Cuisinart CSO-300N Convection Steam Oven, Stainless Steel

I got this oven to replace a microwave oven, and I really like it. You can use it to steam food, cook it just like in an oven, reheat and defrost. I thought it might take a lot more time to get things cooked than in a microwave, but the time isn't that much longer - for things that took 6 or 7 minutes in the microwave, it takes maybe 12 to 15 minutes in this oven. And the taste and quality of the cooking is really much better. Reheating does take longer, but with things like bread or pizza, the result is worth the additional time.

This is a marvelously useful and easy to operate device. I ordered it from Golda's Kitchen (Ontario Canada) and received it nine days later in Calif., in perfect condition via UPS. Having read all the comments and questions in Amazon's CSO-300 and CSO-300N user inputs, I offer the following more technical report. (1) Does it get hot on the outside? - Yes, in places. Measured with an infrared camera, I found the sides and back run around 113 degrees F (touchable), after a 22 minute 400 degree steam-bake operation. But the glass front, as well as the metal on the edges of the door, rose to 245 degrees F (will burn you). And the small rectangular bar on the top rear, with 8 steam vent holes in it, also rose to 245 degrees F. (2) What does model number 300 NC mean? -- The "C" adder means Canadian model, which only means that the manual is written in English and French. All temperature controls are in Fahrenheit, not Celsius. (3) Is it made out of stainless steel? -- Yes, but of different grades. The inner liner of the oven is a non-magnetic, nickel-infused alloy that better resists corrosion under assault of heat and water. All other metal is the less corrosion-resistant variety of stainless, but is attractively brushed and should wear well. The oven appears sturdily built. (4) What is the largest pizza it will hold? -- 12", and not a fraction more! (5) Do all recipes cook with the same settings of temp., steam, and time indicated in the instructions? -- Not quite. For example, chicken breasts are not all uniformly thick, and thicker ones take longer. So, it will take some trial and error to get the best results. (5) How long does "preheat" take? -- On convection-bake, it takes about one minute before the pre-heat sign goes out. (6) Are the controls complex? -- Not at all. The circular knob has a feather light touch to rotate it, and it shows each of the nine modes as you pass through them. You can go backwards, too. To select the mode (e.g., "steam-bake", "super steam," "toast", etc.), rotate the knob to your selection, then push the knob in to set that choice, at which point it tells you the preset temperature (which you can change by pushing the knob, then rotating to select the temp, then push the knob again to "set" it); and similarly, you can set the time. Nothing will start until you hit the Start bar at the bottom; if you want to change your selection, hit that bar again to Cancel, and reset the main knob again. NOTE: it is so easy to rotate the knob and push the Start bar that a child might inadvertently cause it to start. This is probably why the instruction manual repeatedly tells you to UNPLUG it when it is not in use. (7) Is it noisy? -- No. It's loudest noise is when it creates steam (a "whoosh"); the built-in signal alarm is very (too) soft. The convection fan is barely audible. (8) Does it really work? -- YES!!! I tried a piece of toast at "4", and it came out perfectly. Steam-baked salmon was unbelievably moist (thick filet). Steam-baked chicken breasts were undercooked at the recommended 12 minutes per pound (I had a thick over-one-pound breast); I found 16 minutes per pound got mine to 165 degrees internal temp. Convection-bake for 5 minutes (plus automatic preheat) made an 8" sub sandwich toasty, melted the cheese, but didn't burn the bun. And 5 minutes of plain "steam" mode resuscitated the hard end 3" piece of a cranberry-walnut artisan bread loaf back to moist and chewy. (9) Does it create kitchen smells? -- Yes, if you let drippings into the pan go dry and turn to black char. The smoke can come out of the steam vents. However, cooking 1 1/4 lb. of salmon filet did not emit any odor, because only water and lemon juice made it into the pan. (10) Does it drip water on the counter? -- No. The water drip pan easily holds any vapor condensation, and is readily emptied in just a few seconds. (11) Does steam come out somewhere? -- Yes, from the eight holes in the bar on the top of the back. But the steam comes UP, not BACK. If you have this under a cabinet, it will likely condense water on the underside of that cabinet. (12) Is it easy to clean? -- Yes. I have only had to wipe down the insides after cooking chicken, now, three times. Just use a damp sponge. The internal light is bright enough to see all around the interior. The removable pan can get caked with charred drippings, which come off easily with a short soak in warm water. (13) What are the exterior dimensions? -- 18 5/8 inches wide (including the lifting handles); 15" deep (including front door handle, and rear hardware; 11" high (including feet). The cord is 36" long, emanating from the reservoir end of the rear panel. (14) Does it leak water from the plastic reservoir? -- No. During shipping, there is a narrow piece of glass tape on the top side of the oven to keep the plastic reservoir from vibrating. If you don't remove that tape, the plastic reservoir is hard to remove and reinsert. Failure to remove this may have caused some of the complaints of leaking. And there is a petcock on the rear, which you should open to drain water from inside the oven when it is not in use for long periods, but otherwise you don't bother with it at all. (15) Can you get extra racks, pans, plastic water reservoirs, etc? -- Yes. These can be ordered from the Cuisinart website. (cuisinart.com/parts/toaster_ovens/cso-300n.html) (16) Is Amazon's picture of the CSO 300N accurate? -- No. On the new 300N model, the "light" button is half as big, and a new button has been added alongside it, for "steam clean." Also, the main removable rack has ten wire bars, where the earlier model had only seven. (17) Does the manual give you all the recipes you'll need? -- No. But was the manual for your built-in kitchen oven written by Betty Crocker or Julia Child? If you don't enjoy experimenting with cooking, just eat out! (18) Overall, this is a one-box wonder -- a culinary sports-car / dump-truck!

Update to review: Originally I gave this toaster oven five stars, but only three years later I find that the upper middle heating element has died, so I'm revising my review down to one star. There is nothing more important in a toaster oven than the heating elements, so the loss of even one (but the main one!) is almost fatal. All the cooking times will be "off." Foods will cook unevenly, especially toasted bread. SO disappointing! And unfortunately I didn't buy an extended warranty through Square Trade, so I may see what deals present on Black Friday.PS I've changed my mind about the steam feature. I noticed the other day that green algae completely covered the bottom and was growing up the sides. Eeeuw! It's difficult to remove--no brush will reach every corner--so going forward I plan to skip steam.**********************This "toaster oven" has been an absolute treasure! I almost bought the competitor that begins with a "B", but was intrigued by the unique steam feature of this Cuisinart model. I worried that it would turn out to be a gimmick that I'd never use. But happily I was wrong. i LOVE the steam option. It's immediately available since there is always water ready in the built-in water container. I can steam a variety of veggies on an open pan. And while it takes some experimenting to determine the best length of time for steaming, once you've got it pegged to your preferences, it's a cinch.The CSO-300N is quite large and takes up valuable space on my counter. But it is a workhorse. It's size also means that it is an alternate oven and I actually use it MORE than my regular oven. I love the beep that tells you when it's preheated. I love the light (SO useful! This should be in every toaster oven.) Probably because of the steam option, the door seals airtight and I'm guessing that this helps keep the interior temperature steady and my kitchen cooler.I've baked cookies, cornbread, mac and cheese, spanakopita triangles, chicken wings, you name it, and it does a wonderful job As a toaster for bread it's not as even as a regular toaster, but it's very acceptable and will accommodate one or several pieces of bread.Honestly, this was the best purchase that I made for my new condo and it has made me feel at home and have even more fun cooking and baking.