Conference turris::cooks

    I've nevr heard of them.  What's "the grand innovation"?  I.e., what makes
    it so great?  How much is it?
    
    ed

    I believe we're talking about a countertop unit, made by American
    Harvest.  They use a "convection" method of cooking.
    
    The unit is advertised alot on the "paid advertising" channels, and I
    have seen the unit for sale at the Walmart locally for $198.
    
    						Cynthia

    I have also seen them at Lechmere...for less than advertised on TV and
    you wouldn't have to pay additional for postage and handling.
    

    
    Also, check out note 259 in the GADGETS conference (OCTAVE::GADGETS)
    
    Press KP7 to add this conference to your notebook.
    
    Larry

    Thanks for the pointer to GADGETS.  There's a string in there
    discussing these ovens, but only one person actually had one and tried
    it.  He was very happy, however, with the one meal he cooked on it
    before writing the last note in the string.
    
    For those who asked, this oven is a countertop unit.  Its claim to fame
    is that it circulates hot air in a circle.  The marketing hype says
    that air does *not* naturally travel in a square, as convection ovens
    try to make it do.  So the cyclonic oven creates a little tornado of
    hot air in the center, and food placed around the edge gets exposed
    constantly to the air.  Supposedly it cooks with the speed of a
    microwave, but without the drawbacks such as hot spots, no browning,
    etc.
    
    My concern about the thing would be that the shorter cooking time might
    tend to reduce the tenderization that naturally occurs with cheaper
    cuts of meat over several hours of normal cooking.  For example, a pot
    roast might get done quickly in one of these ovens, but would it taste
    like leather?  This problem might also exist in a regular convection
    oven.
    
    At any rate, I was just curious and it would appear that no one
    currently reading this conference has one.  Perhaps if this topic
    remains, a cyclonic oven owner will see it in the future and reply with
    some real-life experience.
    
    Thanks anyway!
    
    Steve

I thought pot roasts relied on the moisture to almost-braise the meat.  That 
sort of cooking seems incompatible with the dryness of convection.

I don't deny that the cyclonic oven cooks like they say, but I have to laugh
at their "scientific" explanation.  I do believe that air does not naturally
travel in a square, but does it naturally travel in the shape of a chicken?
In their empty oven, one may find a hot little tornado in the center, but once
you stick a chicken in it, all you can do is move air around it.  Most non-
cyclonic convection ovens do not attempt to make the air swirl around the square
edges of the oven.  They push/pull it from the center and pull/push it out
around the edges, kind of like a ceiling fan does for a room (hmmm may be a 
new marketing concept here... circular rooms for improved heating efficiency,
not to mention the fact that the dust would end up in a little pile in the 
middle of the room!).  You get circular flow, donut style.  Once again, if you 
put a chicken in the middle of the donut, and all you can do is move air around
it.

    I want to buy one of these ovens so bad, that the only thing that is
    holding me back, is that I get no response from anyone that either owns
    one, or from a person that has tried one.  Anyone out there own one
    that can tell me if they are worth buying or not.

    re:  .7
    
    We were waiting for you to buy one and tell us.  I guess we're at a
    stand-off.  Now what are we going to do?
    
    ;^)
    
    Steve
    

    
    I know this response is a lot older than the last reply.
    
    But......my Aunt bought one and LOVES it!  She uses it all the time,
    she does everything just like the commercial shows.  She said she
    wouldn't be without it!
    
    Jackie