counter space which is usually at a premium anyway. And also that it probably sucks as a toaster.

It got generally good review on the BB&B website, where it's an exclusive, but most of the positive reviews were from people who were given the thing to review.



There's a apparently also a model with electronic controls, which I would prefer, as I've found that wind-up timers on many modern products have a quite limited life span. I guess they just don't make wind up timers they way they used to. Also, the model with electronic controls appears to have an interior light, while the dial control model does not seem to have an interior light. That would also be a big plus for me. If I needed yet another toaster oven, which I don't.



Oster also has a toaster oven with a pizza drawer at the bottom. Not french door, but who needs that gimmick anyway? I'll post a thread about that model after I do some more reading about it.[this post was last edited: 4/15/2017-19:15]

http://www.oster.com/toasters-and-ovens/oster-french-door-oven-with-convection-stainless-steel/TSSTTVFDXL.html?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=retargeting&utm_campaign=criteo-lower-funnel-oster

 

[joeekaitis]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">_X_</span> Gimmick

___ Useful

 

You'll be constantly banging your knuckles against the appliances it's parked between.

 

[sudsmaster]

Also,

 

[sudsmaster]

LOL, like the check boxes.

Yes, I think the doors are a gimmick. But the large size, the electronic controls, the interior light, just might make this oven a good choice for someone who doesn't have a good wall or range oven. Like in a dorm room or work site. Or a home with a broken oven, I suppose.

 

[nanook]

It Does Kinda Scream Gimmick

And depending on your kitchen layout, may very well bump objects to its side.  But it is large.  I have no experience with the unit, so really don't know how well it works.

 

I'm afraid Breville has cornered the market on a high-quality counter top oven that has gotten rave reviews from all over - including me - as I have one (which I purchased).  So the accolades are genuine.  I had their compact oven for years and loved it and recently replaced it with their full-size model, and love it even more.  It IS a bit pricy, but it's well-made.  I'm uncertain if the same can be said for the Oster.

 

[sudsmaster]

On Amazon the Breville does indeed get rave reviews. But I also noted (for the Pro model, which comes with an interior light) a number of negative reviews, where the main complaint appears to be reliability and longevity. A number said the oven stopped working shortly after one year, out of warranty. Main symptoms seemed to be electronic controls (which, being at the top of the oven in a chassis that can get very hot, is probably a design issue), heating elements not all working right, convection fan getting noisy or stopping entirely, thermostat not accurate, etc. Most reviews were positive, but given the QC and reliability issues if I were to get this product I'd be looking for an extended warranty and also thoroughly test the oven as soon as it arrives.

The issue with the hot chassis is one that puzzles me. It seems like none of these countertop oven makers bothers to insulate their products, which is odd since it would go a long way to conserve energy as well as reduce the heat complaints and maybe even make the controls last longer.

As far as the heating elements go, these are apparently quartz rods and if I'm not mistaken quartz heating elements generally have a shorter life span than the slower resistive elements. But it still doesn't seem right that so many people say this product tends to fail shortly after the 1 year warranty expires.

 

[launderess]

Have a nearly NIB Oster Convection Toaster Oven

In red that was "gifted" to us by someone moving house. That makes three toaster ovens (was also "gifted" a Delonghi digital toaster oven, and years ago found a NIB toaster oven/broiler by Magic Chef at Goodwill).

Actually could say have four toaster ovens as the vintage GE toaster also has an "oven" tray at bottom.

Oh and another Proctor-Sliex toaster that was purchased out of college for first apartment. Guess you can say am well sorted for toasters and or toaster ovens. *LOL*

"The issue with the hot chassis is one that puzzles me."

Have never seen a counter-top toaster oven, small oven, convection oven or whatever that either has insulation or anything worth mentioning. My vintage WestBend Ovenette becomes very hot during use. Ditto the vintage Maxim countertop convection ovens. All radiate heat, not as much as a full sized oven, but never the less they do.

Haven't tried the Oster convection toaster oven yet. Reviews say you can roast a small chicken or small cuts of meat. Interesting. As summer approaches and the main oven is shut down for the duration am sure will testing will follow.

 

[lordkenmore]

I've never seen a counter top oven of any sort with any real attempt at insulation, either. It would make sense for energy savigns, but I suppose insulation would make the oven exterior dimensions much bigger for a given capacity.

 

The only real attempt I saw at cool exteriors was the Farberware convection oven of ca. 1980. IIRC there was air circulation through the top and sides to keep the exterior sides/top cool. But, of course, that would do nothing to conserve heat in the oven proper.

 

[sudsmaster]

I did some reading up on the reviews of the Panasonic Flash Xpress small toaster oven.

Apparently this is one that stays fairly not hot during operation. This may be because it heats with infrared light at two wavelengths, not by conduction. It's also a faster cooking method so the time required is less than, say, for a non-convection oven. Maybe also less than for a convection oven.

Personally I think all the talk about toaster ovens being more energy efficient is hype. I have a 24 " GE P7 wall oven that comes up to pizza temp in about five minutes. It's very well insulated; the sides of the cabinet it's in stay cool to the touch. I'm not sure that cooking a pizza of same size (12") in a typical counter top oven would use appreciably less energy than the wall oven. It stands to reason that typical countertop ovens lose a lot of heat to the room they are in, which has to be compensated for by the heating element. And since the 24" wall oven is really less than 19"wide inside, it's really not that much bigger than the french door Oster in the OP.

I also have to laugh at some of the comments in some of the online reviews that claim the Oster is more efficient than a range or wall oven because it only uses 110 volts instead of 220. Watts, folks, watts. That's how we measure energy usage, not volts. Sheesh! And even then, it's just not watts, it's watt-hours that is what the power company is going to measure and charge for accordingly.

OK end of rant.

 

[tolivac]

Interesting-but how many countertop machines can we have??You would have to have MILES of counter and MANY 20A 120V outlets!The "bulge" on the back means it can't sit further back on your counter.Are the doors removable for cleaning?I have a few ovens in the closet I gave up using because the doors can't be taken off to clean in the sink or dishwasher.At the loads they are showing-more than a typical "toaster" oven that runs at 1200-`1500W-wall ovens 2500W on up will those loads in the small oven take longer to cook-I would assume so.In the meantime my Proctor Silex toaster I bought at a yrad sale for two bucks is doing fine.I will use my regular Hotpoint wall oven or my GE Advantium for those oven cooking jobs.Don't need the Oster one.And another thing for folks living in lightening prone areas as I do-how will the electronics hold up--The storms in my area kill the electronics unless you can unplug the machine in time.

 

[launderess]

Blodgett , GE, Viking

Among others have had commercial convection and normal ovens with French doors for years.
http://www.blodgett.com/products/convection-ovens/

Think the idea behind both side opening and French door ovens is that for certain persons they are easier to get things in and out of as opposed to a drop down door.

Also *think* that with French doors it is easier to close the doors when hands are full (as in taking something out of oven)as opposed to using one's knees, foot or whatever gymnastics to shut a drop down over door. Side opening doors ditto. In fact both French and side opening doors do bring the same ease in opening and closing to an oven as with refrigerators.

Now for a toaster oven really cannot see the benefit. Especially those tiny two plates of glass Oster calls doors on oven shown in OP link.

 

[twintubdexter]

I like it !

As soon as I saw the interior light on the digital model I was sold. My little no-frills Delonghi has a light too but unlike the Oster it doesn't make a statement on your counter. If you include the island, my kitchen has a little over 100 sq ft of counter space yet making room for an oven this big would mean an appliance or two would have to go. I'm attached to all of them.

 

You get yourself a nice fake bird like this, pop it that oven and guests will think you've gone gourmet...

 

[panthera]

Toastmaster

Has forced air cooling for the uninsulated walls on at least one of their ovens,I worked on it. Waste of energy, but never more than warm to the touch.

 

[gadgetgary]

Oster

I bought this oven as a TSV from QVC. Nice looking, and that is where it ends. Buttons not responsive, uneven cooking, outside gets VERY hot, no way to turn the light off except when the oven goes off, very short power cord, racks too close together so you could not fit anything with height in the lower rack.
Did not even try the toast feature.
Read the reviews on QVC. Not all are favorable.
Sent it back to QVC, and back to my very trusty Farberware digital.
Don't waste your $$$.

http://www.qvc.com/Oster-XL-Digital-Convection-Oven-with-French-Doors.product.K45548.html?sc=PSCH

 

[maytagbear]

I am

such a klutz. I would always have burns on the back of my hands.

To me, this is a "double winner." Gimmick AND bad idea!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[petek]

The thing is way too big to be called a toaster oven. More like a counter top oven. 

 

[joeekaitis]

Calrod heating elements = no Pyrex pie pans or cake pans.

Dig out the Corning Ware Pyroceram or use metal.