Fisher and Paykel Makes Housecall and Resolves Self Clean Issue

!!! UPDATED REVIEW FOR AEROTECH DOUBLE OVEN OD302 !!!
** Before you read any further, I am giving a final update on my Oven! After a self-cleaning issue which disabled my ovens several times, I finally had the Fisher & Paykel representative come to my house to evaluate and fix the problem. He noticed that some insulation was missing in the back of the oven near the thermostat and replaced it. Since then, I have cleaned my oven and it didn't require servicing afterward. I have to say, I am a much happier customer and got the impression the Fisher and Paykel really does care about their oven owners after all. I wish it hadn't taken so long to finally resolve my issues, but I believe the company will stand by their product, and that makes me sleep easier at night!**

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***************   ORIGINAL REVIEW  ***************
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I have been using my Aerotech double convection oven from Fisher Paykel for about 1.5 years now. I purchased it because it sported many of the features I admired in higher-priced ovens (Wolf, Viking etc.) but was more reasonably priced.

This oven is fantastic when it works. It features true convection capability, which means that the fan in the back of the unit blows heated air around the cavity. However, see descriptions of breakdowns in this review before making your decision. I have downgraded my rating because of two failures in less than two years.

Some things I really like about the oven are:
1) Rack system: Racks are easily removable for cleaning (in fact, you must remove it during the cleaning cycle). Also, there are three racks which can be placed in a multitude of positions, giving you a lot of cooking room and options
2) Dial controls move easily and are full of features, but not very complicated to use or understand
3) Oven Temperature goes as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is lower than my older model. Also, has a warming setting.
4) It heats up relatively quickly, especially on the TrueAero mode. Highest temperature setting is 500 degrees Fahrenheit, great for pizza baking! I noticed that many other ovens take quite awhile to heat up, especially with the lower element hidden.
5) Double Ovens: The unit has two fully-functioning, self-cleaning ovens, both with convection and each having 4 cubic feet of space. The unit fits into a standard 30" wide wall oven cabinet and the appliance is approximately 50" high. I mostly use one oven at a time, but I find the double ovens handy for entertaining. For example, one oven keeps food warm while the other cooks a casserole or roast.

Some things I don't like about the oven:
1) the temperature probe for roasts etc. doesn't work intuitively, and I have pretty much given up trying to use it
2) you cannot let it cool down or broil with the door open, due to a safety/temperature issue.
**3) UPDATED: NEW MALFUNCTION: Just ran the Self Clean and the top oven is no longer working. I am still under the two year warranty and will be calling the Service Company on Monday to get the repairman out (again). I will seriously look into venting the oven cabinet in several places and will be talking to Fisher Paykel about this issue, which others have also reported on this site.

I can relate to the other high-altitude owner, whose oven has broken three times. My oven also malfunctioned (broke) twice, one time when I left the door open after turning off the oven (and just recently after a self clean cycle). I discovered that the safety mechanism disables the oven if the control panel reaches a certain temperature. In this situation, the oven loses its power supply for cooking (but the lights will still operate). Needless to say, it is very upsetting to lose power to a new oven. Luckily, though, I was able to use the other oven in the pair while waiting for repairs.

After the first oven failure, I found an excellent repair service (covered by warranty) from my vendor here in Denver, Colorado. The repairman replaced the internal temperature gauge and circuit with a newer model which is supposedly less sensitive. Then, he warned that the oven must never broil or cool down with the door open!! If excessive heat reaches the control panel, it trips the oven's internal safety locking mechanism (which cannot be reset without a repair call). He also suggested that I try the self-cleaning feature to make sure it wouldn't cause another failure.

In my mind, this seems to be a design flaw of the oven, and I will be working with F&P and my vendor to try to resolve it before the warranty is up.

I hope this information helps anyone with problems operating their Fisher Paykel oven. Apparently, due to US Government safety regulations, many new ovens have these safety mechanisms to keep your house from burning down due to an oven fire.

I would like to know if other owners of new ovens have encountered these issues with their ovens.

Although I like my oven when it works, I would would not buy it again. I am frustrated with the breakdowns, which are uncalled for in a new appliance.