Advantium Still Dead, Oster Alternative

Despite the new TCO (Thermal cut off) the Advantium is still dead. Sad to say. There is some more testing I can do for the other TCO and various boards. Ebay has some of the parts that are not too expensive. May be a winter project.

In the meantime I bought the largest toaster oven I could find. It is an Oster Extra Large TSSTTVXLDG.

Oster TSSTTVXLDG

Oster TSSTTVXLDG

Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP

Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP

Amazon says that the less deep version (TSSTTVDGXL-SHP) is newer but the Oster site says they were both introduced about the same time. It looks a little fancier but the materials and the included racks and broiler pan are the same. The door handle is sleeker but not necessarily easier to use.

The version I bought has a 19.2 inches deep cabinet and the other is 16.7 inches. The model I purchased says its internal measurements are Width: 15.75″ Depth: 16.7″ Height (Heater to Heater): 8.91″. It has a rounded back with a bumper to keep it about an inch from the back wall.

The SHP model is specified at Width: 15.75″, Depth: 16.36″, Lower rack to upper heater: 6.85″.  I measured the rack on my model and it is 15″ deep with 3/4″ behind the rack to the rear of the oven and about 1/2″ between the door and the rack. Amazon questions and answers indicate it is the same total internal height. I measure mine at 9.5 inches from crumb tray to the underside of the upper unit–although the bottom element is between these two surfaces so it is likely just under 9″ total. Because of the lower element, you could not lay a pan on the bottom anyway. I had to find the inner dimension of the first model in the Oster Questions and Answers instead of in the specs. Funny how hard it can be to find product information. Interestingly, the SHP model is sold at Walmart as TSSTTVDGXL-001 and has a 5 year warranty instead of 1 year.

This oven is quite a bit more flimsy than I expected. I can see why the door can shatter as stated in some reviews, it is not insulated glass, just one layer and does not have any trim. The oven itself will get very hot too. Have to use mitts just to open and close it when it is in use. It also requires 6″ side and top clearance for air circulation so it will leak a LOT of heat. I like the idea of a full size crumb tray. If something drips while cooking the tray is removable for cleaning.

I was very tempted to buy a half size commercial oven from a Restaurant Supply store for just over $500. It was 22.5 inches deep so would stick out over two inches from the front of the log cabinet. It was 220 like the Advantium instead of 120 and would have been better insulated. I might have cut out the back of the cabinet for a closer fit. But I have to budget somewhere and this $90 oven should work for us in the short term. Maybe the Advantium will get fixed. It certainly fits the cabinet better as I had to cut away part of the log side to fit it and now that raw edge is exposed.

A regular wall oven is way too deep for the cabinet. The narrowest one I could find was a Bosch which was very expensive and 23.5 inches deep. The cabinet is only 17 inches deep plus the width of the side logs for about 19″ total. Bosch makes a speed cook oven which is for sale on craigslist but it does not use halogen light, it is basically a microwave with a heating element and there are similar units–microwaves with “grills”–for much less cost from Sharp and some other manufacturers. It is only 21.5 inches deep but the owners want $975 for it which is more than I want to pay.

I could have switched to a full size stove where the depth might not matter as much, also found a nice 30″ wide dual fuel Bosch on Craigslist for $800 at 25.5 inches deep, much less than a normal stove that would be closer to 30″ deep but again, the cost was too high to justify right now.

I did check out Ikea built in ovens since they are usually smaller, but the built in oven was just under 26.5 inches deep!

So the toaster oven is our solution for now. It is too bad that the cut away for the Advantium is now exposed and looks so raw.

Oster Toaster Oven

Oster Toaster Oven

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