Tovala Smart Oven

[Shalmanese]

The Tovala is a smart oven that can bake, boil and steam meals at up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit in 10 to 30 minutes. The meals come prepackaged from Tovala or can be made using a crowdsourced recipe platform..

 

Unlike the ridiculous June oven, this one is priced at a much more reasonable $349, $199 if you buy during the kickstarter and comes with steam.

 

The whole meal delivery service idea seems kind of far fetched and idealistic. The truth is, oven heating alone is only an appropriate technique for a very small number of meals.

 

However, the tech seems cool and the price is on point. Will this be able to pull market share away from the Cuisinart Steam Oven and other high end toaster ovens?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

More questions than answers.  Interesting though.

[gfweb]

Indeed.

 

Looks like a 1/4 sheet pan will just fit.

 

The prepared meals will never make it, I think.

[rotuts]

their prototype is a tricked out CSB.  they seem to have ripped out the display, added a barcode reader insead

 

as they would probably would have a nasty suit on their hand, they seem to have changed it up, at least in appearance 

 

for the final product.

 

I can't imagine them making it bigger than the CSB, but maybe.

 

I didn't get to the cost area.  and I agree  the prepared meals won't take the company very far.

 

the prepped meals are 10 - 15 dollars, but I missed how many they feed or the shipping costs.

 

this might work for the Silicon Valley StartUp coders, or plain-old coders with no time and lots of cash

 

or expected Options.

 

they could have a Little Bus driving around the SF Bay Area  delving these treats, with recyclable boxes/freezer packs

 

like the old days, when the milk man came by every day, and they had glass bottles.

 

out side of areas like that, best of luck to them.

Edited March 9, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

I noticed the kitstarter link:

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1492357784/tovala-the-smart-oven-that-makes-home-cooking-easy?ref=nav_search

 

it is indeed being marketed to Tech-eys  four meals ship free

 

their dimensions are  13  x  12 1/4

 

BVXL is   14  x 11 1/2 ( not including the circular area at the back for the Pizza End )

 

CSB  is  12  x  10 1/2

 

a 1/4 sheet pan is  13  x 9 1/2

 

there is a little play in the width due to the runners that hold the rack

 

the 1/4 sheet pan is i " too wide for the CSB

 

so its very possible this steam oven might accommodate a 1/4 sheet pan

 

if so, and you can by-pass the scanner thing-ey

 

so it might be a decent gamble to get one for 199  there are 66 slots left !

 

229 shipped

 

Edited March 9, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

I gust got one.   hopefully the dimensions are accurate enough.

 

I emailed a question on the warranty

 

if Im not comfortable with that warranty

 

Ill cancel pre april =6

 

[rotuts]

there is a control strip on the R top of the oven

 

it looks like it have many choices.

 

if anyone finds out more about this 'strip' Id like to hear about it.

 

thanks

 

now I can run two at a time if this works out

 

on  a different circuit of course.

 

thanks @Shalmanese   

 

for the tip

[Deryn]

Good looking oven.

 

I might be interested in one of these (since it is very clear they do intend that you can cook whatever you want in it and won't be stuck with ordering their food) except that it appears that you have to have a smartphone to work it for the 'do your own thing' at any rate. Too bad they didn't integrate a panel on the front with those nifty stylized buttons on them that appear to be part of the app so a phone is not absolutely critical for that - and I guess also allow you to connect somehow to your computer/laptop if an 'update' needs to be uploaded.

 

I could see this product being also useful for the elderly (especially when they have kids or part-time caregivers at a distance who could buy this and maybe even the meal packages for their parent(s), or could make meals to bring over and freeze in their parent's fridges to be pulled out daily. Having done the 'pre-cook or assemble and deliver meals for my parents' thing for many years in the past, I see potential there.

 

I think they are deliberately vague about the packaged meal 'portions' however. In one place I read that the meals could feed UP TO 4 people each. In another, they talk about the packages containing one or two portions while also talking about the cost of a 'meal' being $10-15. Is a 'portion' deemed to be a 'meal' (for how many? I think only one!). I suspect that one needs to order, at $10-15 per PORTION (400-800 kcal each portion) ... which, by the way, IF the food looks like what is pictured and that quality can be maintained over time and varying shipping distances, etc., may not be a bad price in this day and age for that quality, etc. ... but if you had 4 people in a household that could be a very expensive meal. Perhaps it is doable however if you are a high tech 'kid' who works 20 hours a day and lives alone.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[rotuts]

I have the feeling, with no data  that the strip along the top might work for 'Home Cooking' with out a iThingy.

 

you can see a bit of it when the guy pushes start on one of the two vids.

 

Ive asked them about this.

 

I can cancel my 'share'by april 5 or 6

 

if Im not happy with the warranty or the use it yourself controls.

 

the product in the Chinese Factory looks OK to me.

 

again, a little subtle bus in the bay area, maybe running on Used Chinese Cooking Fat would be a Gold Mine

 

and other Tech-ey spots

 

Austin TX ?

 

NYC ?

[Deryn]

Thanks, rotuts. I look forward to a post from you detailing what they say about the ability to use this machine without a smartphone/app when they reply.

[rotuts]

personally

 

if this type of product interests you

 

Id pledge the 229, and if before 6 april no worthwhile new come to me or others, it seems you can cancel out

 

and owe nothing.

 

that's my take.

[Jon Savage]

That seems like a (potential) improvement on the Cuisinart I just purchased especially as you can completely ignore the meal delivery service they are pushing so very hard.

 

What I am extremely happy about is that there are more players entering this price/form factor for combi ovens which bodes well for the future I think.

[rotuts]

yes

 

I love Players

 

unfortunately

 

They Play Slow

 

the payer we want to get their speed up

 

is PedroG's  Electrolux  2.5 CubeFoot

 

which will never leave Europe do to 

 

Mergers etc.

 

Sooo

 

a CSB and a Tovola

 

best I can do in my life time.

[rotuts]

199  ( ie 229 ) 

 

all gone

 

The Power of eGullet !

[palo]

Good = 550 degrees

Bad = US only

 

p

[fledflew]

I signed up for one on Tuesday afternoon at the 199 (230 after shipping) price.  I've been following the Cuisinart Steam oven thread(s) for a while now and have been sooo close to picking one of those up several times now.  Came across an article about the Tovala in my google news feed on Monday and did a little reading.  After verifying the interior and exterior measurements, confirming that I could prepare my own food in it, seeing the one year warranty, and admiring the design aesthetic, I pulled the trigger.  1/3 lower cost than the Cuisinart Steam Oven and seems like it should do everything I would need it to.  I paused the kickstarter video and tried to figure out exactly what controls are on the top panel along the front since I'd be manually inputting settings but I couldn't make them out.  Not a real big fan of having to use an idevice in order to tell it to turn on.  I have absolutely no interest in ordering their prepared meals, although I might get a few for research purposes.  Reason being, I suspect that the bar codes on the meal packages that the Tovala scans might only carry time and temp info (as opposed to actual food contents, etc).  Might be worth it to crack that code and maybe create a card of commonly used settings (in barcode form) and tape it to the side of the machine. 

Edited March 11, 2016 by fledflew (log)

[rotuts]

@fledflew   

 

that's an interesting idea you have about the  cracking the code.

 

I also ordered one, and have the CSB.   with some new wiring ( long over due ) or a sturdy extension cord)s)  I can see running two.

 

Ive gone over their vids several times, and the pics at the Chinese factory are encouraging.

 

of note re cooking bar codes, if  you believe their PR, and Ill give them the benefit of the doubt for now

 

they portion and cut the ingredients for a single cooking   meat and veg.  that makes a lot of sense  

 

however, you will get the hang of a steam over fairly quickly, esp. if you study  the CSB thread.

 

eventually I can see cooking various similar items 'en bulk'   chilling them if you like, then reassembling them in complete portions

 

on a 'space-saving' container and reheating them w steam, as then they would not dry out.

 

December can't come quickly enough.

 

has anyone else here taken the Plunge ?

 

Amazon in my area  ( BOS Burbs ) has amazon vans deliving Amazon stuff

 

I can see similar vans delivering these packs of food to the techies in the Bat Area for sure.

 

they are the ones that can easily afford it.

 

you work for Google/Apple/Facebook   you just get this as an employment inducement.

 

or  they have a "Meal-Plan-Bar"  where you pick up your meals on the way home

 

if they let you go home.

 

rats.   I should have patented that. 

 

Edited March 11, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Rotus - see if you can find out where the excess water goes? I can see the internal water reservoir for adding water - but can't see where the drain might live.

[rotuts]

hard to say.  indeed the water 'jug' is indeed inside the devise

 

Ive sent them two questions and have not received and answer

 

re the warranty and the control features for 'home coating '

 

im not so worried.

 

did you get one delivered in " Buffalo "

 

[Kerry Beal]

Not sure where I would get delivered to - it's a little heavy to expect my friend to deal with.

 

[rotuts]

went back to the Vids

 

it seems that there might be a tray below the item as there is with the CSB

 

Sad, the Canadiene  CSB is Sooooo  sad, in that closet etc etc Way Up North

[Kerry Beal]

I do like the idea of the bigger inner chamber.

[rotuts]

IF I were you

 

Pick it Up when you get some Good Old fashioned 'Chuck'

 

USA Chuck.

 

See  

 

if the Mounties have not found the ' Chuck'  they won't find the Steam Oven.

 

maybe

[Kerry Beal]

I declare the chuck!

[rotuts]

one thing I find interesting

 

they only wanted  $ 100,000 USD

 

cheap advertising ?

 

I think they have this in the bag.

 

SF, Austin, NYC, TGA  with their own vans

 

you got tech-ey in the GTA ?