Breville "Smart" oven vs. Oster "dumb(?)" oven.

[Kerry Beal]

Nope - not calling to me.

[andiesenji]

That's the manual control oven.  Did they have the digital?

 

[Kerry Beal]

Nope - only the manual as far as I could see.

[Cyberider]

On 9/16/2016 at 3:46 PM, andiesenji said:

That's the manual control oven.  Did they have the digital?

 

 

Call me old fashioned but I like the "throw-back" ticking mechanical timer.  Heck, my old Toastmaster didn't have a timer at all and I used a wind-up mechanical plastic chicken-shaped timer with it.  Anyway, the Oster wins for me, digital or manual.  In my mind, the only thing "smart" about the Breville is the marketing and, yes, I was taken in.  The Oster can do anything the BSO can plus a lot of things it can't. 

 

Decided that side-by-side took up too much counter space so I've stacked them so.  I'll use the BSO for small things and the DDO for large things.  Between the two of them, I don't expect to ever have to buy another portable oven in my lifetime.  In the meantime, the weather is becoming more conducive to baking in the Arizona desert and I expect to do a lot of it this Fall and Winter.  Happy Baking!

[Cyberider]

Follow-up after six months of use.  Both ovens continue to function.  I've used the BSO mainly for things other than loaf bread, namely pies, cookies, brownies, and corn bread.  Due to the extra headroom, I mainly use the ODO for loaf bread.  However, even with the extra headroom, there is still a problem with the tops of loaves scorching.  The upper heating elements in both ovens are on during baking, perhaps at a lower level than if toasting or broiling, but still so much that it is necessary to put foil over the tops of the loaves about halfway through the bake to keep them from scorching.  My old Toastmaster oven didn't suffer from this issue unless it was a very tall loaf and I don't think the top elements were on during baking, or at a very low level if they were.  When the warranty period is up, I may consider disconnecting the upper elements on the ODO because I have no plans to toast or broil in it and this may solve the bread scorching problem.  Otherwise, both ovens are functioning well even though I could have gotten along with just the ODO had I not just gotten the BSO. 

Edited February 22, 2017 by Cyberider (log)

[andiesenji]

4 hours ago, Cyberider said:

Follow-up after six months of use.  Both ovens continue to function.  I've used the BSO mainly for things other than loaf bread, namely pies, cookies, brownies, and corn bread.  Due to the extra headroom, I mainly use the ODO for loaf bread.  However, even with the extra headroom, there is still a problem with the tops of loaves scorching.  The upper heating elements in both ovens are on during baking, perhaps at a lower level than if toasting or broiling, but still so much that it is necessary to put foil over the tops of the loaves about halfway through the bake to keep them from scorching.  My old Toastmaster oven didn't suffer from this issue unless it was a very tall loaf and I don't think the top elements were on during baking, or at a very low level if they were.  When the warranty period is up, I may consider disconnecting the upper elements on the ODO because I have no plans to toast or broil in it and this may solve the bread scorching problem.  Otherwise, both ovens are functioning well even though I could have gotten along with just the ODO had I not just gotten the BSO. 

 

I haven't had that problem but I mainly bake bread on the "turbo" setting so maybe the fan pushing the air around mitigates the heat in the top part of the oven.

[Cyberider]

11 hours ago, andiesenji said:

I haven't had that problem but I mainly bake bread on the "turbo" setting so maybe the fan pushing the air around mitigates the heat in the top part of the oven.

 

I will try this on the next loaves.  Thanks, Andie!

[daveb]

The BSO "Pro" and the Cuisinart "Chef's Convection Toaster Oven" are on sale this weekend at local culinary store.  The price difference is negligible.  

Would be using it for toast, english muffins, etc.  Some baking.  Any thots?

[rotuts]

@daveb 

 

do you have a Cuisinart Steam Oven ?

 

please consider this when you find an attractive price.   nothing touches a steam oven for the finest toast etc

 

steam and toast seems like an Oxymoron , but its not :  for toast  no steam is used.   the oven is tightly sealed and the stream

 

comes from the fresh bread products you then toast.   Night turns to Day.

[boilsover]

24 minutes ago, daveb said:

The BSO "Pro" and the Cuisinart "Chef's Convection Toaster Oven" are on sale this weekend at local culinary store.  The price difference is negligible.  

Would be using it for toast, english muffins, etc.  Some baking.  Any thots?

You are likely to be disappointed with both for toast IMO.  If I had do-overs, I'd buy a real toaster and the Oster for the same or less money.

[rotuts]

I have a BV-XL     it makes terrible toast

 

as far as the BV being smart , its more like Dumb :

 

under toast  the elements dim if the temp in the box gets to a certain pre-programed poiint

 

you get baked toast.   crispy , and very dry.

 

if you don't wish to consider  the CSO , ( sometimes referred to as the CSB   )

 

and you should

 

look into better quality pop-up toasted    ones that run on full blast radiant energy and heat then pop-up.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, daveb said:

The BSO "Pro" and the Cuisinart "Chef's Convection Toaster Oven" are on sale this weekend at local culinary store.  The price difference is negligible.  

Would be using it for toast, english muffins, etc.  Some baking.  Any thots?

 

I have the BSO Pro and like Rotuts said, it makes terrible toast.  That doesn't bother me as I didn't buy it for it's non-existent toast making properties, but if that's what you want it for, my advice is don't buy it.  Look for something else.

[daveb]

Thanks for the comments re Breville and Cuisinart.  When asked, even the Culinary store staff said they did not make toast well.  As the primary use would be toasting, I think I'll keep the money in my pocket and look for a toaster. 

Edited February 26, 2017 by daveb (log)

[ElsieD]

6 minutes ago, daveb said:

Thanks for the comments re Breville and Cuisinart.  When asked, even the Culinary store staff said they did not make toast well.  As the primary use would be toasting, I think I'll keep the money in my pocket and look for a toaster. 

 

 

Wise move.  FWIW, We have the Breville Smart toaster and are very happy with it.  It toasts evenly, which past toasters failed to do.

[Darienne]

I was about to start a Toaster Oven 2017 topic when I fell across this topic.  Hooray.

Now that I have read it through thoroughly I am beginning to think that the Oster which we recently bought at Costco (see Kerry Beal's post above, Sept 16, 2016) is simply a lemon.  Not that the basic product is a lemon...but that we got a lemon.  It takes forever to heat up...if you can even get it to 400 degrees and then after you put in your food item...it loses so much heat and never gets back to the original temperature...implying that you could get it in the first place.

So, back it goes tomorrow as planned before finding this topic, and perhaps they'll still have another one in stock which we can try.  Obviously it works very well for others...maybe we'll be lucky this time.  

(Unless someone has something else to add.  The Breville Smart Oven is $350.00 in Canada.)

 

[blbst36]

@Darienne - I have an Oster toaster/convection oven and I LOVE it.  I use it for baking more than I use it for toasting.  I've had mine for years.  I've never really had any problems with it.  I really hope yours is just a lemon.  The one in the above post from costco looks awesome!  They don't make my style anymore, it seems

Edited July 7, 2017 by blbst36 (log)

[Darienne]

The die is cast and the large Breville Smart Oven, Best Buy, $110 CDN dollars off at $239.00 (plus Ontario sales tax...arrgghh)  has been purchased.  The Oster was returned to Costco and none was in stock.  We have 30 days to do whatever we are going to do about the Breville and be able just to return it to the store or buy a two-year warranty which Consumers Report says is usually a waste of money and the very first thing is to check the oven against our oven thermometer (which currently at least is more or less accurate.)

 

And thus we go forth.  

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by Darienne (log)

[boilsover]

3 hours ago, Darienne said:

The die is cast and the large Breville Smart Oven, Best Buy, $110 CDN dollars off at $239.00 (plus Ontario sales tax...arrgghh)  has been purchased.  The Oster was returned to Costco and none was in stock.  We have 30 days to do whatever we are going to do about the Breville and be able just to return it to the store or buy a two-year warranty which Consumers Report says is usually a waste of money and the very first thing is to check the oven against our oven thermometer (which currently at least is more or less accurate.)

 

And thus we go forth.  

 

 

The wisdom of an extended warranty depends on the return policy of the seller.  The BSO is notorious for CATO'ing right after the warranty expires.  This is because the thermal fuse will blow at a lower temp than the oven reaches.  In later models, this fuse has been made inaccessible to replace unless you're a sewing machine tech or brain surgeon.

 

The BSO is one of the rare things I recommend buying at Bed Bath and Barf, because they will replace it on the spot.  How do I know?  Same way I know about the fuse.  In my case, I was allowed to upgrade to the "Pro" by simply paying the difference.

 

When this one CATOs, I'll try the "Air"...

Edited July 7, 2017 by boilsover (log)

[Darienne]

6 minutes ago, boilsover said:

The wisdom of an extended warranty depends on the return policy of the seller.  The BSO is notorious for CATO'ing right after the warranty expires.  This is because the thermal fuse will blow at a lower temp than the oven reaches.  In later models, this fuse has been made inaccessible unless you're a sewing machine tech or brain surgeon.

 

The BSO is one of the rare things I recommend buying at Bed Bath and Barf, because they will replace it on the spot.  How do I know?  Same way I lnow about the fuse.  In my case, I was allowed to upgrade to the "Pro" by simply paying the difference.

 

When this one CATOs, I'll try the "Air"...

 

OK.  I give up.  I can't find a meaning for CATO.  Thanks.

 

[andiesenji]

I've never had a problem with my Oster. It takes about 8 minutes to heat to the temp I set, including 400° and it does not lose heat.

I have an oven thermometer hanging from the top rack and so far, it has been spot on.

 

Every brand can produce a lemon. I have had a few duds over the decades.  

 

[Darienne]

3 minutes ago, andiesenji said:

I've never had a problem with my Oster. It takes about 8 minutes to heat to the temp I set, including 400° and it does not lose heat.

I have an oven thermometer hanging from the top rack and so far, it has been spot on.

 

Every brand can produce a lemon. I have had a few duds over the decades.  

 

We realize that's all it was...a lemon.  But there were no more to be had and life in the heat without a toaster oven was not to be endured for long.  We don't have a lot of choice in our region.

 

[boilsover]

9 minutes ago, Darienne said:

OK.  I give up.  I can't find a meaning for CATO.  Thanks.

 

Catastrophe At Take Off, i.e., totally and permanently broken.

[gfweb]

You won't regret the BSO. A bit weak on toast, but strong on baking/broiling.

[lindag]

I replaced my BSO in favor of the CSO some months ago mainly because of the poor toasting in the Breville.

(The Breville now rests on a shelf into garage as a backup.)

All in all I do prefer the Cuisinart as it feels more versatile, the only disadvantage for me is that I can't use my quarter sheet pans in it, but that's a minor issue.

My Cuisinart, over time, has diminished in its toasting ability; the bottoms of the foods now don't toast evenly

But I have a new crumb tray on order hoping that will help.

[Darienne]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

You won't regret the BSO. A bit weak on toast, but strong on baking/broiling.

Fortunately we are not a toast-eating home.