T-Fal OT8085002 Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven | 
| Brand: T-Fal
List Price: $129.99
Buy New: $109.99
You Save: $20.00 (15%)
Rating:  280 reviews
Sales Rank: 2307
Color: Chrome and Black
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 22.3
Dimensions (in): 20 x 12 x 11.3
Warranty: 1
MPN: OT8085002
Model: OT8085002
UPC: 023108006705
EAN: 0023108006705
ASIN: B0001ATELU
Release Date: January 15, 2004
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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| Features:
| • | 1600-watt toaster oven for convection and conventional baking, broiling, warming, and 6-slice toasting | | • | Easy-to-use digital control panel with custom settings; permanent clock; 90-minute timer | | • | Temperature control from 150 degrees to 500 degrees; separate warming compartment | | • | Safe-to-touch exterior; non-stick baking pan and broiling pan included | | • | Measures 17-1/2 by 10-1/2 by 11 inches; 1-year limited warranty |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Avant??'s unique best selling slanted design is displayed here beautifully with the new Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven. The convection function ensures even, consistent cooking results (up to 30% faster than conventional ovens) . Circulating hot air cooks faster and more evenly than a traditional oven. It's also programmable, with a digital control panel and permanent clock, to warm, toast, broil and bake. Separate warming compartment with clear glass top is handy for warming bread or rolls. Accessories include: Enamel baking pan, enamel broiling pan and tongs.Additional Features:LED Screen, 90 minute timer, 6-slice capacity, fits an 11" oven dish (rack is larger than regular toster oven), Electronic browning control (9 settings) for consistent toasting slice after slice, Front access, CD-style crumb tray for maximum cleaning convenience. Exterior may get warm during use, though not hot.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 275 more reviews...
 Excellent! December 27, 2004
J. J. Boutall (Shoreview, MN USA)
236 out of 240 found this review helpful
I like the looks of this oven. I had a Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven that I tossed after two years. Unlike the Cuisinart the T-Fal is easy to clean, it doesn't have an area by the glass-hinged door that is impossible to clean. The crumb tray is accessed from the front of the oven, not the back. Also the T-Fal shuts off when the time on the timer is done. The warming tray is great for warming hot dog buns while broiling hot dogs in the oven. The controls are straight forward and easy to use without having to read the manual. I'm looking forward to many years of good cooking with this oven. If I experience any problems I'll update this review.
Many features, attractive -- but don't pay full price December 1, 2005
amanooensis (Flyover Country)
201 out of 206 found this review helpful
T-Fal makes several different models that are extremely similar, with a nonsensical system of model numbers that seems intended to confuse shoppers. We bought the one listed here, and by good luck it was actually the one we wanted! This has a glass lid for the warmer (as opposed to opaque metal); and it has the convection feature, which some other very similar-looking models do not have.
(And a warning to readers: be aware that sometimes Amazon mixes up reviews for similar products, without making that clear. As I write this, they seem to be keeping the two models separate. But that may not last forever. You can call T-Fal for confirmation of whatever model number you want to buy.)
On this one, there is indeed a clock, but I'm not sure why -- the backlighting on the numbers only goes on for a few moments after you have made an adjustment of some kind to the oven. After that, the backlighting goes off, and you really can't read the clock from across the room.
The same display is used for the countdown timer, for the temperature setting, and other indicators. It works fine, although you'll probably want another timer with a louder and/or longer alarm to tell you when your cooking time is done. (Most kitchens probably already have such a thing.) The oven turns off the power based on the timer, but of course the heat remains, so it is not like a microwave -- things keep on cooking if you do not remove them.
So far we've roasted some chicken, baked some banana bread, made toast, and baked frozen pizzas, all more or less successfully. It is great for people who want to toast a real bagel when cut in half, rather than trying to slice it up to go in a conventional toaster. We haven't tried it for toasting regular bread, but I suspect it would pale in comparison to our regular toaster. The right tool for the right job!
One of our big uses is to cook a single frozen pizza at a time, rather than wasting gas heating up the big oven. The pizza requires the full depth and width of the oven, and although I didn't measure with a ruler, I believe it is very nearly the 11" that T-fal claims as the capacity. It's just about the ideal capacity for an appliance like this, without getting overly large.
The one time I tried using the warmer compartment, the item did indeed get a bit too hot on the bottom, and a bit crusty (dried out). Perhaps it was in there a bit too long, but in any case one should experiment with that feature before trusting it. Some people have complained about getting things stuck in the warmer section, but I suspect that would not happen if one used the free non-stick pan that T-fal provides for that section. They also include two racks for toasting or baking, a broiling rack, and another nonstick pan for use in the oven.
One must be careful when removing hot items, to always have two oven mitts on. The baking trays slide VERY easily on their runners, so when you think you're just removing a pan, you may end up with a hot baking rack sliding toward you also -- and there is nothing to stop it from coming all the way out. The sliding rack can be a handy feature, but not when you aren't expecting it!
I saw a review that complained about the fan being very loud. When I first plugged ours in, it was also very loud, and I was annoyed and disappointed. But later that day, demonstrating the new toy for the rest of the family, I could not hear that growling noise anymore. One hears the convection fan, but it is no louder than one would expect -- probably a lot quieter than our old microwave. I have no idea why it was so loud when first plugged in, but it's perfectly fine now. Perhaps it just had to get used to running.
The list price is supposedly about $140 but it would not be worth that to us. Amazon has had it at various discounted prices -- sometimes less than the non-convection model, which is REALLY confusing to shoppers. It's listed at around $80 on the day I'm writing this review, and I think that's about as good a price as one can find anywhere, and probably a good value.
I find the controls to be easy to use and fairly intuitive. I did scan the manual, but I did not need to use it for any cooking activities. When you toast, it says "TOAST" and so on, and shows you the temperature as you set it, and the time when you set it. Very clever. What's amazing is that the same bit of electronics, that provides all those wonderful controls and displays, is also responsible for the goofy design of the clock.
I'm not sure one really needs a clock on a toaster oven -- surely one has other clocks in one's kitchen! -- but if they're going to put a clock on it, they should make the darn thing VISIBLE at all times, not just when you're standing right next to it under bright light.
The warmer feature does not seem to be fully thought out or implemented. Perhaps some day I'll need it, but right now it seems like a waste of space that has to be used very carefully.
Also, the oven is indeed cool to the touch on the sides, but NOT the back! The manual warns about this, but I accidentally touched the back of the unit while cooking, and luckily it was only for a fraction of a second, but it came close to giving me quite a burn. I am quite sure that *every* toaster oven has similar issues. But the very good insulation of the sides of this unit make one a little less wary of the parts that aren't insulated so well, I guess.
In this day and age, it's very useful to have a small oven that can accomplish jobs that would waste energy in a full-size oven. For compact kitchens, having that same appliance make toast and do other tasks is a plus. This is the first time we've owned one, so I can't say where it stands comparitively. So I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, for doing most of what it claims to be able to do, with good controls and features, and with just a few minor weak spots as described here.
Excellent counter-top oven October 6, 2004
Bad John (Weymouth, MA USA)
155 out of 161 found this review helpful
The only reason I didn't give it five stars is I think it could be a little larger and it gave off some smoke while broiling meat. I like convection ovens in the summer since its easier to cook without heating the kitchen up. And my wife thinks it toasts bread and muffins better than any toaster.
Beautiful and versatile January 2, 2006
F. Keating (VT United States)
62 out of 62 found this review helpful
This is by far the best-looking toaster oven out there. It also does a great job heating (wouldn't call it warming, really), baking, and swallowing up lots of food to warm up. The design is such that it doesn't take up much more space than a little toaster oven but can hold big dishes. I've used it to toast (bread and bagels), bake (mostly vegetables and casseroles), make quick foods such as fish sticks, and warm up leftovers and bread.
1. Toasting: The rack needs to be high for this, as detailed in the manual. It's a little tricky to find that high rack shelf - but it's there. The toaster is slow; ridiculously slow. Various relatives have stood in front of the toaster and wondered whether it's working at all. There is no reassuring red glow, somehow it toasts without that. It shows you how many minutes it will take for any one setting (you can adjust the toast setting by numbers, 1-10), and it seems long to wait for >5 minutes for a slice of toast. My husband and I call it "French Toast" because T-Fal is a French company and this definitely isn't *fast* food. But the toast it produces is of impeccable quality.
2. Baking: At first I thought the oven was loud, but it's either gotten quieter or I don't notice it much any more. It's fast and hot, needs some getting used to. I wonder how it compares energy-wise ... whether it would make more environmental and economical sense to bake a casserole in the gas oven or in this convection oven.
3. Warming: Don't forget to use the tray provided for the warmer, because that'll make cleaning easier. The warming compartment is a nice feature, making good use of a little extra space on top. It gets pretty hot in there, but when I use it to warm up leftovers I sometimes leave them in aluminum foil and that prevents them from getting too hot. It won't fit taller dishes or bowls or a whole loaf of bread. I used the "warming" setting for bread today, putting the bread in the main compartment, and was surprised that it burned on top after 10 minutes. This thing is hot, watch out.
4. Optics: Pure pleasure.
5. Chucklehead warning: For some reason, I touched the glass front of the unit after having made some "French Toast". It was really really hot. (Duh, you may say. OK, just trying to help).
6. Finally, a couple of flaws: It's dark in there. Since there's no orange glow from heating elements, you can't see what's happening inside. They really should install a light in the oven. Also, the racks tipple forward when you pull them out, along with any dish that may be on them.
But overall, beautiful, effective and versatile unit that doesn't take up much space.
1/2 Toaster, 1/2 Oven September 28, 2006
M. Dilger (chicago, IL)
40 out of 40 found this review helpful
Very good buy for $85 +free ship. Bought this one to replace a smaller Black & Decker toaster oven that served us very well over 5-6 years until controls gave out (the B&D still works, just have to keep the button pressed in).
I looked at reviews of several toaster ovens before purchasing the T-Fal. The less expensive ones ($25-$40) were getting dinged because of occasional mentions of overheating or fire risk. Not worth the chance. I also wanted something as small as possible because we have little counter space in our 10' x 10' kitchen, so a more expensive one was not an option.
The T-fal gave dimensions on Amazon & it was 3 inch wider, deeper, taller than our B&D. No big deal - wrong. It was bigger than I thought when I put it on the counter, looked like a monster compared to the B&D. Also, I could not open the top warmer lid to the point it stays open. This because of height restrictions -- bottom of my kitchen cabinet is at about 54 - 60 inches. I can open the top, but I need to hold it open. My fault, not the product or mfr. But be aware that size matters in a small kitchen.
The function buttons are very simple, nothing complicated - one button for toast, one for bake, another for broil. You can set how long it stays on, and it beeps (electronically) three times when it shuts off. There is a clock, but it could be easier to set.
I mainly use it to toast bread, bagels, sandwiches and to bake small pizzas (sauce with cheese on a pita - easy). The toast function takes longer than the old B&D (about 4.5 vs 2 minutes), but thats OK by me. The bake function works very well, I prefer it muchly over starting the oven to bake something small.
Clean-up is a snap with a removeable crumb tray, glass doors and non-stick surfaces.
Negatives: you can pull the rack out about 30-40 percent before it tips forward and burns you. It's controllable, not a big deal, unless you don't know about it. I did know thanks to previous reviews and I was prepared for it.
The fan was louder than I expected (I expected no noise since the B&D has no fan). But it is a soft sound, lower than my computer fan and only on during cooking.
Overall, it's a well built, well-designed machine.
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