Convection/Micro Oven or not??

[5cats]

Here's a thought that might save counter space: with our convential gas oven, I'm thinking that if I find a microwave I like, maybe it'll live inside the oven itself (unless we're baking, of course!).

Might solve the counter space issue, should travel ok, though we've have a cording dangling out the oven door when microwaving...

Cheers,
-jd.

[Rhodie]

Originally Posted by 5cats

Here's a thought that might save counter space: with our convential gas oven, I'm thinking that if I find a microwave I like, maybe it'll live inside the oven itself (unless we're baking, of course!).
Cheers,
-jd.

Great idea, we barely use the oven and currently keep the pots & pans (stackables) in there, but a small microwave would ride just fine in that spot.

We purchased both our AS's with ovens off the lots so no choices there, but
would still opt for ovens as no need for power and honda gen can power a small microwave. The oven is great for storage!

Barbara

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by tin sista

I read somewhere that Pioneer mix was what was used for Popeye's biscuits with sour cream.

Okay, you got my curiosity with this one. Guess I don't get around -- at least when it comes to chain restaurants! Don't know what I think about Sprite in a recipe... I do know when the biscuit box calls for milk that water is a nearly equivalent replacement.

But found on http://www.realcajunrecipes.com is:
Popeye's Biscuit Twin

Makes: 12 biscuits
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ready In: 45 minutes
This easy quick recipe has a mouth watering taste very similar to the famous Popeye's (fried chicken chain) biscuits.

Ingredients
2 cups Pioneer Buttermilk Biscuit Mix
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/2 cup cold Sprite
2 Tbsp Butter

Directions: Melt butter in a bowl. Mix all ingredients together and form biscuit. Mixture will be sticky. Do not overwork; this is a drop biscuit. Coat the biscuit on both side with some melted butter and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

[Minnie's Mate]

We searched high and low for a 30' bunk with a micro-convection oven. That was the only way to get a microwave in this plan because the galley is on the street side and the micro door wouldn't open right. My wife's decision. She doesn't do biscuits unless they pop out of a can when you whack it up side the counter! Well, she does do the frozen kind you can get at Stupid Wal-Marts, but that's beside the point.

Anyway, she thinks she'll like the convection micro once she gets used to it. We don't plan on much boondocking and I don't expect she'll bake too many cakes or loaves of bread while we camp. Mostly, she wanted the ability to nuke popcorn to go with DVD's with the kids after the camp fire goes out.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by dbradhstream

All the posts here mirror our experience/thoughts ... we bought our '06 Safari with the gas oven/no microwave. We've learned now, though, that the oven is difficult to light and my wife won't bother to try any more; the oven makes the trailer too hot in our Florida heat; and the places we go all have electric so we could operate a microwave and would use it more than the oven. So, our next unit (already craving a unit with a slide out) will have the convection/microwave. We mostly grill outside anyway. Just depends on your personal cooking needs.

I'm with you...except the new unit. I'm happy with ours until our kids are no longer camping with us.

[dbradhstream]

... funny - and my wife is like yours as far as the canned biscuits!

As for the new unit, we really like ours a lot, don't get me wrong, but wish we'd gone a little longer and a little wider (slide out) - but that would've been too heavy for my truck. Now that I'm a year wiser, I'd also like one with permanent beds (front queen/rear bunks) so we don't have to mess with the dinette every night.

[LuminumTraila]

We went with the convection/micro but still haven't used it much, mostly just for reheating, warming up burrito shells, popcorn, etc. But we wouldn't have used an oven much either. We like cooking outdoors whenever we can to keep the cooking odors out of the living space.

Tin sista, now that you've given the biscuit mix the thumbs up I think I'm gonn have to try it. Anybody know if it's sold in stores in the Northeast, or is mail order the only way to go?

-Jamie

[Boondocker]

I love the oven in mine. I used a bread machine for a long time. Mine died and when I was looking at new ones, it occured to me that all they do is mix and heat. I thought ( yes I did), hey I can mix and with the oven I can heat. No electric involved. Perfect for boondocking. So instead of a new bread maker I bought a couple baking pans and a larger mixing bowl. I have taken to making my bread and biscuts from scratch when I can. I havent had a microwave in years so I dont miss it. So whats the story on this pioneer biscut mix? Someone going to send me some so I can try it ?

[tin sista]

Being the center of the universe as Michigan is... What can't you find here?? Ok sunshine for 9 months of the year...
I have to try that recipe Bob, not used to using pop for baking, guess I'd better get with it eh? Tigers are gonna roar next year!! Cards played a good game.
Rodney--Bob posted the info, but here's a link to a picture of it online in case you are searching the aisles for it. The canister is nicely shaped for packing in a trailer.
Its called Pioneer Brand Buttermilk Biscuit & Baking Mix, C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. I found it in the baking aisle of a large grocery in Michigan called Meijers.
Jamie--maybe you can find them at a big grocery near you? Those biscuits came out nice and light.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by dbradhstream

Now that I'm a year wiser, I'd also like one with permanent beds (front queen/rear bunks) so we don't have to mess with the dinette every night.

That's exactly why we went with the 30' Safari Bunk. Its great to tell the kids it's bed time and off they go without a major remodel by either my wife or me. Same in the morning before breakfast. We got the sofa option also so we could pile up on the sofa to watch tv when it's too hot or too rainy to be outside. Like I said, we love it and have no desire for a change until the boys aren't camping with us any longer. Then a 28' or 30' rear bedroom might be nice. Who knows, we might keep this one for when we have grand kids.

[tin sista]

Originally Posted by Canoe stream

But found on http://www.realcajunrecipes.com is:
Popeye's Biscuit Twin

Thanks Bob, we tried them this morning. My tarheel hubby was impressed with these. I thought they were the fluffiest drop biscuits I've had, remember they aren't grandma's rolled biscuits, but they are good and easy to make too! Definitely a keeper recipe! They are very sweet tasting though so you might want to taste them before adding honey to them.

[Brow324]

Howdy from DFW;
We just purchased the 27 Safari FB and it has the convection oven, which was a delight to my wife. She's been cooking with a convection oven for years and prefers it. Our last travel trailer, which we hauled for a little over 10 years, had a conventional oven which was used maybe half a dozen times in 10 years. We tended to use the stovetop and microwave most of the time. But she's thrilled to have a convection in the new trailer. I don't know how to use one, personally speaking, so I will stick with the stove top burners until I get an orientation on the new convection oven. But I can say from the home cooking she's done in a convection oven that they seem to cover all the bases that a microwave does, plus more. I'm no expert on convection but I AM on eating! BTW: those little Honda 2000 watt generators are just about the best generator package available today. They are quiet, priced right ( even better on Ebay buy it now vendor listings ) and put out enough power to run everything BUT the A/C. If we need A/C we camp where there are hookups though. Also: Pioneer buscuit mix.....mmm-mmm-good....so is the gravy mix.

[Minnie's Mate]

Brow324, if it hasn't been said yet, welcome to the Forums. Glad you got into an Airstream and glad your wife got the oven she will enjoy using.

So far my wife has only used our convection/microwave for nuking potatoes and popcorn, but I think she will use it at least as much as she would have used a conventional oven.

[Wharf Rats]

We have the microwave/convection in our A/S. We had the conv. on 450 degrees to crisp up some baked potatoes after nuking them and stepped outside for a few minutes. When we opened the door to go back in, the A/S was filling up with white smoke. I shut the oven down breakers and all. Never had a fire. When we got home I pulled the oven out and ran it in the garage in both micro. and conv. settings and it worked just fine. I was wondering if anyone out there has had a similiar experience. Also, I noticed A/S ran that carpet wall covering stuff up inside the microwave cabinet, seems suspect in a high temp. enviroment. Any feedback would be welcome. Thanks, Mark

[Brow324]

Thanks for the welcome. My wife checked to make sure after she read some forum mentions about convection only ovens...nervous that we'd gotten one in our new A/S... and sure enough we are getting the convection/microwave, which made her happy. I don't know how to use that type of oven but she sure does. She used to have a conv/micro in the kitchen at home. I never touched it...not by choice...she wouldn't let me.

[JWeil]

I'm glad I read the discussion about gas vs. convec/mw. We've had our new 2007 19' Bambi Safari SE for 3 weeks now, and have been waiting for our convec/mw unit to arrive (our unit came with the gas oven). Since we do a lot of boondocking, your comments convinced my wife and I to get a good toaster oven that we will save for warming/cooking on a small scale when we have a hookup, and otherwise rely on the gas oven for any baking/warming. Since we don't actually COOK in a microwave, but use it to re-heat food, a toaster oven can do the same, if electricity is available, and stows much smaller than a microwave oven.

[RoadKingMoe]

We don't use (or even have any more) a microwave at home, so the overhead one in the Airstream is often just used for storage, or at most reheating something.

But since we're essentially hauling a house around with the 34' and since we use an oven a LOT at home, we're glad to have the gas one in the Airstream. As large as it is, we found ourselves camping without power more than with it. And although we have the two EU2000s, as quiet as they are, I feel that using one in the morning is about as inconsiderate as farting in a crowded elevator, if we're not the only ones camping there.

However, if I was building a trailer for primarily boondocking, with focus on light weight per tire to avoid getting stuck, and narrow width with short length to both help weaving through tight curves amongst trees as well as not dragging the frame in dips or over bumps, I'd have NEITHER a gas oven, convection oven, or microwave. The space/weight, if used, could be better used for provisioning, such as water or food. A single-burner gas cook-top would be minimalist and while sometimes sufficient, a two-burner, if mounted so, could use only the counter width of a single burner.

[hshovic]

We purchased a tiny microwave at Walmart ($50), and store it under the bed.... Works just fine for the times we have shore power.

[TBRich]

Our 19' Bambi has a regular oven...our previous SOB motor home had a Convenction/Microwave...we used the C/M some, but the convection is a different kind of cooking...we prefer regular gas for baking, etc...so we use the regular oven quite a bit now. We do take a small $50 microwave with us when we think we are going to use it (mostly for popcorn, warming and thawing), and leave it at home when we don't...we keep it in the truck and run it outside on a table under the awning since we odn't have a lot of counter space...then just throw it in the back of the truck at night if we suspect rain...no harder than setting up a BBQ grill, really.

Like everyone has said, it eally depends on how you intend to camp on a particuar trip...

TB

[Minnie's Mate]

It's been almost a year since my last post to this thread, and my wife and I have had a chance to use the convection oven some since then. The only real difference between the convection oven, so far, and a regular oven is that we either subtract 25 degrees from the cooking temperature or subtract 1/4 of the cooking time (I think). Other than that it's the same cooking process. The easiest thing for me to remember is to subtract the 25 degrees. I baked a Key Lime Pie and usually bake for 25 minutes at 350 and just baked at 325 for 25 minutes and it came out perfect. Beautiful meringue, BTW.