Customer Reviews

Nuwave 20322 Pro Digital-Controlled Infrared Tabletop Oven, Black

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is my second Nuwave. I use it constantly. It is especially good for preparing meals for one to two people. It does everything a conventional oven will do, only better, faster, and with substantially less electricity. Items I would once use a microwave to prepare because of the time savings, I now regularly prepare in the Nuwave Oven.

However, it is too air tight. NO moisture escapes. That has its advantages and disadvantages. Items are moist and delicious, but if you like the crispiness a standard oven creates, expect less crispiness with the Nuwave. That, though, is a minor, almost insignificant tradeoff, compared with the valuable features. (One comment to the manufacuturer: What numbskull decided to put the allegedly "peel-off" sticker on the see-through ring? It does not peel off easily at all. There are a dozen glues you could have used that would cause it to peel off entirely, instantly. Instead, you went with some cheap, nearly permanent sticker that takes forever to get off. I have ALWAYS said engineers and manufacturers should be "sentenced" to use the appliances they create and produce for at least ten years.)

We are redoing our kitchen floor and had to remove the oven to make room for a new built in type that is taking forever. So, I purchased this oven to allow me to prepare meals in the meantime. It really is wonderful. I was very skeptical. It cooks really fast on high so I tend to cook longer - on a lower temperature - you can always cook more than less. It's great for heating up stuff too - stuff that is usually trashed e.g. leftover eggrolls or pizza. It does take up a fair amount of space on the kitchen counter but it's well worth it - this unit is something I should have bought a long time ago. It makes a GREAT 2nd oven - for holidays like keeping things hot or even cooking the turkey so to free up the regular oven. It's definitely well worth the money - I look at it and wonder how I was able to cook without it so well before. It does clean up nice too - just warm soapy water for the drip pan (don't scour) and wipe down the rest with a damp soapy cloth and it's good to go meal after meal. I wash the dome lid weekly - just in case the smell of BBQ chicken and chocolate cake - don't go well. If you have the extra money - definitely buy it and if you need a good wedding shower gift - this would be good for that too. It's also good for a college kid or a single person.

I thought about buying a NuWave or Flavorwave for THREE years before I did it...wasn't sure it was really going to do what they said. The day it came I couldn't resist - I pulled a frozen solid tri-tip from our chest freezer and threw it in. It was DONE and fabulous in ONE HOUR! Last night I tried another tri-tip, but this time a fresh one. Again, done in record time and so juicy and wonderful my family raved. My husband HATES that I buy "gadgets", but THIS one he loves! We're ready to expand our repertoire now, and move on to mixed food preparation. I can't see how ANYONE would regret buying this little oven. A huge meal will easily fit inside it - it doesn't heat up the house (but you can smell the wonderful food cooking) - and it is FAST and the meats stay very juicy. I'm hooked!

I have had the NuWave Pro Digital Oven for three weeks now. I have cooked the items listed below using cooking times on the Quick and Easy Cooking Guide for temperature setting on High.

COOKING (no oil needed)
- Cornish Hen (fresh & frozen)
- Steak (frozen)
- Lamb Chops (fresh)
- Fish - Opah, Haddock (fresh)
- BBQ Chicken Thighs (fresh)
- Chicken Wings (fresh)
- Ribs (fresh)
- Roast Potatoes
- Roast Veggies - Broccoli, Snap Peas, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus

The meat and fish came out moist. The veggies cook better on the 2 inch rack than the 4 inch rack. While the NuWave cooks frozen food well, I still prefer to plan ahead and marinate my meat in advance, but having the ability to cook from frozen is a nice bonus.

CLEANING
Easy to clean if you soak the racks in water right away. Grease drips into the liner pan. Food does not splatter much so the transparent dome can be wiped clean. Power head does not seem to get dirty from the cooking.

NOISE LEVEL
The NuWave Oven is very very quiet when cooking.

SMELL
Food smell is self contained. Does not create much odor at all during cooking, although it does depend on what you cook. For example, you will smell roasting garlic.

CAUTION
Sometimes a lot of hot steam comes out when lifting the dome. Make sure you use oven gloves and keep your face and arms away when opening the dome.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
Very pleased that the NuWave Pro Digital Oven performs as advertised. Even my infomercial skeptic husband is impressed with the food quality. Love that I can cook a complete meal for two. No more pots and pans to clean. No more preheating and it uses less energy. For $125.95 delivered with extender ring it is a sound investment for my kitchen.

NEGATIVE
Hearthware company charges too much for shipping the add on accessories so I recommend purchasing the package that includes the extender ring kit which comes with the 2" rack. Also, I bought another NuWave Oven as a gift for my brother. The documentation was missing from the box. Called NuWave customer service who told me that I would need to order the missing documentation from the website and pay for them which I thought was ridiculous considering they were missing. I hope I never need to use the warranty on my NuWave Oven as I would not expect good customer service from this company.

I'm skeptical of all informercials because I've been burned by some bogus and crappy products in the past. I know they rig the audience with extras and paid positive responses.

So before deciding to buy this, I read as many reader reviews as possible. So after reading mostly all positive reviews, I got one 2 months later. The first night I used it, I put a completely rock hard frozen steak in there. As shown in the infomercial, I put some salt and pepper and some other seasonings on it. Put 8 min, beeped, turned over the meat, put another 8 min. Beeped. It was done. Externally, the meat looked great, very presentable and looked like something a restaurant would serve me. So for the all important test, the taste. Cut it in half, inside was about med done. Tasted it. It was DELICIOUS. I was completely surprised. So much I text my gf and said the "oven is awesome"!

So excited, I put another frozen item in it. This time salmon. Put in 6 min. Flipped it. Put in another 6 min cook time. Done. Tasted, it was good too. Imagine that, not having to defrost or pre-heat anymore. My cooking routine has been so much easier now.

Pros:
Cooks as well, maybe better than advertised.
Big dome allows full size turkey to be cooked.
Multiple height trays allow different food to be cooked at same time.
No preheat needed.
No defrost needed.
No added heat to the kitchen from using large stove.
Browns and sears, (require flipping of food to avoid over browning).
Easy clean up, wipe inside dome and put bottom tray in dwasher.

Cons:
Too bulky for 1-2 person family or small kitchen.
Personally, I dont like how it looks but it works well.

In summary, this thing does what it says on TV. It has saved me time, money, and gets me more excited about cooking, believe it or not. I'm a guy too. Would recommend it to my family and friends.

Well, I've had this thing for little over a month and gave it its last test. It failed.

My scenario: I'm single. I can cook but I'm no gourmet and don't really consider it a hobby. I can follow recipes but prefer eating a good meal than actually preparing one. I spend my days figuring out and fixing computers so I wanted something that could easily help prepare a meal without a lot of hassle or at least less hassle than pulling out a pan, turning a knob, and standing over something waiting for it to cook, I suppose.

My main goal was to use this to cook frozen meats without the extra prep of defrosting. What sold me to actually try it was the endorsement from the CEO from Bell & Evans chicken in their TV ads. (Although my experience is no reflection on them; they use it to cook their nuggets in stores and you can learn to use something really well if you do it over and over again.)

So my experience thus far has been:

Chicken: A frozen breast filet was my first attempt. I was surprised that it actually cooked all the way but it was dry. I don't think I ever got around to trying a fresh filet.

Beef: I don't like what it does with beef at all, fresh or frozen, but I'm picky with beef. Unless you like it bleeding, beef is hard to get right, anyway. Whether I over or under cooked it, there was one time when it didn't turn out too bad and I nibbled off of it for a few bites. But something really strange happens to the meat if you let it sit for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. It only stayed juicy if you ate it immediately. Otherwise, it starts to look like something horrible; like it's still cooking or something. I've had better luck just using instructions from an old Joy of Cooking and the regular oven.

Fish: I first tried cooking a piece of fresh salmon with an ear of corn and it didn't cook all the way through, which surprised me because I used a longer cooking time and thought it would actually get too done. (The corn came out pretty good.) The next two times I cooked similar pieces and they came out marvelous, which is why I was still testing it a little over a month later. Unfortunately, I tried a frozen piece, actually added a minute over the sheet recommendations for one side, and it didn't cook all the way through. This was my last test.

Shellfish: Oddly, I seemed to have found the magic combination for frozen jumbo shrimp. Leaving the shells on to seven of these things has consistently produced moist, tender morsels, even if not eaten immediately.

Unfortunately, I didn't buy this product off of Amazon, I went to their official website and paid extra for other gadgets (that I haven't bothered to use) and color. (You get the bag, too.) But seeing as I'm not rich, the amount of money that I paid for it is too much to not do more of what I need it to do. (Should I ever turn into a cat, maybe I'll try again. But until then, I can't live off of frozen jumbo shrimp.)

My problem is that although getting it right probably just needs some tweaking, I don't have the time or patience to figure this out. If I follow their instructions and don't get the results that they say should happen, I can't be their R&D department. I think maybe if they offered a method of cooking based on weight of the food instead of height, that would help me to produce the results they suggest. But I don't want to poke around on a forum for enthusiasts to see how best to cook the food. I just want my dinner.

I think if you have a lot of people to consistently feed, do a lot of cooking and/or do consider it a hobby/sport, this is probably a neat gadget or even a lifesaver.

But for me, this is going to be a $45 (S&H) lesson, which is still better than pining my false hopes on this thing. And if you've read this review and are in my situation, hopefully this is $45 you can keep in your pocket.

P.S. The grill seemed to shrink after the first use. Where it originally sat sturdy it started wobbling. And there is no "off" button, so if it's plugged into an outlet, it's on waiting for you to punch in numbers (standby-mode, kind of) like one of the electronics in your living room.

NuWave 20322 Pro Digital versus Flavor Wave, who wins? I own both. First the Flavor Wave which I used for about 4 years around the clock. Last the NuWave. Price? I would say that when is all said and done almost the same. Quality? Both work as advertised, the Flavor Wave has provided years of good service and it looks like the NuWave can perform equally. One thing about both: The NuWave can be set up to cook for a minute if desired, the Flavor Wave in increments of 15 minutes, so the NuWave has that added plus. The Flavor Wave has an On/Off Button, the NuWave must be unplugged, so the Flavor Wave wins. They both cook as advertised and the thing that makes this kind of cooking outstanding in my humble opinion, is the fact that frozen foods can be cooked, no need to thaw and that in a nutshell is a great thing. When dealing with chicken, fish, seafood, beef, is a well known fact that it is better to cook directly from frozen while it is at its most freshest. The final results are always the same: the food taste just as good as with any other method of cooking and the speed is above average. Bacon drains right to the bottom, fat of any kind does the same and with the proper seasoning mid-way the final results are indeed appetizing. Better looking? Probably the NuWave in black is better than the Flavor Wave in white. Nice asset to any modern kitchen. I do a lot of fine defrosting (shrimp, frozen vegetables, etc) and for that function the NuWave inspires more confidence for it can be done in increments of 1 minutes so as not too risk over doing the job. Here I go again, the domestic critic on an appliance that is more than worth the price of admission. 4 Stars for sure! PS One fellow reviewer mentioned that it is not possible to make crispy food in this appliance. I beg to differ: if you cook it long enough it will turn like "chicharron" but if too long it will also turn hard to the byte so one must compromise. I made some tasty chichen tenders and some crispy fish! Garlic bread comes out very good!

I purchased the nu wave oven deliberately not believing the hype because it was so cheap. What a surprise! Meat is always tender and juicy and cooking time extremely quick. It can't beat my Farberware convection oven for preference, but compare $130+ over $400+ and the choice is easy. Easier to clean too. Be sure to get the extender ring with purchase. Ordering later can be time consuming.

I prefer to experiment with a new appliance or gadgets before reviewing. First, I tested the internal temperature on Hi by setting a cup of water on the 2" rack. The highest temp it reached after 10 minutes was 325 degrees. Users should be aware that the food and utensils themselves will increase the temperature. Professional cooks test for doneness with a food thermometer which is the most accurate and safest way to ensure the food is cooked to the degree desired.

1. Large cuts of meat and fowl will retain moisture if cooked fully or partially frozen, or loosely wrapped in aluminum foil. Remove foil during the last 15-30 minutes to brown, if desired.

2. To increase moisture in the oven; eg., for Asian-style barbecued spareribs, add about an inch of water to the liner pan. The grease and drippings will fall into the hot water, making cleanup easier and faster. The extra moisture will prevent burning and dehydration of the food.

3. For faster cooking, use thin disposable aluminum pans. They can be washed and reused. Large cuts of meat and fowl can be partly defrosted in microwave oven; or divide cooking between microwave oven (internal) and Nuwave oven (external).

4. To prevent overbrowning and burning of fowl cooked on 1" rack, cover with a piece of aluminum foil; remove for last 15-30 mins. of cook time. Or, cook at reduced power; eg., 70%, for 75% of the cook time, then switch to HI for the last 25% for browning. Take temperature to test for doneness. A whole bird, for example, should test at 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.

4. Spray or grease racks to prevent sticking.

5. Enjoy baked russet potatoes? Save time; you can bake almost 5 lbs. of small russet potatoes in the Nuwave at once. Use 1" or 2" rack, largest potatoes in center. Bake on Hi. No need to turn, test for doneness. Allow potatoes to cool, wrap well and freeze. To reheat in microwave: wrap potato in paper towel, heat until very hot.

6. To prevent sogginess of crisped foods, remove from oven as soon as desired doneness is reached. Place a piece of aluminum foil in liner pan to catch grease and drippings.

7. Like any other appliance or gadget that cooks with heat, extreme caution should be exercised to prevent burns. Like a microwave oven, the Nuwave oven cooks and bakes with concentrated heat in a small, confined environment. Always lift the dome cover carefully with the open end AWAY from your face and hands. A set of long and short-handled tongs are a must in the kitchen for turning food, pans, and racks.

8. Remember, "suggested cooking times" are just that, "suggested." Many factors affect cooking time: temperature of food, room, size and kind of cooking utensils used (metal, glass, poly, etc.); oven temperature setting, and size and type of food.

Last but not least: What if the center of your food turns out a bit underdone and you don't want to put it back in the Nuwave? Stick it in the microwave oven for a few minutes and test again (but NOT in a metal utensil).

Except for baked potatoes, squash, and casseroles, I do not Nuwave veggies because the microwave oven is faster and less expensive to operate. The beauty of the Nuwave is the convection feature and concentrated heat which retains the natural juices and moisture in the food, similar to commercial restaurant equipment. No more dried out, stringy fowl and roasts. With a little practice and patience, you'll be an expert Nuwaver in no time.

I've only had this Oven one day and I am amazed how much I enjoy using it. I prepared 4 separate dishes in less than 2 hours. I work as much as 10 to 14 hours most days so I would not go home and cook a healthy meal, but I will now. The texture and flavor is just right. No dried out, rubbery or underdone cooking. I have only one negative comment. I do not recommend buying a Nuwave Oven from Earthenware/Nuwave.com online or from them over the telephone. There are too many extra shipping charges. For what you end up paying you could have bought 2 Ovens. Still I do love the Nuwave Oven.