Cuisinart Combo Steam/Convection Oven (Part 3)

[ElsieD]

I am going to bake some cheddar bay biscuits today in the CSO.  Do I bake them on regular convection bake setting or the bread setting? Is the bread setting only for yeasted breads?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

I am going to bake some cheddar bay biscuits today in the CSO.  Do I bake them on regular convection bake setting or the bread setting? Is the bread setting only for yeasted breads?

 

Use convection bake for biscuits.  Personally I don't use the bread setting for anything.

 

[iggiggiggy]

@ElsieD

I found on my CSO version at least, that the "bread setting" steambakes for several minutes at the beginning, followed by a drying phase.  For things like biscuits, pate-a-choux, I would echo @JoNorvelleWalker and use convection.

 

On 10/9/2018 at 10:15 AM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Use convection bake for biscuits.  Personally I don't use the bread setting for anything.

 

 

I use the bread setting almost exclusively for demi-baguettes. Some pics--these are all the same demi-baguettes:

 

 

Crumb:

 

Edited October 16, 2018 by iggiggiggy
forgot to add recommendation (log)

[Okanagancook]

On 10/9/2018 at 5:54 AM, gfweb said:

 

CSO is so tightly sealed that moisture in the food will turn to steam and stay in the oven.  I've inadvertently steamed a bunch of cauliflower because of this. You might try cracking open the door a hair...

So, set the door ajar for keeping crispy things hot.....

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've been a fan of TeamFar pans for the CSO.  Last night I got a couple of 12.5 inch by 10 inch TeamFar pans, not intended for the CSO:

 

http://amzn.com/B072MPSLWG

 

However I found that they fit the CSO lengthwise if the lip of the pan is touching the back wall.  Would it be a bad thing to use a pan this size touching the back wall?  There is plenty of clearance on the sides.

 

 

[kayb]

Seems to me it ought to work fine.

 

[iggiggiggy]

8 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I've been a fan of TeamFar pans for the CSO.  Last night I got a couple of 12.5 inch by 10 inch TeamFar pans, not intended for the CSO:

 

http://amzn.com/B072MPSLWG

 

However I found that they fit the CSO lengthwise if the lip of the pan is touching the back wall.  Would it be a bad thing to use a pan this size touching the back wall?  There is plenty of clearance on the sides.

 

 

 

@JoNorvelleWalker: Great find!!! really interested--but after looking at that I'm just worried, that it may do the 'temperature twist' bend-outta-shapey thingie.... please def share your experiences with us 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by iggiggiggy (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 minutes ago, iggiggiggy said:

 

@JoNorvelleWalker: Great find!!! really interested--but after looking at that I'm just worried, that it may do the 'temperature twist' bend-outta-shapey thingie.... 

 

 

 

So far the TeamFar pans have worked well for me.  None have twisted yet in my experience.  My favorite is their lasagna pan.  (Which admittedly seems a little heavier duty steel than their sheet pans.)

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last night I prepared perhaps the best chicken I have had -- or best CSO chicken (which is pretty much saying the same thing).

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156030-dinner-2018-part-1/?do=findComment&comment=2175137

 

Nothing special in the settings, just steam bake 20 minutes at 450F.  What I did differently, after salting the bird for an hour or so I directed my new hair dryer on it for about half an hour.  Cold air at maximum fan speed, till the skin appeared translucent and quite dry.  I claim no originality for this, just google "hair dryer chicken"*.  But the combination of dry skin and steam was something to behold.

 

A few days ago I got the new dryer motivated by chocolate work.  So far it's been great for surfaces of sous vide steaks, skin of chicken parts, and under breasts (my own).

 

 

*Marcella Hazan has an old recipe for hair dryer duck.  However Hazan boils her duck then blasts it with hot air.

 

[ElsieD]

What is the longest bread loaf pan, including the rim, that will fit in the CSO?  I'm thinking an 11" one?

[Kim Shook]

6 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Last night I prepared perhaps the best chicken I have had -- or best CSO chicken (which is pretty much saying the same thing).

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156030-dinner-2018-part-1/?do=findComment&comment=2175137

 

Nothing special in the settings, just steam bake 20 minutes at 450F.  What I did differently, after salting the bird for an hour or so I directed my new hair dryer on it for about half an hour.  Cold air at maximum fan speed, till the skin appeared translucent and quite dry.  I claim no originality for this, just google "hair dryer chicken"*.  But the combination of dry skin and steam was something to behold.

 

A few days ago I got the new dryer motivated by chocolate work.  So far it's been great for surfaces of sous vide steaks, skin of chicken parts, and under breasts (my own).

 

 

*Marcella Hazan has an old recipe for hair dryer duck.  However Hazan boils her duck then blasts it with hot air.

 

Cool.  So, can you alternate between hair and chicken, or does this need to be a dedicated dryer?  'Cause I can just imagine Mr. Kim's reaction when I say I need a blow dryer for the kitchen.  He still hasn't bought the little heater I've requested for turning our kitchen half bath into a proofing room.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

45 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Cool.  So, can you alternate between hair and chicken, or does this need to be a dedicated dryer?  'Cause I can just imagine Mr. Kim's reaction when I say I need a blow dryer for the kitchen.  He still hasn't bought the little heater I've requested for turning our kitchen half bath into a proofing room.

 

Multifunction product.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

3 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Cool.  So, can you alternate between hair and chicken, or does this need to be a dedicated dryer?  'Cause I can just imagine Mr. Kim's reaction when I say I need a blow dryer for the kitchen.  He still hasn't bought the little heater I've requested for turning our kitchen half bath into a proofing room.

 

Kim,

 

If you are proofing so much dough for say, your church bake sales or something, that you actually need a proofing room then the heater might be your best solution.

 

If you just need to proof some yeast dough for a couple loaves of bread, I use my microwave. First I boil two cups of water in a Pyrex measuring cup. Then move it off to a corner in the back of the microwave cavity. Add your bowl of dough and let it rise. Reboil the water while shaping dough into a couple loaves, which will also fit into the "proofing box" microwave with the Pyrex cup full of hot water. I try to keep the hot water cup from actually touching the metal bowl or pans.

 

Water holds a lot of heat and releases it slowly over time, plus the moist environment from the steam is good for yeast growth too. An idea, anyway.

[kayb]

7 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

Kim,

 

If you are proofing so much dough for say, your church bake sales or something, that you actually need a proofing room then the heater might be your best solution.

 

If you just need to proof some yeast dough for a couple loaves of bread, I use my microwave. First I boil two cups of water in a Pyrex measuring cup. Then move it off to a corner in the back of the microwave cavity. Add your bowl of dough and let it rise. Reboil the water while shaping dough into a couple loaves, which will also fit into the "proofing box" microwave with the Pyrex cup full of hot water. I try to keep the hot water cup from actually touching the metal bowl or pans.

 

Water holds a lot of heat and releases it slowly over time, plus the moist environment from the steam is good for yeast growth too. An idea, anyway.

 

I do the same. I've used the CSO on 100 degrees and steam function, too, but I prefer the microwave.

 

[Okanagancook]

My friend got a CSO at Canadian Tire for $229 cdn$....she’s not an Egulleter but believe me, we can all claim some responsibility for her purchase😎 .  She is moving to a new house which allows her counter space for it...that was the last straw 😀

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've recommended the smallest TeamFar pan, the 8x10x1 inch one, for the CSO.  I am still pleased with it, however for full disclosure I was reheating a slice of pizza just now and the pan warped.  It went back to flat as soon as it cooled, and the slight warping didn't bother me, but it might matter for some folks.

 

In contrast I've not noticed any warping with the heavier/taller TeamFar pans in the CSO.

 

[Ann_T]

On 10/16/2018 at 8:16 AM, iggiggiggy said:

I use the bread setting almost exclusively for demi-baguettes. Some pics--these are all the same demi-baguettes:

@iggiggiggy  I also use the bread setting for smaller baguettes.

 

I tried using the bake steam setting , but that was by accident not deliberate.  And the bread turned out well.  But I like that the bread setting steams the dough at the beginning of the bake and then stops.  Makes for a better crust without constant steam. 
 

On 10/23/2018 at 7:42 AM, kayb said:

 

I do the same. I've used the CSO on 100 degrees and steam function, too, but I prefer the microwave. 

 

@kayb I just proof on the counter.   A cooler temperature, so it takes a little longer, but I like the results better. 

I tried the proofing function on the CSO, just to see how it worked.   I bake on a stone which meant transferring the proofed loaf from a baking sheet to the stone and it was awkward.  Easier to transfer a proofed loaf from a floured  bread board with a transfer board. 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Ann_T (log)

[Ann_T]

Best Buy Canada has the CSO on for $199.99 for their Black Friday sale.

 

[Kim Shook]

Had this egg and sausage casserole for breakfast yesterday morning:

 

 

We wanted the leftovers this morning.  Leftover egg casseroles never taste very good.  Microwaving overcooks and toughens the egg custard and the oven just dries them out.  So, I did the leftovers in the CSO on convection/steam at 350F for about 10 minutes.  It was JUST as good this morning as it was yesterday. 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

Had this egg and sausage casserole for breakfast yesterday morning:

 

 

We wanted the leftovers this morning.  Leftover egg casseroles never taste very good.  Microwaving overcooks and toughens the egg custard and the oven just dries them out.  So, I did the leftovers in the CSO on convection/steam at 350F for about 10 minutes.  It was JUST as good this morning as it was yesterday. 

 

What's the brown stuff on top?

[Kim Shook]

6 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

What's the brown stuff on top?

Sausage.

[Okanagancook]

I used the steam function to heat hot dog buns! Wow, they were nice.

[rotuts]

My DARTO's arrived.

 

re CSO :

 

 

 

fits fine !

 

more here :

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/154212-darto-pans/?page=15&tab=comments#comment-2180419

 

its a P-27

 

https://www.darto.org/us/products/paella-n-27-pre-sale-shipping-in-december/

Edited December 3, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[Okanagancook]

I took the tank off to fill and there was this little black hollow piece in the well on the machine.   It is a small round plastic part and the only place it fits is in one of the indentations on the bottom of the tank.  There, it doesn't really seem to fill a purpose but I don't see where else it fits.  Anyone know.

[blue_dolphin]

What does the area of the oven where the tank sits look like?  Mine is like this:

There are round and oval pegs that align the tank and another round thing down in that reservoir that I assume allows the water to flow out of the tank.  Neither of them seem to come off easily and don't look exactly like your photo, but I know there are multiple CSO models.  Mine is one of the older ones (no steam clean button, no drain on the back)

Edited December 16, 2018 by blue_dolphin (log)