Thermador Event

[Note from Design Mom: Last month, Thermador invited me to a neat event at a luxe resort in Arizona. But Baby June was just too wee for a big trip, so I asked Lindsey of Fresh Clean Start to go in my place. Lindsey is one of my favorite foodies, so I hoped she would especially enjoy it. Following is Lindsey's wrap up of the event.]

Gabby asked me to represent Design Mom at the unveiling of the new Thermador Steam and Convection Oven. I’m so excited to tell you all about it.

I’ve been a mother since 2004 and I have never taken a vacation away from my kids.  And when I dreamed of going on a vacation all by my lonesome, it definitely included a hotel room of my very own.

And from now on, it will have to include a day of testing out luxury, professional grade kitchen appliances with other bloggers.  That’s how fun and relaxing things were in Scottsdale at the Thermador showroom.

Thermador has been around since the early 1900’s, and began producing appliances for the home cook around the 1930’s.

Since their beginning, they have been the “first” to offer many features we now use all the time from self-cleaning ovens to matching cook tops and wall ovens, to the first warming drawer.  The star burner pictured above was introduced by Thermador in 1998.  Now they are introducing their version of the steam/convection oven to the marketplace.

The new Thermador Steam and Convection Oven has been in the works for awhile.  It will be available for the home cook in September 2010.  You can read more details about it here. They are hoping this way of cooking will catch on in the US like it has in Europe.

I was impressed with the new oven.  I have to be honest and tell you that I was a little skeptical about it until I was able to see it in person and taste the food that was prepared in it.  What was I skeptical about?  Well, I thought maybe it seemed too gimmicky. By the end of the day, I was sold. I want to own one.

It’s gorgeous to look at, as are all the Thermador appliances…and their chefs.  But that’s not what impressed me.  I liked the options of just steam, just convection, or a combination.

I am an avid home cook and baker. I weekly bake upwards of 8 loaves of bread for my family. We eat tons of veggies and fish. And the occasional (ahem) dessert. Our oven is always on.  nd to be honest, the fish and veggies don’t always fare so well. No one likes overcooked veggies and dried out fish. The Steam and Convection oven has timed programs to help you cook better. I like that because I’m always doing ten things at the same time I’m cooking dinner. And sometimes I forget about the fish.

The steam and convection programs (there are 40) give you better results when you are defrosting, reheating, steaming, roasting, baking, or proofing dough than your regular oven. At least my regular oven.

We sampled all sorts of foods from moist fish to steamed asparagus to crème brulee and perfectly roasted beef tenderloin. (By the way, you don’t need a water bath for crème brulee or other custards when you’re using the steam and convection oven.  They have a setting for that.  Cool, huh?)

Masters of the Kitchen: Jane from This Week For Dinner and Kristen from Dine & Dish.

There are some cons…there sure are. One of these ovens will set you back over $3000. It is a high-end appliance and therefore a high-end price. Also, it requires wall installation. It is small—about the size of a large microwave. (When there’s a full size option available, and I think there will be eventually, I will move heaven and earth to get one.) There isn’t an option of connecting the oven directly to a water line. There is a receptacle inside the oven that requires frequent filling and draining. (The oven does have an indicator that tells you when it’s time for a refill.) Also, because of its size, you won’t be able to use all of your own pans—some, but not all. They simply won’t fit. However, the oven does come with several pans in varying sizes that are made to work with the oven. Thermador sells extra pans too.

Let’s talk more pros though.  You can set it to very low temperatures that allow for even defrosting—a pound of ground beef took about 20 minutes. No hot spots. Not cooked edges.

Do you dehydrate food? You can do it in the steam and convection oven. Do you make or have you wanted to make artisan breads? It’s perfect for slow proofing and baking that perfect crust.

What about leftovers?  I hate microwaving my leftovers.  I try to reheat them in my toaster oven or full-size oven but they always get dried out by the time they are warmed through. Not if you add the steam element.  The leftover pizza they reheated turned out nearly perfect.  I’m thinking I’d use it to reheat waffles for my kids.  Actually, to test it out, this week I put some leftover waffles in our oven at home and placed a pan of water underneath them while they were reheating.  They were just like fresh waffles.

So. Do you really need one of these ovens? No. Probably not. But I’d sure like to have one and I think you would too.

I’d love to fill a whole kitchen with Thermador appliances actually…like the once above. Right after the bag of money is delivered to my doorstep.)

You can read more about Thermador, our trip and see some lovely pictures from Diane and Todd, The White on Rice Couple, who remodeled their kitchen several years ago with Thermador appliances.

One last word on Thermador, because I have to say it. They are a great company. I was totally impressed with their employees and the dedication, loyalty and pride they have in the Thermador name and products.

(Yes, Thermador paid for my airfare, lodgings, ground transportation, and food. However, everything I’ve written is my own opinion.)