February 5, 2013 - 9:45am
Cadco XAF-113 - Anybody else using it these days?
So after reading a review on this site from a couple years ago and seeing photos of what this oven is capable of, I think it would make the perfect secondary oven that will accomplish what we're trying to do.
Anybody else using it these days? How has it treated you? Has it ever been out for service? Would you recommend getting it again?
Thanks a ton in advance,
Matt
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http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/12832/review-cadco-countertop-convection-oven-xaf113
Enjoy
Linda
Yeah, that is the exact review that brought me to consider purchasing it. I"m just wondering if anyone else has used it since, or if she's the only one.
If I remember correctly (a big if), Mini Oven uses that oven as well. It's on my list of things I would like to have someday, too :)
Ratatouille,
I am the original poster and owner of that Cadco oven. It served me well for my first couple of years of baking. I have since upgraded to a Miwe commercial deck oven and would be willing to sell the Cadco. It would have to be picked up rather than shipped though. I live in Connecticut about 90 minutes fom NYC. If you or anyone else is interested, please message me.
Jessica
I wish! I am here in Florida :(
If you are ever in the neighborhood, let me know.
Jessica
did you see?
I have a Cadco XAF-113 and have had it for almost a year. It is used daily for baking breads. It has the steam feature and I got the manual controls since they seem to hold up better than electronic ones around steam.....I wanted simple.
I love this oven! I purchased it as a summer oven and had it in my garage on a restaurant metal rolling cart. (Too hot here to use the oven in my kitchen during the summer months.) When Fall came I knew I couldn't go back to my 'old' kitchen oven. I was spoiled not only by its efficiency but by the fact that I didn't have to bend down to load, check and unload breads. When my daughter headed off for her first year at college.....I rolled the oven into her room and there it sits except when she comes home on breaks it gets rolled into our living room. (Garage too cold this time of year.)
It is wonderful having the steam function but this oven also uses less electricity since it is smaller than my 'old' oven. Can't recall how much my electrical bill dropped but I do remember it did drop a noticeable amount.
This oven has a vent that does blow the steam out (It bakes in convection mode only,) when I steam so what I usually do is preheat, load the bread, steam and then turn the oven completely off for 10 minutes to let the steam do its stuff. I bake my breads on a stone so it retains the heat in the oven quite well. I recently purchased a rubber stopper that I can put into the vent when steaming so less steam escapes. I do remove it when I turn the oven back on.
I have had no problems with it what so ever. As I said, I bake daily so it is used a lot and for long periods of time.
One thing I do note is that the bottoms of my loaves are softer than the tops. I do use parchment paper when I load and so I make sure I remove it at some point in the bake to give the bottoms of the loaves a chance to harden up. Not sure if that is due to the convection only mode or not but I do not recall it being an issue with my 'old' oven.
The humidity is introduced into the oven by a simple plastic tube that sits in a pail of water beneath the oven. The water and the filter do need to be changed and cleaned. It will get slimy after a bit so I re-fill about once a week. Lately I have been putting a pan of boiling water with a towel soaked in it into the oven for the final 10 minutes of pre-heating to see if it makes any difference in spring and overall outcome. (When using the Cadco steam feature the water is not hot - just room temp - and it enters through the fan area somehow.) I must say I get a lot more steam this way and my breads appear to be doing better with this method.
I am rambling. Yes, I would recommend this to someone who is interested and has the space for it. (It is large and won't fit on a counter-top - especially with the vent in the back. I wouldn't want that amount of heat and steam venting up into my cupboards.
If you have a restaurant supply store nearby who will sell to the public I highly recommend buying a metal cart with casters (with locking mechanisms) to sit it on. I got a unit that is longer than the oven so I have space for storage of other items and room to sit things on when loading.
Some photos so you can see what I am writing about.
Not sure if you know about these Haussler ovens at Pleasant Hill grain but thought you might like to take a peek and see if one of them will suit your needs.
Have fun with your search :-)
Janet