My KitchenAid double Electric Convection Oven- its great!

When our new home was recently completed, our builder provided various packages for kitchen appliances, with the KitchenAid stainless steel Architect Series as one of their upgrades. As I wrote in my last review, the glass stove top by KitchenAid has been disappointing. But, in stark contrast, I absolutely love my double convection built in stainless steel oven.



Built-in Double Oven Convenience

I have never had a double oven before , but it sure comes in handy when making a large or a complicated dinner. To be able to roast a turkey at one temperature during the holidays, and be able to bake a pie, or cook a casserole or other side dish simultaneously, at a different temperature, certainly makes meal planning easier. I must confess I don't prepare large meals as often as I used to, but it sure has been great when I needed it. The rest of the time, I use the second oven to store the broiler pan and my roaster pan in the often unused lower oven.

I also find that having a built -in oven is significantly easier on my back! No more bending to lift out a heavy roast or turkey. Even just checking while cooking is easier, with the glass door and light, I can check on my meal's progress without stooping over.

FEATURES

Convection Cooking

I have had this feature in my last three ovens, and I have gotten so accustomed to it, that it has become second nature while cooking.

Convection cooking is provided by a third hidden element behind the oven wall and small fan in the back of the oven that distributes the air evenly throughout the oven. The circulation of the air provides for a uniformity of cooking temperature, avoiding moving things around to get an even cooking result.

Convection cooking can also speed up the cooking process. If something should take 45 minutes, it will cook in approximately 30-35 minutes on convection. It is a rather imprecise time difference, so it is trial and error in the beginning to get the exact amount of time to prepare some foods. It works great on roasts and large poultry. When I make my rack of lamb or a pork roast, it comes out amazingly juicy, while slightly crisp on the outside, while saving about twenty per cent of my cooking time.

Convection cooking can also be used for casseroles or delicate baking. and there is also a convection broil cycle for nights when you want to speed up the cooking process.

The Key Pad

The control pad looks like something out of NASA. It took me some time to get used to all of its features, and I must confess I still keep my use and care guide in my drawer next to my oven to occasionally look up how to use certain functions. The oven display pad shows when the oven is in use, what the temperature is as it is going to the set temperature, when it reaches that temperature, when the start time was, which oven is being set, and the stop time if it has been set.

There is a timer display, a cancel/off button, and a twelve hour clock. There is an end of cycle reminder button.

Self-cleaning

The self-cleaning cycle uses a very high temperature, reducing dirt and grease to a fine ash. The cycle takes three and a half hours, which is significantly faster than my old KitchenAid self-cleaning oven. After the cycle and after several hours of cooling, it just requires a damp paper towel to wipe up the ash and the oven is spotless. Occasionally, i still need to rub a little along the edges where it may not have gotten as hot for safety reasons.
When I press the oven into clean mode the oven automatically locks and will not open again until it has cooled down.

Stainless Steel Finish

The stainless steel finish looks great, but requires special care . No scouring pads or abrasive cleaners should be used. Stainless steel cleaners get any dirt stains off and leave it looking gleaming bright and beautiful.

Appearance

I love the sleek design and state of the art look of this Architect Series Stainless Steel double oven. Its large arc-shaped handles match all of the other Architect Series appliances in the kitchen, giving my kitchen a very uniform and attractive appearance.