Help with my RV dilemma

[lastpick]

I could use some suggestions here. Recently, my GE Profile Convection Microwave died during an extended baking period. I've already started to look at repairing it; however, parts are somewhat hard to come by. I've looked at many new models, and I'm quite disappointed as none of them reach 450 degrees, or they have silly designs that make one wonder what the engineers were thinking. Has anyone looked at the Advantium line? No racks, nope you get a round microwave plate and an elevated wire rack that sits on it. Quarter sheet pan, forget about it, rectangular dishes are a no-go, so most of my cookware won't work in one. I recently bought a Tovala oven while I source parts to repair my existing oven. It's pretty....small and kinda neat, but again their design rules out a lot of standard cookware as they just won't fit or work on a rotating tray.

 

Unfortunately, the one piece of kit I've seen that seems to have all the right features will require some modifications to make it work; it's a built-in Microwave/Convection oven, not an over-the-range (OTR) design, so it doesn't have any lights and no ventilation fans. So, I'm reaching out to this community for ideas on how you'd kit out this space given the following requirements. I'm exhausted from my searches so far, mainly because I don't want to lose any more space. Giving up my kitchen aid mixer that lives in the lower cabinet isn't an option, so here I am asking for some suggestions.

 

Overview

I love to bake, so I have to have an oven. I love to cook so a cooktop is essential. A microwave is nice for quickly melting things or defrosting something and that's about the extent of what I want from a microwave.

Limitations

120v AC

Propane available

Galley specs

Above countertop 30" width, 26" deep, countertop to cabinet bottom 30 3/4"

Below countertop 24" width, 26" deep, 33 1/2" floor to counter bottom

 

secondary space

40" width, 17" deep, 14" from counter to cabinet

 

Given the above, how would you design your ultimate kitchen? All suggestions are welcome. There are no appliance cost restrictions. Function first, then beauty, and lastly, price.

[Laurentius]

An ultimate kitchen has everything, but that's not your situation.

 

I think the big problem here is the focus on combo MWO+convection.  In my limited experience, these two really don't belong together--with every one I've owned, the oven/broiler took a crapper.  AND, the oven wasn't very good.

 

From what you've written, I'd buy a dedicated oven with convection, and try doing without the MWO.  If you can't do without, buy the tiniest dorm-size MWO you can find and put it away somewhere.

[lastpick]

I've considered and am still thinking about that very idea. You're not far off on the issues about MWO+Convection; however, space is where this becomes an issue. Ideally, I'd be happy to find an OTR oven that would work as a reliable oven. It's beginning to feel like I'm looking for a Unicorn. In my post, I wanted to not influence people's thought process; just provide the requirements and see what comes of it. In almost every scenario I have run through, I lose valuable cabinet or countertop space and end up with redundant appliances. Another option is to lose the lower cabinet to a proper propane oven. Most ovens that size are expensive, and for the price, you don't get anything remotely modern like steam, digital temperature controls, etc, but as an oven, they work quite well for the most part. Well, I say that, but in reality, I simply refuse to buy any Dometic product; they've literally engineered their products to be barely functional despite the environment they're supposed to be designed for. Marine ovens fare much better, but the issue with them is that of altitude, which, sadly, they don't do well at. 

 

To Summarize, my research thus far has shown the following:

 

It's disheartening to see that all RV-specific manufacturers have failed to innovate new, quality products. In many cases, their newer offerings are less functional than their previous iterations. A prime example is the hob or gas cooktop by Lippert. They used to have a 4-burner setup, with 2 burners at 6000 BTU, 1 at 3400, and a large burner rated for 12000 BTU. However, that product is no longer available. The best you can get now is a 3-burner option, with each burner significantly less powerful at just 7500 BTU.

 

Modern OTR-sized ovens 30" in size heavily favor Microwave functionality over Convection oven functions. All of the OTR models I've seen are electric only.

The Wall Ovens I've researched all appear to have odd dimensions that make them unsuitable for the space. They are typically square-shaped, lack ventilation, and do not have lights like an OTR design. Even with modifications, I end up with an exceptionally limited cooktop space unless I drop that even lower to account for a low-profile range hood. 

Cooktop burners, either stand-alone or integrated into an oven, could work, but most of them appear to have an underwhelming cooktop that won't adjust well to altitude.

A separate tiny Tovala oven could work as an oven, but its diminutive size means standard cookware cannot be used, and I'd have to find a microwave to add this cooking functionality to the mix.

 

* Note: I realize that I'm not the standard RV owner who just needs something to boil water for hotdogs or reheat a cup of coffee. I want a functional cooking space that is focused on classical cooking. I simmer, sear, sauté, bake, braise, and all the other wonderful techniques people have come up with for cooking. Surely, there has to be a combination of appliances that can satisfy my needs.  

 

 

 

[Tropicalsenior]

I too would go with a standard countertop convection oven and a very small microwave which is exactly what I have done. I have a Hamilton Beach convection oven that I love. It is 15 in high and the shelf above it is another 6 in up which is plenty.

I have an 800 w microwave and I do a lot of cooking in my microwave. I had always gone with the big ones until I got a little one to use while my big one was being repaired. I wound up giving the big one away.

My oven only goes to 450°, but I have found that that is enough to cook a very decent Pizza. I make cakes in it and bread and just about anything that you can think of. One thing that I really like about it is that it has an extremely low setting and I can use that to make yogurt.

[gfweb]

I'd do a Breville Smart Oven.  We bake in it all the time.  It'll take a 1/4 sheet pan

 

We have a microwave that I use almost not at all

Edited May 31, 2024 by gfweb (log)

[Laurentius]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

I'd do a Breville Smart Oven.  We bake in it all the time.  It'll take a 1/4 sheet pan

 

 

I second this recommendation, with two important caveats:

 

  1.  My BSOs haven't lasted terribly long--I think I'm on #4.

  2.  IMO, the larger ones suck at making toast.

 

I have mine mounted on a shelf directly under a cooktop, so it's kinda/sorta like a built-in.

 

I also recently replaced a combi MWO/oven with a straight microwave.  I bought a huge one because I wanted a turntable big enough to handle oval platters.  So far I haven't used it once for that!

[Tropicalsenior]

8 minutes ago, Laurentius said:

1.  My BSOs haven't lasted terribly long--I think I'm on #4.

I'm fairly pleased with the longevity of my Hamilton Beach. My first one lasted 5 years and I noticed on the photo information that I bought this one exactly 4 years ago.

I live in Costa Rica so my selection is pretty Limited. Either I get the cheap ones from China or the super expensive Imports. Which incidentally, are also made in China. I managed to find this one in PriceSmart which is our version of Costco. Wasn't terribly expensive so I don't feel bad about replacing them if they don't last up to expectation.

[Smithy]

I've been spending 6 months/year living in an RV. You can read about it (to exhaustion) in this topic: Camping, Princess Style if you wish. (I didn't start it, but I took it over around Page 3 and it's at Page 169 now.) I too like to cook and bake, and have had to made accommodations. I think of our trailer as being pretty well kitted out, but it doesn't have a stand mixer.

 

The trailer we had before this one had a combination convection/microwave oven; in fact, it might have been a GE Profile although I've forgotten now. I never used the microwave and convection at the same time once I realized the power requirements. I strongly suspect we were responsible for a campground electrical failure, though I'll never know for sure. I found the convection/microwave not to be very efficient. You can see that trailer and its kitchen here. In many ways I still miss that kitchen, but we traded it in 2017 for a different one here.

 

I personally haven't missed convection and I rarely use the microwave. That's partly because we usually boondock and I try to minimize generator usage. What is your power setup? Must you always be plugged in somewhere?

 

The oven is propane-powered and gets up to 500F at least. I don't know the BTU's of the burners, but there are only 3. It's a challenge to use 2 pots or skillets at the same time although I do it. I can give you specs as far as dimensions go. The oven chamber is a bit of a disappointment in that it has 3 rack slots but only 1 rack. When the Magic Chef oven in our previous trailer died I kept its racks, but they don't fit the oven in the current trailer.

 

To me the biggest drawback has been counter space, and I'd be reluctant to add a countertop oven to the mix for that reason. We rigged an extra counter by means of collapsible shelf supports and a Boos Block, but every time we move we have to collapse that arrangement.

 

I may be babbling a bit here. I'll be happy to provide dimensions and model specs later. If you have questions, ask away!

 

Edited to add: our microwave sits over the oven and provides a range hood of sorts. It simply recirculates the air. If I could design a dream RV kitchen, the oven and range hood would be on an outside wall so that the hood vented outside.

Edited May 31, 2024 by Smithy
Added ventilation note (log)

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, Laurentius said:

 

I second this recommendation, with two important caveats:

 

  1.  My BSOs haven't lasted terribly long--I think I'm on #4.

  2.  IMO, the larger ones suck at making toast.

 

I have mine mounted on a shelf directly under a cooktop, so it's kinda/sorta like a built-in.

 

I also recently replaced a combi MWO/oven with a straight microwave.  I bought a huge one because I wanted a turntable big enough to handle oval platters.  So far I haven't used it once for that!

Ive had 2 bso in ...? 15 years. Pretty good considering the heavy use they get,I think

[palo]

My vote is for an APO

 

p

[Porthos]

We have an OTR microwave that came with our new home.  Great for defrosting and reheating.  We have an Oster "convection toaster oven" that comes with a screen rack making it an "air fryer." I don't give a rip about air frying but YMMV. It's the French double door version. The Oster is on a rolling table. This combination is serving us well. Initially we bought the Oster because we planned on getting a Blue Star range. The model I want doesn't have a broiler so the Oster would be used for that. Our current range doesn't have convection. 

 

I don't know if this helps but I'm putting it out there as my experience. 

Edited June 1, 2024 by Porthos (log)

[lastpick]

After reading these posts, it seems we're all making compromises that still leave us with a less-than-ideal cooking space. Quality issues also seem to be an issue, with almost none of these products lasting beyond 2-5 years. In my RV, my first KitchenAid Convection oven lasted for only 2 months of daily usage; it was, I suspect, the original one installed way back in '97. My second GE Profile fared somewhat better, only failing after 6 yrs. of heavy use. I'm hopeful I'll be able to repair it as the newer replacement oven from GE has lowered the operating temps to 425 degrees from 450 degrees, which the older model manages to do.

 

A propane oven would be a nice option, but I'll lose cabinet space if I put one in. I'm starting to consider the real possibility that the best option might be to send the Tovala back, its size is my only real complaint, and I could then go with something like the Oster French door model on a shelf over the stove. I'll miss the lights and vent from the OTR, though. Then I'd Sacrifice the countertop space for a small Microwave. As for the cooktop, I'm still looking for one that will work well for the space; as noted in a prior post someone made, the cooking surface on a 24" cooktop is less than ideal. The spacing is such that any standard-sized cookware just doesn't fit very well. The three burner setups make no sense to me at all. Who has cookware that really works on them? I have an okay two-burner setup; the left burner is a low-output simmering burner, and the right is a high-output monster burner. I can put a stock pot on the left burner, but nothing really fits on the right burner. I put a skillet on the right burner and barely got a small sauce pot on the left. 

 

It's too bad we don't have any Europaen's on here as many of their kitchens are far smaller than what we are used to in America. The downside, though, to many of their products is that a lot of them won't run on 120v AC, which is typical of our appliances. 

[weinoo]

2 hours ago, lastpick said:

After reading these posts, it seems we're all making compromises that still leave us with a less-than-ideal cooking space. 

We’ll, that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?