Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven (Part 1)

[NEPolarbear]

What is the recommended minimum clearance under a cabinet?

[rotuts]

most of the steam comes out an array along the back.

 

I cant say what Cuisinart recommends, but that steam, one way or another, isnt going to do any cabinets any good.

 

however, the CSB is fairly light.  one might be able to move it forward when using a steam Fx so those steam vents are not

 

under the counter.

[rotuts]

under " Safeguards "  the manual says this :

 

 

26. Do not operate your appliance in an appliance garage or under a wall cabinet. When storing in an appliance garage always unplug the unit from the electrical outlet. Not doing so could create a risk of fire, especially if the appliance touches the walls of the garage or the door touches the unit as it closes.

[NEPolarbear]

Yeah, I read that on their site, but kept forgetting about the steam part.

Have the BSO, but this is for a gift.

Thanks for the reminder.

[rotuts]

nice Gift It Is.

 

add a ref: to this thread, if you might.

[weinoo]

One year in, and my CSG is still going great.

[rotuts]

And an Excellent Year it Had, Id bet !

[lennyk]

Had a bunch of burgers to do today outside.

Super steamed them at 150 and then seared them over super hot coals in short time.

[sarahvw1]

Steamed burgers sound great. How long did you Super Steam them at 150?

[rotuts]

at those low temps, i wonder if SuperSteam'd burger would be noticeably different than SteamBake ?

 

maybe SuperSteam gets the burger to the target temp quicker ?  denser heat transfer ?

 

Ive done SteamBake at 130 and they were delicious.

 

the burger has to be the best and freshest you can find, as the steam/bake is a plain and simple

 

technique that lets the item steamed shine in an elemental way.

 

think steamed veg plain.  its up to the veg to be tasty and also up to the meat alone.

Edited January 19, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[chefmd]

Whole bass cooked at steam function for 30 minutes.  Amazingly tender, was falling off the bones. 

[weinoo]

Black sea bass?  At what temp did you cook the fish?

[chefmd]

Steam 210 degrees.  I assume that it is black sea bass, bought it at Good Fortune oriental grocery store and labeling simply said bass.  It looked and smelled super fresh, eyes were clear.  Paid 5.39 for it (3.99 a pound).

[rotuts]

fantastic  wish I could get super fresh whole fish

 

place in a few sliced areas some sliced ginger, scallions etc

 

and be better than a good rest. in Chinatown

 

lucky you for both the CSB and FreshWholeFish.

[chefmd]

Thanks rotuts.  I will definitely use ginger, scallions etc. next time.  My husband will like that.  He is a cautious fish eater and will appreciate aromatics.  The bonus of this preparation was few little bits and pieces left on carcass that I enjoyed this morning.  Liquid that accumulated in the dish became a fish jelly and I love that texture.

[weinoo]

Here's a focaccia like flatbread, 1/2 topped with thinly sliced and blanched red potato. I'd like a darker brown potato, but was afraid I'd burn the bottom of the focaccia, since it was already pretty dark brown - as was the 1/2 of the bread without the potato on top.

 

Baked on the bread setting, 450°F, for about 20 - 22 minutes. But I do preheat the oven on its regular bake setting, at the same temperature, for about 5 minutes.

 

[palo]

FYI: the broiler/baking pan and rack from the Breville 650XL Smart Oven fit perfectly in the CSO. I ordered a set (about $17 CDN) and they arrived today. I usually use the rack for chicken drums and thighs to keep them out of the grease, but the bottoms tend to steam. I'm hoping the rack will allow the grease to drain but the narrow slits will prevent steaming. They are listed under parts on the Breville site, I chose "see all" so there's a lot of scrolling.

 

p

[seabream]

I'm planning to cook lamb shanks in the combi oven (I have a Miele, but it's the same idea). When cooking them sous vide, we like to cook them to 62C for 2-3 days and then brown with the Searzall or cast iron pan.

 

I read mentions to "braising" meat in the combi oven in this thread, in a way similar to braising in a regular oven, but using the SteamBake/CombiSteam option instead. That is one option.

 

But I am wondering if anyone has attempted a more sous-vide like approach, by cooking the shanks (or any other large piece of meat) at a lower temperature and for a longer amount of time. 

Edited April 28, 2015 by seabream (log)

[jrshaul]

What's the most cost-effective way to obtain one of these at present? And do you think it would survive occasionally being hauled out to an extended-stay hotel? 

[chefmd]

Not sure about cost effectiveness.  It appears to be around 300 dollars when I used Google shopping.  Still it is worth every penny. 

 

It seems to be very sturdy and will probably travel well.  Just keep the original box for easy packing.

[rotuts]

its a shame the early sales seem to have evaporated.

 

what ever you pay, and after a short learning curve  well worth it.

[rotuts]

its easy to transport, but Id be careful of the water 'jug'   its heavy plastic and might crack

 

in the box would be better but the box is pretty big.

 

also empty the water out

 

i take mine outside when its warm, it has hand-holds on each side.

 

but outside for me is not very far and Im very careful 

 

if this is no longer made for some reason and mine Gives up the Ghost, well   it would be awful.

 

even just for toast !

[sarahvw1]

I got a promotional email from Cuisinart yesterday, featuring their entire line of countertop "toaster" ovens." The SteamBoy was featured along with three others. That would indicate that it is  still in production, and not in immediate danger of being discontinued.

 

On a totally different subject, has anyone figured out the best setting to heat and reheat pizza in the SteamBoy? I would give anything short of my first born (or second born, third, grandkids, etc.) to find a good guide for practical use of the Combo oven. I am more interested in single-use applications, rather than "recipes." I have looked a severalmanuals and user guides for other brands of steam ovens, but they all have different settings from the SteamBoy--most have a Convection Steam. If any of you have a good source ( or ARE a good source) of such practical applications please direct me toward such information. I am always a bit hesitant to do too much experimenting with the cost of food these days.

[weinoo]

I put pizza on the tray -  on a piece of parchment or foil. I like to preheat (and waste electricity) on steam 450 for about 5 minutes. Then I change to plain old convection bake at 450 and throw the pizza in for about 5 minutes.

[rotuts]

sarahvw1

 

do you have the CSB ?

 

there is a lot of info through out this thread.

 

if you do have the CSB  don't forget toast, if the bread is fresh, i.e. still moist, nothing beets the CSB for toast.

 

nothing.