Oven Options - What was your criteria?

[Dirtbeard]

We're in the decision making process - still, but have received lots of helpful information. So I'll ask for some more...

Conventional oven and microwave - or - Convection microwave combo
What are the pro's and con's? What made you decide choose? Any regrets?

At least point we don't know enough about convection microwave combo's to know if it would be limiting or better.

Thanks in advance!

[BayouBiker]

Cooking style is the only way to decide. we have the convection, microwave, and use the microwave to heat prepared foods when we don't feel like all the back and forth. we use the fire, dutch oven, grill, griddle when we do, so a traditional oven does not work for us.

[A W Warn]

We use the combo unit a lot, that's what I would choose. It's just a smaller version of a regular oven with heating elements inside the same box as the microwave. Definitely there is a learning curve, but not hard at all to use.
We make anything that can be made in a regular oven using the convection, except in smaller quantities. We use the microwave for quick meals and snacks.
IMO, there is no con to the combination unit.

[lsbrodsky]

There have been numerous threads on this and it seems there are strong supporters on both sides. I am in the combo camp because we use the microwave so often. I have learned to use the convection and have a combo at home, as well. There is a learning curve for the convection and if you do not use it often you will find yourself pulling out the operating manual each time.
I had the benefit of having a gas oven on my boat and it convinced me that I did not want one in my Airstream. It does not regulate temperature very well, although it does function as an oven. With a stock AS, for boondocking, you would favor the gas oven, but many of us have upgraded the electrical system to a level that supports using the microwave.
Larry

[JonDNC]

We chose the combo over a separate gas oven for two reasons.

1. Don’t bake much at all

2. Increased storage (main reason)

[Mangin]

If you rarely camp at power sites than the oven is a great asset. We have cooked a small turkey in ours at Thanksgiving. When we have a power site for an extended stay we bring along a small microwave which sits on the counter.

[Donutboy]

Yes, propane oven to preserve the ability to bake while boondocking. Or in case the Airstream becomes home base in a natural disaster.

[Geardawg]

We have the combo mw/convection oven in our 25ft FC AS and are not happy with it due to size and power requirements. Not big enough for baking pans, its a glorified MW. Looking to swap it out for propane. We use to carry a small MW in our 2008 Bambi and would like to go back to that setup with conventional propane. How hard is is it to convert back to propane, has anyone done that?

[Mollysdad]

Here was my very scientific thinking.
1. Convection microwave at knee level?
2. NO!

[new2trailer]

As said earlier, it depends on how much you cook while camping. Lisa and haven't used the installed conventional oven. We looked into exchanging it for a microwave. Our microwave is a portable that gets stored while traveling.

We bought our Airstream because we see our camping style changing. So it is possible that the oven will become more than a storage container.

Mike

[greenflag]

We had a regular oven in our 2007 AI. It was hard to lite the pilot which I had to do on my knees. We ended up not using it much to cook in. It became storage for skillets etc.
We have a combo convection/microwave now. There is a little bit of a learning curve. I have baked a few things in it. The frozen french fries came out perfect. I do most of my cooking outdoors on the Weber Q or Camp Chef stove.

[Atwebs]

We have the combo and love it. It is how we cook at home, either stove top or microwave/convection. Our regular oven is a once in a while thing; no bread, cakes, cookies, or casseroles on a regular basis. We also haul a grill with a griddle and that does get used a lot.

We've used both a free standing Camp Chef gas oven and one in an older trailer. I FAR prefer the combo oven. The trailer's gas oven required some limbo moves to light the pilot, the CC was easier but sometimes didn't stay lit. Both have bottom burners which burned or overcooked everything on the bottom. And, for both the temperature gauge was merely a suggestion most of the time it was either much hotter or much colder. It was recommended I turn on the oven at least 20 minutes before I wanted to use it (there goes the propane!). I never got anything perfectly cooked out of the trailer's oven.

Later I learned that the best way to use these gas ovens was to invest in a pizza stone and install it permanently between the burner and the oven area. That helps to disappate the heat and keeps the temperature more even, the 20 minute warmup is still recommended. And, that does work on the CC as my daughter in-law still has it.

Really, consider how you cook and what kind of trips you will take. We discovered we like to eat in local restaurants when we travel so are more about reheating leftovers than cooking full meals.

[Mount'n Man]

We replaced the stove top/microwave/convection oven combination in our '06 Safari with a suburban gas range. It's not that I don't like cooking in a convection oven (do it often at home), it was the ridiculous code system to get the silly thing to preheat and bake and that the code cheat sheet was inside the door... even on your knees, I couldn't read the numbers with my bifocals much less use the keypad! Danged inconvenient IMO!

Plus--we like to boondock so reverting to the simpler life of a gas range was the obvious choice. As a side, I like the Suburban stove grate much better on the Suburban model than the original AS stovetop. No more tippy pots and pans while cooking!

Only drawback in the whole scenario was the loss of the microwave. We ended up with a cool little Whirlpool tabletop microwave we can use on trips where power isn't an issue.

[DntheRoad69]

Thanks for the wisdom. I am currently furbishing the gas cook top in my 1969 Ambassador 29 foot. A PO replaced the cook top with a large 3 burner. The also replaced the motorized vent, that leaked and rusted out the box under the cook top. I have be thinking about the oven, right now it's storage. Looking forward to more boonedocking.

[Mollysdad]

My oven serves a valuable purpose.
It's a great place to store paper towels and bread.

After my last trip, I forgot to empty the oven...for over two months!
I was afraid I'd have to go in like Clyde Beatty the lion tamer, with a chair and whip. (for you seasoned citizens) What I found amazed me. there wasn't even mold on any of the bread, buns, or rolls. That may speak more about the preservatives in bread, but I think you could have eaten it. (I tossed it, just to be safe)

[PatLee]

I went with conventional gas oven because I wanted a functioning oven, whether I'm hooked up or boon docking. I would have loved also getting a microwave but my 25' FBT Int'l does not accommodate a microwave due to the config. If I'd gone with the rear bedroom version of trailer, I could have gotten the microwave. But then I would have given up the 2 horizontal oblong windows/side skylights over the lounge which would have meant less light in the kitchen. It really is all about priorities when ordering an AS, isn't it?

[PatLee]

mollysdad - it was the preservatives in the bread.

[mikeinca]

We ordered the gas oven in our previous Airstream because it seemed like it would be the best choice for boondocking which we do a lot of. Unfortunately it wouldn't light reliably and had to be completely replaced under warranty. The new one would light but the temperature settings were so wildly out of whack as to be useless and we had to use an oven thermometer. Even then, it was hard to maintain a steady temperature and the oven had hot spots that would burn items like pizza on the bottom but leave the top uncooked. Additionally it took the oven forever to get up to temperature to cook things like french fries that require 400-425 degrees.

Based on some of the other responses here it sounds like we may have just been unlucky but when we got our new Globetrotter we decided to go with the combo microwave/convection. It does require firing up the generator but it works well (french fries come out nice) and allows for a little extra storage.

[guskmg]

Fifteen seasons and the only thing the oven is used for is storing pots and pans. The connection microwave is only use for zapping. With no oven storage space may be more useful. A plain microwave may be cheaper.
guskmg

[Dirtbeard]

Thanks very much - hearing the real-use stories is very helpful.


From what I understand the microwavecannot be used without shore power, is that true of the convection oven as well?