I have been wanting a convectional oven for some time now, but the price tag has always held me back. The biggest difference between a conventional oven and a convection oven is heat distribution. A conventional oven is prone to developing hot and cold spots due to the location of the heat source and inconsistencies in the insulation. A convection oven achieves a more even heat distribution by circulating hot air in the oven with a fan.
Now thanks to the fine geniuses at Cuisinart I own an appliance that combines a full-featured convection oven with a steaming function. Now I can bake, roast, and steam foods, all in one machine. I feel like a little girl at Christmas time who just received an Easy Bake oven from Santa. The Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven resembles an oversize toaster oven.
My wife is a big-time chicken lover, so, of course, the first thing she had me cook in my new Easy bake over (Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven) was a couple of Cornish hens. We used the Cuisinart steam option first set to 100 degrees for one hour and then finished them off using the convection oven set at 350 degrees. The hens truly looked like a piece of art. You would have thought they were done on a rotisserie; they tasted amazing.
The second form of cooking that this little oven can do is steam cooking. Steaming is a simple cooking method that uses direct contact with steam to cook foods. Not only is steaming very healthy for you, it is also a fast, easy way to cook a delicious meal. There is a reservoir on the side of the oven that can be filled with water, which is used to generate steam to fill the inside of the oven. Vegetables, fish, seafood, rice, and even poultry can all be prepared steamed. We find ourselves often using the Cuisinart CSO-300 Combo Steam/Convection Oven
One nice feature of this oven is that the rack is adjustable. There are four heights that the rack can be set to. The combination oven/steamer also features a display on the front of the unit allowing you to select the cooking option, temperature, and cooking time. Using the CSO-300 is nearly effortless as the knob presents you with a semicircular array of nine cooking modes, each one with its own icon and default settings.
The little countertop appliance machine cooks up to 40% faster than conventional ovens. We have used it to cook chicken, steamed vegetables, roasted potatoes, 12″ pizza, Pillsbury Cinnamon Buns, Stuffed Peppers, Tuna Melts, and Polish Sausage. It does a great job at reducing the hot spots I spoke of early, though we found it did not eliminate them completely.
Cleaning the oven is rather easy. A tray at the bottom catches drips and crumbs, then slides out easily for quick cleanup.
Overall, the Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven allow you to cook in ways that my typical oven does not offer. If you are looking for a versatile alternative to your full-size oven then you’ll want to pick up the CSO-300 Combo Steam + Convection Oven. If you are looking to just heat pizza pockets and make toast then you may want to stick to Cuisinart 4-Slice Convection Toaster Oven.
In the meantime, while you decide, I have some more roast chicken to perfect in my new Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven.
Website: Cuisinart.com.
