Oven use???

[BAB]

I ordered my '12 28' Intl with the microwave/convection combo. I hated it. The Sharp is overly complex (IMHO) and I found myself with manual in hand every time I wanted to cook something. And of course, if you had the Sharp you couldn't have the oven. SO, I figured out a way to have it all. I bought the drop in Amana oven at JC during Alumapalooza. As I measured the install, I found I had room for a Cuisinart micro/convection BELOW the oven. Granted, I'm on my hands and knees, but this works for me.

[daveswenson]

Originally Posted by BAB

I ordered my '12 28' Intl with the microwave/convection combo. I hated it. The Sharp is overly complex (IMHO) and I found myself with manual in hand every time I wanted to cook something. And of course, if you had the Sharp you couldn't have the oven. SO, I figured out a way to have it all. I bought the drop in Amana oven at JC during Alumapalooza. As I measured the install, I found I had room for a Cuisinart micro/convection BELOW the oven. Granted, I'm on my hands and knees, but this works for me.

Barry,
I gotta disagree about the Sharp. Yes it's complicated, but it works great! And it IS an oven.

These might help.
Amazon.com: TEKTON 7023 Deluxe Knee Pads: Home Improvement

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, we seldom use our oven at home and only used the oven in our trailer a few times, but I wouldn't be without it. We were very fortunate that our trailer came with all three; Stove top, oven, and micro-wave. I believe that most trailers you get the stove top and either/or a micro-wave or oven, but not all three like mine.

[Kosm1o]

Originally Posted by BAB

I ordered my '12 28' Intl with the microwave/convection combo. I hated it. The Sharp is overly complex (IMHO) and I found myself with manual in hand every time I wanted to cook something. And of course, if you had the Sharp you couldn't have the oven. SO, I figured out a way to have it all. I bought the drop in Amana oven at JC during Alumapalooza. As I measured the install, I found I had room for a Cuisinart micro/convection BELOW the oven. Granted, I'm on my hands and knees, but this works for me.

Agree totally. I removed my Sharp combo unit (never could figure it out) and installed a micro in the cabinet above the stovetop. We then installed a toaster oven below the stovetop. When we boondock, which is rare, we can only use the stovetop which is fine for us. Given the choice, I would choose gas oven and microwave.

[matthorr]

I like the Sharp convection microwave. I ignore all the fancy options but have baked some good pastries in them (nothing fancy just store bought puff pastry filled with jam). I can't bake and boondock, but I think it's a good compromise. I use the m/w more than the oven at home, so I bet that's the best predictor of what you will want in your trailer.

[switz]

Actually, the microwave is an option on the Classic 27FB and takes up 1/3 of the pantry. If a convection/microwave is ordered, then the gas oven leaves but the kitchen drawers remain.

On any of the non-bunk 30/31 models, the microwave is stock in the center cabinet with the sink on the left. The gas cooktop is on the right with kitchen drawers below. The factory order price sheet does not even refer to the gas oven. Selecting a convection/microwave just replaces the plain microwave in the center stack.

When checking the model 2013 and 2014 30/31 parts manuals for Flying Cloud, International and Classic models in the kitchen cabinet areas, there is NO center stack kitchen drawer option cabinetry. There is a right cabinet that can be fitted for the gas oven in lieu of drawers.

So we are contemplating what chinese firedrill would be required to bring a model 30 Classic trailer in with the kitchen drawers and then order the gas oven base and have a cabinet shop modify the center stack where the microwave is to accept the kitchen drawers from the original cabinet. When I see all the custom woodwork folks have done, this is nearly a no brainer, just takes $$$$.

It would seem to me that the 30/31 models have enought extra storage and load capacity to have a small counter top microwave plus the gas oven and drawers. The 2011 34' tri-axle Classic we saw had both microwave and gas ovens plus a drawer stack...

[Janet H]

Oven = toast! We use the oven all the time and would not be without it.

The micro-convection unit is great but you have to have an electric hookup to use it (or a big generator). Afaik, there is no way around the need for power when using it.

[jcanavera]

We've got the convection/microwave. In our trailer (picture below), it sits over the top of a food storage panty. The picture is my trailer new, with the slide out pulled in. We had some misgivings at first but we don't boondock so power is always available. I think the major issue of the convection/microwave is the fact that every thing has to fit on a spinning turntable. That means smaller square pans or pans which are round. Cooking is faster with the convection so you do have a learning curve there. On the other hand we never have been impressed with the gas ovens in our previous trailers. They seen to have a lot of variance in their thermostats.

Jack

[RAH]

As a couple of people have mentioned the stock 30/31 design is cooktop with drawers below, then a micro or micro/convection in the center stack. We ordered our FC 30 adding a gas oven, and then micro delete which was replaced with drawers. That worked for us - I wanted an oven and I didn't want to count on electric. Having the drawers in the center stack is nice as you don't have to stoop to get things out.

I visited JC during construction of our unit - they had messed up and had put the drawers in the center stack, but also put drawers below the cooktop with no gas oven. It looked great and there was a lot of storage space. But I informed them of the mistake, they looked at the paper work for 2 minutes, and said no problem, they would fix it and put in the gas oven.

It is a set up that works for us. The "plan" was to buy a counter top micro and drag that along, but that hasn't worked out too well. It takes up too much counter space. So the micro sits in the garage unused. So I follow the line I read somewhere on the forums "I have a micro and TV at home. I don't want/need/have them in the AS". This is just one of those things that everyone has to set up for how they camp.

[thomdial]

Banana bread doesn't bake so well in a microwave. My oven helps support my fatness.

[time2play]

Originally Posted by matthorr

I like the Sharp convection microwave. I ignore all the fancy options but have baked some good pastries in them (nothing fancy just store bought puff pastry filled with jam). I can't bake and boondock, but I think it's a good compromise. I use the m/w more than the oven at home, so I bet that's the best predictor of what you will want in your trailer.

I totally agree! The convection oven does a great job of baking. I have a set of smaller pans, no problem. It's just the two of us anyway, and I don't need to bake big portions. Once you find a set of baking pans that fit, you're all set. I too ignore all the "compu" stuff, if you just use the microwave/convection oven as a basic microwave OR oven, it's simple. If we have no electricity, I'm fine just using the cooktop.

And honestly, the convection portion is simple. Works just like an oven. So far, I haven't had to adjust anything. If the recipe says bake for 30 minutes, that's what I do - and whatever I makes comes out perfectly (breads, casseroles, cakes, pastries, etc.)

Again, it's just all about what works for you.

[Condoluminum]

Thought I would share a "lesson learned" on this thread.. We use oven in trailer for storage of bread/crackers etc. when not using it to cook. Do use it for casseroles on the road.. One of more valuable uses of Airstream kitchen is for "overflow" refrigerator and cooking during holidays...

This year the home oven was busy with roast, so au gratin potatoes in large glass pan were marched out to trailer alongside house in mini-auxiliary oven.. Fortunately, I went to check early, and found smoke detector blaring, and smoke streaming out of upper oven vent. Seems the glass pan cracked, and was leaking creamy cheese sauce onto metal plate directly above hot burner, creating an aromatic "char" and lots of smelly smoke.. Took a week of airing out, plus Fabreze plus removing lower metal panel from oven and hitting with EasyOff, Steel wool and a scraper for a while... Moral is that we won't be using oven remotely unmonitored...

[graysailor]

As I seldom eat out the oven is a must. I am not a good cook but I can do the basics. An oven and microwave were a must. I actually preferred the twin bed 25' Cloud but for some reason it did not come with a microwave so I went with the Queen bed just so I could get the microwave. Just like home.

[mefly2]

We boondock 80-90% of the time and eat in our EB 100% while towing the AS. The convection microwave works GREAT! My wife often has fresh cookies ready before other campers are even set up. Yes, we have a generator ... urge you to consider convection microwave... a bit cleaner for us that are bothered by the byproducts of combustion. In previous units we used a countertop oven as there was more counter space.

[AlaskaSafari]

I do a fair amount of cooking in ours and love our micro/convection. It bakes perfectly, I can make toast in a flash and still have the convenience of being able to warm something up quickly. I camp off-grid on occasion and have used my Honda 2K to fire up the unit with no problems. I certainly don't have a need for both the micro/convection and a regular gas oven.

[switz]

The standard configuration in a Classic model 30 is the sink system in the left cabinet, a simple microwave in the center cabinet and a gas oven in the right cabinet with the gas cook top above the oven. If the microwave/convection unit is ordered, it goes into the center cabinet and the gas oven is omitted and a set of drawers are installed with the cook top above.

If one insists, then both the gas oven and the convection oven can be installed at the same time. and drawer space is minimalized.

The option NOT available from the factory is NO microwave of any kind with drawers in the middle stack instead with the gas oven on the right with cook top above. Nuts!

The solution is the former 34' model where you could have the convection/microwave oven, gas oven, sink, and drawers!

[IanPoulin]

Does anyone have the micro-convection oven found in the newer airstream series? I am curious what pans/casseroles you've found that work well with its more limited interior dimensions?

[scamp]

We have a newer airstream with the convection microwave oven ,we really like it ,we usually boondock so I bring my small honda generator 2000i with us ,as it's handy to have for other power sources , we didn't have much choice in our trailer due to its size ,if we wanted a built in microwave we didn't have room for a gas oven so we went for the convection microwave oven and were happy , as for cooking casserole in it that's not my department ( my wife does that part ) but I'm sure you can it depends on size of dish as the oven has a rotisserie plate but you take that part off and place the supplied rack instead. All the use ours has had it worked out great you just can't put a large turkey in there ! Just try fitting some of the foods you would like to cook in a similar size microwave , to get a idea of what fits in the convection microwave.

[Cannonball]

We purchased our 2014 Sport 22FB in January. It came with the Cuisinart micro/convection oven. I love it so much, I went out and purchased another one for our house. I no longer have to remember two sets of instructions!

For microwave use, we use an 8" square Pyrex dish. The small Pampered Chef Micro-Cooker is another "go to" cooking dish.

For convection use, we use a 7" pizza pan on the low rack. You do not want to bake in a dish with high sides because it impedes the air flow of the convection oven and cooking times increase substantially. The manual actually states this, but it is buried in there.

[IanPoulin]

To answer my own question, I just measured the sharp series in my airstream - total interior dimensions are 13x13x8 - I am guessing to account for thermal airflow space, the "usable" max would be in the 12x12x4 range.

I can cook my Alton brown upside down meatloaf in full glory...

//happy