T-Fal Avante Elite 6 Slice Convection & Toaster Oven with Separate Warming Compartment
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of T-Fal Avante Elite 6 Slice Convection & Toaster Oven with Separate Warming Compartment
Customer Review: Exceptional Toaster - Versatile Oven
Summary: 4 Stars
Several years ago, I purchased a Kitchen Aid Toaster because I wanted good toast. But I missed the versatility of a toaster oven. I retired my toaster one week after using this new appliance.
TOASTING:
This makes the best toast of all toasters and toaster ovens I've owned. Why?
+ Control has 9 settings and is very easy and intuitive
+ Holds 4 of the large size whole wheat bread slices (6 if you cram it in) and toasts them evenly.
+ Smart control automatically adjusts the toasting time based on the temp - you just need to remember your favorite 1-9 setting. This results is very consistent batches.
+ large tray catches all the droppings and pulls forward with out moving the appliance.
I've had several toasting negatives but they are mostly operator error:
- uneven toasting because I forgot to re-center the rack after baking.
- dark toast because I didn't remove the toast when finished. The door stays closed and heat is retained.
- very slight uneven (lighter) toasting at the edge of the rack.
Versatility
BROILING:
+ I've used this to toast (and broil) open face cheese sandwiches with excellent results.
+ Broils meat as expected with fairly easy cleanup
BAKING:
+ Convection only (this model) - fan is fairly quiet and temp seems even although I have very little convection experience.
+ Temp range starts at 350 and adjusts 150-500 in 25 degree increments
+ Time range starts at 30 min and adjusts 1-90 in 1 min increments.
WARMING:
? OK I guess, but I would stick with bun warming.
? Uses indirect heat below a metal non removable tray.
+ Time setting - starts at 15 min +- 1 min increments.
- Hard to access and clean because door swings upward - you need 22" vertical clearance
OVERALL: I highly recommend this for toasting and as a general appliance. Not sure you need to spend the extra for convection.
Customer Review: Cuts down on your electric bill
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned this T-Fal Avante Convection Oven for well over 3 years now. It still works perfectly. Being single and cooking for one (or two occasionally) I find using this oven instead of my full size range oven cuts down significantly on my electric bill.
The heating element coils are heavy duty and look very much the same as the coils on a full size electric range (of course smaller in overall size, but the same thickness). Compare these coils to a cheap toaster oven which look like the elements inside a toaster and you will realize this toaster oven stands out above the rest.
I don't ever bother preheating it before use. Just put the food into the oven and set the cooking time and temperature according to the package directions (or the recipe) and since the convection fan helps speed the cooking time - this is the way I can get away with no pre-heating beforehand.
Regular store-bought frozen pizzas are great - they "just" fit, and even if they don't fit - maybe off by ¼" - by the time the crust softens up a bit, I can then close the door. I put the frozen pizzas straight on the rack.
As far as some complaints here that the rack falls out when removing a baking dish, the law of physics will show you this toaster oven is not as sturdy or heavy as a kitchen range; yes, you can pull the racks out with baking dishes on your full size, and the weight of the oven will support it. This toaster oven is heavy, but not THAT heavy to support the rack. I've never had a problem with it. Not one.
This oven also comes with two nice baking sheets in different sizes.
Oven clean-up is easy, the crumb tray slides right out when lightly pushed. I also love the warming tray above for making stale buns and biscuits soft again.
I love this, and when it eventually wears out, I will replace it with the same if still available.
Customer Review: Glad I took the chance
Summary: 5 Stars
We use our toaster oven mostly for toast, bagels, and toasted cheese sandwiches. We have a convection wall oven we use for "oven tasks".
After struggling with several Black and Decker toaster ovens over the years (burnt toast), I finally decided to try a different brand. I was surprised when I cruised the various local stores to find that most toaster ovens these days have annoying controls (knobs you have to fiddle with, turn it to "20" and then turn it back to "5" minutes????) and not all of them turn off by themselves. Even the hated Black and Decker knows how to turn off after it burns my toast!
I then went looking on the internet and found a ConsumerSearch review for this T-Fal unit. It seemed like what I was looking for as far as controls, but I could not find one to look at "in person". I finally took a chance and ordered one from my pal, Amazon. Even 'tho the listing says it will ship in 1-3 weeks, mine was shipped just a couple of days after my order was placed.
I'm glad I took the chance to order it sight unseen. The controls are easy to use, you only have to push two buttons to start the toast cycle. It remembers your last setting, and it makes lovely toast. Unlike some other reviews here, the toast was NOT "baked and chewy" and I did't have to flip it over half-way through the cycle. The large racks hold 4 slices of the extra-large Orowheat bread that we use, and toasted cheese sandwiches were perfect. I baked one pan of corn muffins just to see how it did on the bake cycle and they were fine, although I did turn the pan half-way through to get them evenly brown.
Now, here is my only gripe. The racks do not have a "stop" mechanism when you pull them out, and can tend to come right out of the oven if you're not careful(My B&D toaster did the same thing).
Anyway, long story short, I give this unit 5 stars for ease-of-use and good toasting results. [...]
Customer Review: Superb Quality
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned many toaster ovens in my life, but this is the ultimate! Really heavy construction, unlke ALL of the other toaster ovens I compared it to before buying. It's larger than most, but well worth having the convection oven as a bonus! All the boxed food that says "do not cook in toaster oven"? WEll, I did the refrigerated biscuits, the Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes, brownies, all I could find in my cupboards and it came out beautifully. Heating Texas Toast (frozen) on the toast cycle is a breeze. It is almost not even necessary to clean it...I wiped the shelf off and the crumb tray which easily slides out the FRONT, CD style. This unit gets very hot, which is typical of convection cooking, but the sides stay cool to the touch. The warmer on top is hot and even the instruction book says you can cook in it as well.....they refer to it as the "upper oven". I warm vegtables in it while I'm baking in the lower oven. (If you are cooking anything frozen or very moist, humidity does build up and will fog the glass doors, but I just open it for a minute or in the warmer, prop it open with the tongs they provide.) The elements don't turn red which is really unique. There is a fan running for the convection part of the unit, which circulates the air for even cooking, otherwise you wouldn't know it was even doing anything! (Note: when using the toast function, the fan does not operate.) If you do purchase this unit, make sure you read the instructions and the reviews, they all came in handy for me. You will need to know the rack positions they show until you get used to your own preferences. I can't say enough about this unit....I have owned T-Fal products for over 25 years now and they still present a superior product, unlike some of the other major brands in recent years. You can also contact customer service at [...] for any question about your unit. They were very accomodating!
Customer Review: A must-have kitchen appliance
Summary: 4 Stars
I love this toaster oven. Since purchasing it, it has become one of my most used appliances in the kitchen and almost completely replaced the use of my full size oven. I've hesitated to purchase toaster ovens in the past because they just seem so cheaply made- almost like a child's toy. In fact, most still are, but not this unit. It has a nice look about it and "feels" like a quality product deserving of sitting on the counter next to your high end mixer and other things.
Performance- wise, it is excellent. Preheating is unnecessary, so you simply set your temperature and cook time, put your food in and you're done. Thanks to the convection feature, everything so far has come out evenly cooked and usually a little quicker than the recommended time the product suggests. You can fit an eleven inch pizza inside and cook it with no problem. After having this unit I would never consider buying a unit without convection. It does seem to make difference.
My only criticism would be that I would have liked the main cooking compartment to be a little taller. It's amusing that the picture on the box shows it with a whole chicken inside it. They must have photoshopped that thing in there because there is no way a normal sized whole roaster is going to fit inside that thing! Funnier still, the box advertises the cooking compartment as "XXL"! It'll handle a couple of Cornish game hens, though.
Anyway, I didn't buy it to roast whole chickens or do any sort of long-time cooking jobs. I bought it to reduce the usage of my main oven and augment my microwave. A lot of times, we'll microwave small things that really should be baked because we don't want to wait for the oven to preheat and we don't want to heat up our kitchen. This little oven has cut my main oven use by three-quarters and my microwave use by a third. Oh, and it makes great toast!