As seen on T.V., the Flavor Wave Oven ® Deluxe is an infrared cooking oven that circulates heat like a convection oven. A halogen light produces heat which is circulated around the oven. According to the infomercial, the Flavor Wave Oven ® will cook the juiciest, best tasting meals you’ve ever made. The Thane Flavor Wave Deluxe website promises a $99 oven that will broil, roast, fry, grill, bake, barbecue, boil, and steam almost any food just the way you want it.
It sounded good at two A.M., so I thought I’d check it out. I’m not much of a cook , but I have used a convection oven before. It never quite produced the mouth watering steak, potatoes, and steam vegetables I saw on T.V. This time I decided to investigate before making an early morning, impulse buy.
The investigation was a challenge in itself. Of course, every comment on the product website was positive. Everyone loved their oven. I Googled for more information, and found another testimonial. The T.V. Gadget Judge opened with what appeared to be an honest evaluation. He gave it a four star rating and listed a few pros and cons. The review ended with a recommendation and an offer to buy the oven through his website. Ugh!
I found another review at Bohnsack.com. In response to a question about the oven, Bohnsack wrote, “The jury’s still out. I wouldn’t run out and buy one.” According to the blog Bohnsack purchased the Flavor Wave Deluxe® Oven “specifically to cook frozen salmon fillets.” He said it did a fine job on the fillets, but was useless as a steamer. In his own words, “the broccoli turned out like crap.” Bohnsack also advised that since the bulb was on top of the oven, the food needed turning half way through cooking. Unlike The T.V. Gadget Judge, who successfully cooked pizza in the Flavor Wave Oven®, Bohnsack found pizza turned out with a crispy top and soft bottom.
All but one of eleven reviews of the Flavor Wave Deluxe ® on Amazon.com were positive. The most often mentioned pros of the Flavor Wave Deluxe were:
· Reduced cooking time
·. The consumer was sent a replacement, but it only worked for a few days. Another reviewer mentioned its size, 15″ x 20″, takes up a lot of counter space and the oven doesn’t fit in most cabinets. A comment that I found a few times was that people were using their second or third Flavor Wave Oven ®. It was enough to lead me to question the products durability. My concerns were confirmed by several reviews that stated the product lasted just beyond the warranty. The warranty is a one year limited warranty. Others who cashed in on the warranty stated that the replacement was not worth the charge of shipping and handling.
I couldn’t make a decision until I came upon Epinions.com. There were enough negative reviews to convince me not to buy the Flavor Wave Oven ®. The most common cons included:
· Product failed to live up to claims and expectations
· Product is bulky and takes up too much counter space
· Food did not cook evenly, as claimed
·. If you have had a different experience, post a comment below. For now, I’ll stick to the crock pot. I can throw everything in, cut it on, and walk away for several hours. I always come back to succulent roast, chicken, stews, soups, and spaghetti. Now that’s what I call cooking.
Sources:
“Another Thane Flavor Wave Oven ® bites the dust” Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_307252006532?linkin_id=8003929
“Behold the Flavor Wave Deluxe Oven” Bohnsack.com, blog archive http://bohnsack.com/2005/01/30/behold-the-flavorwave-deluxe-oven/
“Flavor Wave Oven Deluxe” Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Get-Organized-svmproducts-FLAVORWAVE-DELUXE/dp/B00021REP6
“Flavor Wave deluxe oven review” The T.V. Gadget Judge, http://tvgadgetjudge.com/CMS/index.php?option=content&task;=view&id;=19&Itemid;=2
“Thane Flavor Wave Oven: It’s Great Until…it Dies a REAL early death,” Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_311365701252?linkin_id=8003929
“Thane Flavor Wave Oven: Does Not Do All it Claims,” Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_241541549700?linkin_id=8003929
