Where did traditional oven go?

[setraveler]

We were looking at new RV's and somewhat shocked to find the tradition oven with cooktop burners seems to have vanished. Replacement is micro convection overs mounted high up at cabinet levels, and surface type burners that have no method of rails of such, slippery if not flat.

We inquired via major dealer in TX and advised "you can install oven after you buy unit (new). Now not my idea of paying large dollars then invest in major lay out one more time.

Reason for oven. wifes shoulders not the best, not thrilled about heavy hot objects high up when removing from over. I am not thrilled with that prospect myself. Surface burner units verse oven top burners are oven burners win every time, can even install safety rails to hold items if we want, same as on pleasure boats. So seems this is a cost cutting item as yet to find many folks who want to try to warm something while moving, not cook, just warm up. Know not usually done but simply not thrilled with overhead overs and removing or even trying to see how cooking going. Any others bothered by this?

[Bumpyroad]

frankdamp wrote:
Convection/micro would be fine if it was at the same "altitude" as the older style gas oven.As an earlier poster said, lifting hot food with liquid content down from the upper-level location that is typical of the micro/convection installation is hazardous - the more so for shorter people like DW (<5 ft).

Our '02 Georgetown had a gas oven/stove top. The original owners said it was the only one they could find with that feature when they bought it new. The oven did have an easy-to-reach pilot light.

the microwave in my TT is so low you almost have to get down on your knees to use it.
bumpy

[45Ricochet]

You can still option one out with a LP cooktop or oven, as of 2015 anyway.
We don't use oven in the RV so we didn't miss it. But she had to have the cooktop.

[webslave]

We don't have a gas oven (or burners either; no gas as all :-). Wife is 5' and does just fine baking/cooking/broiling in the convection microwave. Our sticks and bricks also has the convection microwave along with a convection oven. Nothing she can't cook in them and they don't heat up the bus as bad as the gas units, particularly since our range top is induction. If we had to have a gas oven, we'd take it out, install storage and be on our way. We also use a Breville toaster oven and between the three, she can have a whole meal going at the same time. As for height? That's what they make step stools for and we have two three steppers that fold very flat and are very wide (stable). We don't have any LP in the coach (I had to buy some tanks for our grill when we got this coach) and that is the way we like it now. Never again with the LP and gas stove/burner setup.

[frankdamp]

Convection/micro would be fine if it was at the same "altitude" as the older style gas oven.As an earlier poster said, lifting hot food with liquid content down from the upper-level location that is typical of the micro/convection installation is hazardous - the more so for shorter people like DW (<5 ft).

Our '02 Georgetown had a gas oven/stove top. The original owners said it was the only one they could find with that feature when they bought it new. The oven did have an easy-to-reach pilot light.

[pulsar]

Passin Thru wrote:
I love it because the Mfgs are telling us what we demand. We demand radar on a car to back up? Bull! I've been backing for over 55 years without a camera or a radar and it' GOALS for me.. Get out and look Stupid! Works well even in the dark IMHO. Now , we demand Convection Ovens. I don't even know what one is. I agree with Kayteg1.

In the case of the convection oven and no gas oven, I don't thing the manufacturers are "telling us what we demand."

For many years, the gas oven/stove/microwave was standard equipment and the convection oven was an option. As more and more people began to order the convection oven option, dealers began to stock that option and not the standard stove/oven.

These days, except in the entry level models, the convection oven/stovetop is the standard and a gas stove/oven is optional.

That's market forces working.

The same thing is happening with residential refrigerators. Prior to the late 2015 model of the Itasca Meridian (and Winnebago Journey) the residential refrigerator, along with the battery and inverter upgrade, was optional. Now, those features are standard. I asked about that, when we were at Forest City last summer. They said that in the Meridian/Journey models, less that 20% of dealer orders were for the absorption refrigerators.

Tom

[lostdog]

hanko wrote:
the gas oven is important to us. I wouldnt have one with out. Try to make a pizza in a convection micro wave

We make pizza in our convection oven all the time. Works great!

[jorbill2or]

hanko wrote:
the gas oven is important to us. I wouldnt have one with out. Try to make a pizza in a convection micro wave

?? Wife makes pizza ( a smaller on) in our convection oven ! It's fantastic! We use a pizza stone in our convention oven too
You do realize a convection gets hot just like a regular oven right ? Like 400 deg hot ! and the microwave part doesn't need to come on while baking . Is the word microwave confusing you? It's a convection AND microwave
Convection is a regular electric oven with a fan! it distributes the heat evenly with no hot spots She also makes delicious bread !
Are naysayers thinking the " microwave" part is doing the cooking ? It's not ! It can use the microwave part to boost the cooking but you certainly normally don't want to .
I was told most professional cooks prefer a electric oven for its " even "heat over gas's hot spots but I'm no cook , I just eat 🙂

[Halmfamily]

Oven is a must for us. We make homemade pizza and I couldn't image trying to bake the pizza on its stone in microwave/connection oven. We are looking at replacing our oven in the RV with residential style that fits the same opening. A little pricey, though.

[CA_Traveler]

Why do you want rails on the cooktop? Surely you're not considering cooking while moving?

Consider a step or smaller lighter dishes. For bigger items like a pizza or turkey head to the store.

We have 3 full slide out drawers under the cooktop which provides a lot of space for cooking equipment storage and hence optional methods of cooking.

[Passin_Thru]

I love it because the Mfgs are telling us what we demand. We demand radar on a car to back up? Bull! I've been backing for over 55 years without a camera or a radar and it' GOALS for me.. Get out and look Stupid! Works well even in the dark IMHO. Now , we demand Convection Ovens. I don't even know what one is. I agree with Kayteg1.

[pulsar]

Sarah is an avid cook - maybe less so on the road.

While looking for our previous RV, I suggested that we look at some rigs with convection ovens and no gas ovens. "We can look, but there's no way I'll ever want an RV without a gas oven."

She did notice that the extra storage was nice. After talking to a good friend and a good cook that has switched to convection ovens at home, we bought an RV without a gas oven.

Our current coach doesn't have a gas oven either. "No need to go back to a gas oven," she said.

Tom

[hanko]

the gas oven is important to us. I wouldnt have one with out. Try to make a pizza in a convection micro wave

[hanko]

the gas oven is important to us. I wouldnt have one with out. Try to make a pizza in a convection micro wave

[infogeek]

My coach has an oven. And to light it I'm supposed to stick my arm all the way in the back with a lighter?? Um, no. I use it as storage. When I need to bake something I use the convection oven. Yes, it's annoying because it is up high, and I am vertically challenged.

That said, heating something on the stovetop while driving seems a bit dangerous. If you had to stop suddenly, now there is a pan of hot food hurtling at you. At least if you're nuking it in the microwave it is contained in case of sudden braking.

[Twomed]

Notice the buggy whips are gone too... 🙂 🙂 🙂