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255 of 263 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Many features, attractive -- but don't pay full price, November 30, 2005
This review is from: T-Fal OT8085002 Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven (Kitchen)
T-Fal makes several different models that are extremely similar, with a nonsensical system of model numbers that seems intended to confuse shoppers. We bought the one listed here, and by good luck it was actually the one we wanted! This has a glass lid for the warmer (as opposed to opaque metal); and it has the convection feature, which some other very similar-looking models do not have.
(And a warning to readers: be aware that sometimes Amazon mixes up reviews for similar products, without making that clear. As I write this, they seem to be keeping the two models separate. But that may not last forever. You can call T-Fal for confirmation of whatever model number you want to buy.)
On this one, there is indeed a clock, but I'm not sure why -- the backlighting on the numbers only goes on for a few moments after you have made an adjustment of some kind to the oven. After that, the backlighting goes off, and you really can't read the clock from across the room.
The same display is used for the countdown timer, for the temperature setting, and other indicators. It works fine, although you'll probably want another timer with a louder and/or longer alarm to tell you when your cooking time is done. (Most kitchens probably already have such a thing.) The oven turns off the power based on the timer, but of course the heat remains, so it is not like a microwave -- things keep on cooking if you do not remove them.
So far we've roasted some chicken, baked some banana bread, made toast, and baked frozen pizzas, all more or less successfully. It is great for people who want to toast a real bagel when cut in half, rather than trying to slice it up to go in a conventional toaster. We haven't tried it for toasting regular bread, but I suspect it would pale in comparison to our regular toaster. The right tool for the right job!
One of our big uses is to cook a single frozen pizza at a time, rather than wasting gas heating up the big oven. The pizza requires the full depth and width of the oven, and although I didn't measure with a ruler, I believe it is very nearly the 11" that T-fal claims as the capacity. It's just about the ideal capacity for an appliance like this, without getting overly large.
The one time I tried using the warmer compartment, the item did indeed get a bit too hot on the bottom, and a bit crusty (dried out). Perhaps it was in there a bit too long, but in any case one should experiment with that feature before trusting it. Some people have complained about getting things stuck in the warmer section, but I suspect that would not happen if one used the free non-stick pan that T-fal provides for that section. They also include two racks for toasting or baking, a broiling rack, and another nonstick pan for use in the oven.
One must be careful when removing hot items, to always have two oven mitts on. The baking trays slide VERY easily on their runners, so when you think you're just removing a pan, you may end up with a hot baking rack sliding toward you also -- and there is nothing to stop it from coming all the way out. The sliding rack can be a handy feature, but not when you aren't expecting it!
I saw a review that complained about the fan being very loud. When I first plugged ours in, it was also very loud, and I was annoyed and disappointed. But later that day, demonstrating the new toy for the rest of the family, I could not hear that growling noise anymore. One hears the convection fan, but it is no louder than one would expect -- probably a lot quieter than our old microwave. I have no idea why it was so loud when first plugged in, but it's perfectly fine now. Perhaps it just had to get used to running.
The list price is supposedly about $140 but it would not be worth that to us. Amazon has had it at various discounted prices -- sometimes less than the non-convection model, which is REALLY confusing to shoppers. It's listed at around $80 on the day I'm writing this review, and I think that's about as good a price as one can find anywhere, and probably a good value.
I find the controls to be easy to use and fairly intuitive. I did scan the manual, but I did not need to use it for any cooking activities. When you toast, it says "TOAST" and so on, and shows you the temperature as you set it, and the time when you set it. Very clever. What's amazing is that the same bit of electronics, that provides all those wonderful controls and displays, is also responsible for the goofy design of the clock.
I'm not sure one really needs a clock on a toaster oven -- surely one has other clocks in one's kitchen! -- but if they're going to put a clock on it, they should make the darn thing VISIBLE at all times, not just when you're standing right next to it under bright light.
The warmer feature does not seem to be fully thought out or implemented. Perhaps some day I'll need it, but right now it seems like a waste of space that has to be used very carefully.
Also, the oven is indeed cool to the touch on the sides, but NOT the back! The manual warns about this, but I accidentally touched the back of the unit while cooking, and luckily it was only for a fraction of a second, but it came close to giving me quite a burn. I am quite sure that *every* toaster oven has similar issues. But the very good insulation of the sides of this unit make one a little less wary of the parts that aren't insulated so well, I guess.
In this day and age, it's very useful to have a small oven that can accomplish jobs that would waste energy in a full-size oven. For compact kitchens, having that same appliance make toast and do other tasks is a plus. This is the first time we've owned one, so I can't say where it stands comparitively. So I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, for doing most of what it claims to be able to do, with good controls and features, and with just a few minor weak spots as described here.
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by Lois Dewitt
