GE Advantium Oven

Meal time again, but you’re on the go? What else is new? If your busy schedule doesn’t leave time for cooking dinner, you’re just like most Americans today. During the 1970’s, American kitchens were revolutionized by the introduction of microwave ovens for everyday use. Microwaves are a great way to prepare many foods quickly—perfect for today’s fast paced world. The only problem is that microwaves alter the taste and texture of foods. They may be great for defrosting or heating up, but a “zapped” chicken doesn’t come close to an oven-roasted one. No one would trade the browned outside and juicy inside of oven-roasted meat or vegetables for the rubbery, un-browned microwaved version.  However it takes more than six times as long to cook—a time commodity that most people don’t have. Thanks to the Speedcook technology of the GE Advantium, it’s possible to have the best of both worlds.

Using a combination of convection microwave cooking, together with innovative new halogen light technology, the Advantium oven cooks as fast as a microwave, while preserving the conventional oven-baked texture you enjoy. The Advantium can cook food up to 8 times faster than a conventional oven like a microwave, while browning and locking in moisture and flavor like an oven. Chicken, rolls, fish, pizza, and other items will taste great in a fraction of the time and there’s never a need to preheat your oven! How’s that for fast food!

The Advantium can brown, bake, crisp, and broil using three 1500-watt high-intensity halogen bulbs work together in various combinations depending on the ingredients and the desired results to cook both the top and bottom of the food. The sensor microwave simultaneously helps to cook food from the inside out. It can also function as a regular microwave whenever conventional defrosting or warming is required. We’ve put together a list of some of the main Pros and Cons of the Advantium to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Voltage

The Advantium comes in two different voltage options, either 240-volt or 120-volt. The 240-volt oven cooks up to 8 times faster than a conventional oven, while the 120-volt oven provides results up to 4 times faster, giving new meaning to the term “fast food!” The true European convection oven can get up to heats as high as 450°F. The more powerful oven is considerably noisier to run and takes up the same energy as an oven, simultaneously using halogen lights and microwaves to cook food. The 120-volt model cooks food by alternating halogen lights and microwaves. With the 240-volt oven, it’s possible to cook many of your favorite foods to perfection such as steak, whole roast chicken, fish and pies in under thirty-five minutes, often even faster, and the results are even moister than with a standard convection oven.

Style

The Advantium oven is available in two different styles: either as an over-the-range oven, or as built-in wall oven. No new duct work is required for either of them and the over-the-range model can be combined with pre-existing kitchen ventilation for maximum efficiency. Both ovens are large enough to accommodate most normal family-sized meals as large as a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish or a 5 pound chicken. Sizes range from 27-30-inches wide by 16.5″ high by 15″ deep for both models.

Some additional Pros and Cons to consider:

Pros

• Settings – The Advantium comes with 175 preprogrammed settings together with a cookbook containing their corresponding recipes to start cooking with just the press of a button. Simply dial in the code for the food and press start! You can also program in up to 30 custom settings, although it will take some experimentation to find the right combination of power and settings when using your own favorite recipes. GE has been lobbying to get food manufacturers to add “Speedcook” times and directions frozen and pre-packaged products together with microwave and conventional cooking instructions.
• Finish – The stainless steel oven interior of the Advantium is easy to clean with a towel and all-purpose cleaner even though there’s no self-cleaning feature.
• Auto-Timer – In case of power supply shortage, the Advantium automatically readjusts the cooking time to ensure quality results.
• Warming oven mode keeps prepared foods ready to serve, while the proofing feature allows dough to rise quickly.

• Warranty – GE employs specially engineered halogen light bulbs that have been tested to a 30-year life time. All parts and labor for lamps are warranted for the first ten years.

Cons

• Settings – Professional cooks or anyone who prefers using their own family recipes will find it difficult to adjust to Advantium’s set recipes and settings. Adjusting the custom setting to your own recipes is difficult to master. Furthermore, if you are technologically illiterate, the Advantium is definitely more complicated than operating a VCR.
• Price – The Advantium is extremely expensive to purchase, as much as six times the cost of a regular microwave and it is similarly more expensive to run.
• Availability – Advantium is not available through all retailers. Visit their website at www.geadvantium.com and type in your zip code to find retailers in your area.
• Space – The interior space isn’t insufficient for extra large items such as a thanksgiving turkey.
• Repairs – Only a GE technician can replace a faulty bulb and consumers report needing frequent repairs in various aspects of the machine. Mechanical turntables will eventually need to be repaired over time.

We hope that this has been helpful if you are considering purchasing an Advantium oven. Anyone who can afford it, or who is often pressed for time, will greatly benefit from the quality gained and time saved. It’s definetly fast food in style!

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