Bought A New Oven

[bonobo]

I have been quite tired of not having an oven in my condo, and after being quite disappointed in the small portable ovens available, I bought a new Electrolux as a birthday present to me and just plopped it down on top of my washing machine.  

I am addicted to Wolf stoves/ovens, but i have to say, this Electrolux is really good.  I did a pork roast yesterday, and it turned out great (and cooked quicker than what I am used to).  Today, I am getting a chuck roast and will be cooking one of my all time favorites--pot roast, as my birthday meal.

This turned out so much better than I hoped, and now I will be able to enjoy many more of my favorite dishes.

[chiang mai]

Happy birthday!

[NanaFoods]

Would love to have a decent oven...

mine is one of those cheap sheet-metal ovens, I think it was 5-6K baht, that they sell at some of the department stores.

I just dont have a good enough space to install a nice oven, so will have to make due until I can add a room onto my house.

The current one I keep outside.

Happy B-day.

[lovelomsak]

Bonono could you kindly if possible show the oven and let us know where you got it. I am also looking for one. Oh yes happy birthday

[tutsiwarrior]

Bonono could you kindly if possible show the oven and let us know where you got it. I am also looking for one. Oh yes happy birthday

^ yeah...me some too...I wanna know how yew can put a proper oven on top of a washing machine...

btw; were'd ye get the pot roast from?

and, Happy Birthday...

[bonobo]

Here is the oven (with chuck roast inside.)  I got the oven at the Electrolux dealer in Central Pin Klao.  It was 21,000 baht installed.  I could have gotten it at HomeWorks as well, but they lied to me by promising it to me (in writing) for 18,500, then raising the price and trying to throw in a small hand vac to get me to take it.

I got the chuck roast at the Fresh Market at The Mall Bang Khae.  I will take a photo after it is done and let you know if it is any good.

[lovelomsak]

Thanks a lot a picture is worth a thousand words.

[tutsiwarrior]

nice lookin' unit...did the installers haveta do anything special with the existing electrics?

new ovens always come with 2 racks inside...some one stole one of the racks outta my gas fired whirlpool an' now I can only do one tray of ribs at a time...I suspect my 16 y.o. step-daughter of sabotage as she distains any falang effort to usurp local cuisine...

[bonobo]

nice lookin' unit...did the installers haveta do anything special with the existing electrics?

new ovens always come with 2 racks inside...some one stole one of the racks outta my gas fired whirlpool an' now I can only do one tray of ribs at a time...I suspect my 16 y.o. step-daughter of sabotage as she distains any falang effort to usurp local cuisine...

The installers just wired up a plug and plugged it in.  They had to ask the condo people some questions, but from what I gather, it was a very easy evolution.

This one came with three racks:  tow normal ones and a nice looking broiler with catch pan.

The pot roast smells great--another 45 minutes should do it!

[jfchandler]

Happy birthday Bonobo, and congrats on your new oven...

If I was doing a pot roast, I'd probably do it on the stove in a large sealed pot... but that's my version.

As to ovens, I bought a simple model from Big C, brand Kashiwa, for about 1500 baht. Temp range 100 to 250 C.

Not full sized, more table top size... large enough for baking a full loaf of bread or a cake pan... or a med. sized roast...

I've used it only for baking loaves of homemade bread so far, and for that, it worked fine..

Just has temp control, setting for upper or lower or both heat, and one hour timer...

Two or three level settings inside for holding the baking rack higher or lower....

[bonobo]

I use to use a House Works toaster oven (3400 baht at HomeWorks), but other than biscuits or the like, I found it very lacking.  One easy item I make for my pasta is garlic bread toasted under a broiler, and despite the name "toaster oven," well, this one more baked than toasted.

Here are a couple of photos of my pot roast. And it was, quite frankly, heaven for me.  True comfort food, and I could not think of a better birthday dinner.  This is by no means haute cuisine, but I love it.  And when I get together with my Thai friends, this is what they usually ask me to cook (and now I can cook it at home rather than going to someone else's house to cook it.)

I do have another pot roast I do in a slow cooker which can also be done stovetop, but this one really does better in an oven in a good pot such as an All-Clad roaster, or in this case, a Le Creuset dutch oven.

After the pot roast and potatoes, a simple garden salad, pea pods, and a fresh strawberry shake (non dairy), I am stuffed, and I have to wait for my decadent vice, chocolate ice cream with raspberries!

[tutsiwarrior]

pot roast looks good...I remember my mom using a pressure cooker when I was little...she useta work and quick meals were her forte...

ain't got no suitable beef hereabouts...would haveta lambast with loadsa green papaya to make it edible...

(nice lookin' Le Crueset casserole pot yew got there...)

bon apetit

[jfchandler]

The pot roast looks great, and the menu overall sounds quite tasty...

fyi, the Kashiwa oven I showed the photo of above isn't a toaster at all, and has no settings for making toast...

I have a separate small electric toaster oven specifically for making toast, since I bake my own bread.

But the larger Kashiwa oven is just for baking, and it does quite fine for that...

[jfchandler]

Actually, Tutsi, I'd assume the usual pot roasting techniques would render relatively tender even the toughest Thai beef -- assuming there was sufficient fat marbling in the original cut. If you gave it enough time and enough moisture in the cooking.

It's when you try to broil or BBQ a traditional steak, without the slow-cooking time, that you risk ending up with Thai tire treads....

[TheWalkingMan]

I just finished eating and looking at your pictures made me hungry again.

These ovens are really handy and easy to use. If you are living in a condo without an oven, I recommend getting one. It just adds to the variety of things in your kitchen.

TheWalkingMan

[bonobo]

pot roast looks good...I remember my mom using a pressure cooker when I was little...she useta work and quick meals were her forte...

ain't got no suitable beef hereabouts...would haveta lambast with loadsa green papaya to make it edible...

bon apetit

I am not fond of the beef here either, and I generally do without.  But as chuck tends ot be on the low end of the scale anywhere, and pot roast slow cooks it, I find that it does quite well here with Thai beef.  The cut I used cost me 425 baht, whereas in the US it would have cost maybe $4, but last year, I went to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Buffet with its wagyu promotion, so with my total bill for today at maybe 600 baht for two, it worked out pretty well. 

Beef bourguignon using Thai beef also works out well.  I just make it in a slow cooker.  Steaks and burgers, well, that is a different story.

[bonobo]

The pot roast looks great, and the menu overall sounds quite tasty...

fyi, the Kashiwa oven I showed the photo of above isn't a toaster at all, and has no settings for making toast...

I have a separate small electric toaster oven specifically for making toast, since I bake my own bread.

But the larger Kashiwa oven is just for baking, and it does quite fine for that...

I was using the generic term "toaster oven," which is what we call all the portable types in California, at least.  The House Works is a "regular oven" with settings for broil, bake, and bottom heat.  The top elements, though, just don't get hot enough to broil (or toast), and the tmeperature inside fluctuates quite a bit.

[Bung]

Congrats and happy birthday! I am definitely wanting one of those, I miss oven cooked meals. Is the pot you used to roast in easily available?

[bonobo]

Congrats and happy birthday! I am definitely wanting one of those, I miss oven cooked meals. Is the pot you used to roast in easily available?

Yes, they have it here in places such as Robinsons, but it is very expensive here. I have seen them for upwards of 15,000 baht.  I bought mine for $104 on sale in the US and brought it out here.  It is French, so it might be cheaper in an EU country.

These things last for years and years.  My sister has had one for 35 years now, and it is pretty much like new.  And if you want to go stovetop like jfchandler does for pot roast, it works great that way, too.

[NanaFoods]

Bonobo,

That roast does indeed look tasty. Nice caramelization.

I can just smell the aroma by looking at your pic.

Just like my mom used to make.

Good on ya !!

ain't got no suitable beef hereabouts...

No such thing when it comes to roasts and stews, my friend (as long as it's not a big hunk of gristle).

That's what stewing and certain roasting methods are for -- to make tender the toughest cuts of meat.

If something is cooked long enough, it will come out falling-apart tender every time.

Hard to go wrong with stews or roasts - its just a matter of temperature and time (barring tender cuts of meat, which are cooked rare to medium, in which case its best to use a meat thermometer to determine doneness).

I've made some wonderful beef, water-buffalo, and ox stews here.

In fact, I found the buffalo to be tastier than the beef or ox.

I've even made machaca out of buffalo. Excellent flavor.

[jaideeguy]

I've gone thru a couple of those locally made gas ovens. First one was a Sanyo and rusted out in less than 5 yrs. Replaced that with a Whirlpool a couple of years ago and looks same same. hard to get a temp over 350f and controls are sticking already and there are hot spots, so you have to rotate what you're cooking......total krap!! Wish I could get ahold of one of those old fashioned american stoves that used to last forever with cast iron burners and thick heavy enameled sides......but where??

But, I got a FREE medium sized Severen toaster oven for points accumulated with Rimping supermarket and am amazed at how good it works. Accurate temps [altho in centegrade], good thermostat, all glass door, fan assist [so even heat and can use lower temp], and even has a rotiserie for chicken/roast. Now use it much more than big oven for bread, cookies and fast things. have seen similar models of other brands going for 2-4Kthb.

[tutsiwarrior]

yeah...OK...gonna haveta try pot roast if I ever come across a suitable cut of beef, could probably use a pyrex roasting dish...I've done roast pork loin and ribs which are usually pretty good...also done meat loaf; thai beef is OK if you grind it up (but some one got into my kitchen while I was away at work and my meat grinder cutting blade has gone missing and now the entire apparatus is worthless ...no more meat loaf or sausages)

btw I've had my gas fired whirlpool for 7 years now and it still chugs along...pretty basic and the sides and glass front get real hot, gotta watch it when there's kids in the kitchen...has a little temperature indicator stuck onto the glass front...it works OK fer everything that I need it for, OK for bread at high temp...

[jfchandler]

Severin is one of the main appliance brands they sell at the large Verasu shop on Wireless Road near the U.S. Embassy, and at their other smaller displays around BKK. At least there, the electric ovens probably are more in the 4-6,000b range. One product example is here....

But, I got a FREE medium sized Severen toaster oven for points accumulated with Rimping supermarket and am amazed at how good it works. Accurate temps [altho in centegrade], good thermostat, all glass door, fan assist [so even heat and can use lower temp], and even has a rotiserie for chicken/roast. Now use it much more than big oven for bread, cookies and fast things. have seen similar models of other brands going for 2-4Kthb.

[thaigerd]

This was a birthday present for myself 2 years ago:

2nd hand but in a perfect condition.

Gerd

[jazzbo]

These ovens are really handy and easy to use...Did the clothes washer come with the oven or are they sold separately?

[bkkjames]

These ovens are really handy and easy to use...Did the clothes washer come with the oven or are they sold separately?

I would be worried about the heat on the washing machine - perhaps the oven comes with a clothes drying option as well?

Congrats on the purchase. Now you can make lasagna, baked potatoes, proper nachos etc, and my favorite, whole chicken and use the drippings to make a nice gravy.

[bonobo]

and my favorite, whole chicken and use the drippings to make a nice gravy.

That is number three now on my list, down from five, and after tonight, it will be number two. And then it is chicken stock from the carcass after.

I put a piece of wood between the oven and the washer, and the wood barely gets warm.

[tutsiwarrior]

I usually get whole roast chickens from tescos or from a stall down the market...I would have a different view if there was some nice paxo stuffin' mix available...

[kikoman]

Ist of all ,I do wish you a Happy Birthday!

The Roast looks great, used to be one of my favorites, but in Thailand I have broken my meat habit.

There is good proper Thai Beef, for roasting and stewing, a long slow cooking is the trick!

I have a Lucky Flame ,3 burner stove with oven brought in Thailand, Works great. But most of my baking is done in my back yard Horno,which also gives me a by product of charcoal, that my wife uses for cooking.

Again your oven looks great as well as your roast, I love Bar-B-Qued roasteria chicken, made in a small barrel roster I made with a battery powered motor, I brought from the states, best $20. I have ever spent.

My next project will be a Cuban "Caja China" portable roaster.

Again ,Happy Birthday!

Cheers:

[bonobo]

Again your oven looks great as well as your roast, I love Bar-B-Qued roasteria chicken, made in a small barrel roster I made with a battery powered motor, I brought from the states, best $20. I have ever spent.

My next project will be a Cuban "Caja China" portable roaster.

Impressive!  Do you have a photograph of your rotisserie?  

And keep us informed of your progress on your caja china box.  That might just be the ticket for Thailand.  You can host some great parties with something like that (hint, hint!    ).