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A new oven - advice needed!

(23 Posts)
Ariadne Tue 16-Oct-12 07:51:53

As I may have mentioned blush we have just moved to a new house. I now really must come to terms with the new oven, and I have to say I don't care for it much at the moment. I've been doing minimal cooking so far, but the time has come to bake again. I'd really appreciate any comments from GNs who have come across this type of oven.

It is a "multifunctional" integrated oven, and the make is Cata; it seems quite small. The grill is built into the roof of the oven, and for almost every function - fan, convection etc, the grill element seems to provide part of the heat. which I can't quite comprehend..

So, today I'm going to try out my favourite cake recipe. I'll tell you if it works. Meanwhile -help!!

glassortwo Tue 16-Oct-12 07:54:59

I have not used that make Ariadne but it takes time to get used to a new oven, especially for cakes. But I am sure we will all help sample your efforts later grin

Gagagran Tue 16-Oct-12 08:16:55

Morning Ariadne!

I inherited an oven when we moved to this house -it's a Samsung all singing all dancing one with electronic controls and all sorts of beep functions. It almost says "Good morning". There were no instructions left by the vendor but I managed to find some on the Samsung website and now I have got used to it I love it. Not keen on the grill, which is also in the roof of the oven but it is so clean and so quick to heat up ( has a hi-speed warm up function) that I actually prefer it to the Neff gas hob and split level cooker I left behind.

It is smaller and only one oven but as usually there are only two of us, it is fine and I have baked a lot of cakes in it to satisfy my two little cake-face DGC!

Good luck with the cake - it's always a bit of trial and error with a new oven isn't it?

eGJ Tue 16-Oct-12 08:46:54

Gnetters helped me last year with a new oven. I have ended up baking with the conventional oven setting (after years of being able to bake well with a fan) Back to old values worked forme! smile Save a piece of cupcake for me!! grin

kittylester Tue 16-Oct-12 10:08:30

Good luck Ariadne. Is it also a microwave? My friend has a smallish oven that does everything (including microwave) and loves it.

I had an oven like that ages ago and couldn't cope with the grill being in the same part as the oven. Someone's law said everytime I wanted to grill, I was also using the oven.

Could you do some GF cakes too, please? grin

Anne58 Tue 16-Oct-12 11:37:08

Hello Ariadne and a belated welcome to Devon! Perhaps we will get together at some stage, but to be honest I'm not at my best currently.

No idea about the oven, but good luck.

jeni Tue 16-Oct-12 12:30:02

All my ovens have had grills in the oven roof. I'm on my 5th on forty years, it's so much easier to but a new oven than clean the old one isn't it?
Sarkygrin

glammanana Tue 16-Oct-12 12:49:37

Ariadne I would also tend to go to their website and try and find the oven make or one of their suppliers near to your new home,they should be able to source an instruction manual for you.I will be waiting in line to test the finished product.grin

harrigran Tue 16-Oct-12 14:13:07

You are so right jeni , so much easier to buy a new one grin

kittylester Tue 16-Oct-12 17:02:22

My parents used to say that I had my kitchen refitted rather than clean the cooker - well it was before there were men who came in to do it! grin

jeni Tue 16-Oct-12 17:20:24

Next time though, I will try to get a man to clean it. How much do they cost?

grrrranny Tue 16-Oct-12 21:10:02

But I feel I need to clean my old cooker before I can put it out on the kerb for members of the travelling community to take away and dispose of in a ecologically friendly way. (Honestly I am going to take it to the tip, recycling centre, myself but only because then I don't need to clean it as the whole street won't see it!) And before anyone gives me stick - members of the travelling community come round at least twice a week and do a good job.

grrrranny Tue 16-Oct-12 21:11:10

What is the difference between a ceramic hob and an induction hob please?

jeni Tue 16-Oct-12 21:11:58

.?

grrrranny Tue 16-Oct-12 21:22:29

Oh - is there not an induction hob? I am clueless and need a new cooker and can't have gas (not piped into house) but don't want those sticky up round electric plates as they just get so dirty and somewhere on this thread I thought someone said there were induction hobs which heated up quickly and were as good as gas. I shall go back into the cupboard under the stairs for a few more days - sorry.

Gagagran Tue 16-Oct-12 21:32:26

grrranny I think I've got those on my Samsung oven (inherited when we bought this house in the summer) and they are very fast - I would say as fast as my previous Neff gas hob. It's a glass top and there are 4 hotrings, which are sort of set in/part of the glass top. I'm not certain if they are induction or ceramic but they are excellent!

To clean it you just wipe it over with a cream hob cleaner and rinse off and wipe dry - very quick and very easy. smile

grrrranny Tue 16-Oct-12 21:42:15

Whew, thanks gaga. I found the bit I had read - not on this thread but from Dahlia 5th Dec last year and you appeared as well to reassure me I hadn't been dreaming.

Dahlia's post was as positive as yours - 'Have used fan ovens since they first came out, and now possess a Neff double oven (bottom with fan, top smaller oven non-fan but has grill) and I absolutely love it.
Always cooked with gas, but since moving out of town and having no gas supply run in, moved onto electricity using induction hob and have never looked back. Even faster to control than a gas ring, super to keep clean and pretty wonderful in every way!'

I'm going to have to do lots of research as I am determined to have a good cooker for the first time in my life - always had the cheapest. Will look at Samsung now.

Ariadne Tue 16-Oct-12 22:20:45

Thank you, everyone! Didn't get round to the cake, but when I do, promise I'll share it. If it's up to scratch, that is. Night night, all. moon xx

harrigran Tue 16-Oct-12 23:07:42

Induction hobs work by magnetism and the rings only heat up when the pan is in contact with the ring, the pan gets hot but the hob is cool to the touch. Pans for these hobs are expensive and you can't use one if you have a pacemaker.

kittylester Wed 17-Oct-12 09:27:09

jeni £130 for my range cooker and the extractor hood! And brilliant!! I use a national franchise so pm me if you want the name.

merlotgran Wed 17-Oct-12 09:30:08

My hob badly needs replacing so I'm going to wait until the January sales. I was wondering about getting an induction hob because they save energy. I've been told I will have to replace my trusty set of copper bottomed pans because they won't work on an induction hob. I'm reluctant to do that so I haven't made my mind up yet. I didn't know about the pacemaker harrigran. DH has atrial fib so you never know what's around the corner. hmm

annodomini Wed 17-Oct-12 09:49:28

Mine's a gas hob and a separate electric multi-function oven - both Bosch. I don't bake very often - I'd be too tempted to eat the results - but last night I made Bags's 'boiling broonie' which turned out remarkably well, given that I had to do a bit of improvising. Ate one slice and froze the rest as it's destined for our book group meeting next week. I particularly like the quick heat-up function

grrrranny Wed 17-Oct-12 13:05:36

harrigran thanks for the info on induction hobs. It's put me off I think. New expensive pans and my mum has a pacemaker so probably best not. Like merlot I should wait until the January sales but as it is the oven that has packed up, can I wait til then? Certainly would get me out of having to do proper Christmas dinner - they could only have what would go in slow cooker or on hobs. On reflection, I'll wait.