The T-Fal Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven OT8085002 is a sophisticated two-in-one appliance that performs a number of cooking functions. This unit toasts, bakes using a convection fan, broils and/or warms a variety of foods. It is rather large, measuring 17.5 inches wide by 12 inches deep and standing 10.5 inches tall. It has an elegant curved front panel with two glass doors -- one opening forward that provides access to the main oven, and another that lifts upward to reveal a shallow warming compartment. The split oven design is unique, enabling you to cook a main dish in the oven and warm dinner rolls, hot dog or hamburger rolls in the other. About a third of the usable oven space is lost to the warming compartment.

The oven comes with two slide-out wire racks, a shallow enamel-coated bake/broil pan for use in the oven, a separate enamel coated baking sheet for use in the warming compartment, a pair of tongs and a slide-out crumb tray. The second wire rack is really a spare since you'd never be able to use both racks at the same time. You can, however, place either rack in one of four different positions using the two racks glides and inverting the rack. We noticed that the rack slides freely in its guides. While it is quite sturdy in the oven, the rack tends to tilt slightly as it is pulled forward so care must be taken when removing heavy casserole dishes. It is sometimes easier to leave the rack in place and simply grasp the tray or dish using pot holders.

For basic tasks such as baking cookies or a frozen pizza, the Avante Elite is well equipped. The unit's convection fan circulates the heated air throughout the oven for uniform baking. A tray of cookies was done to perfection in about 15 minutes -- slightly longer than a full-size conventional oven but faster (and more consistently) than many toaster ovens. The supplied baking tray holds up to 12 cookies. We had similar success baking a frozen pizza. The extra width and depth of the oven accommodates 11-inch pizzas with no difficulty. The only limitation is the height of the inside oven cavity, which limits you to cooking foods no more than 3-4 inches tall. A standard meatloaf pan will fit with the rack in its lowest position.

The Toast feature worked well and was easy to program. You simply press the Toast button and then hit start. A default toast color of 4 is preset for medium brownness and takes about 4 minutes for the first batch and approximately 2 1/2 minutes for subsequent batches since the unit is already preheated. The oven has a smart feature that senses when the unit is already hot and adjusts the toasting time automatically. The Avante Elite also comes with a handy broil rack, which fits inside the 10x11-inch baking sheet but for some reason is smaller, reducing the available broiling or grilling space to about 8x8 inches. So, although the oven easily accommodates six bread slices for toasting, it can only handle four hamburgers or individual chicken breasts using the broil tray.

The oven temperature can be adjusted in 25-degree increments from 150-500 degrees Fahrenheit. Another feature we loved was the automatic timer, which is used with every function. When you activate the oven, the default setting of 30 minutes appears on the screen and you can adjust it up or down using the "+" or "-" buttons. A countdown timer displays the remaining cooking time and a series of beeps alerts you when the time has elapsed. The oven shuts itself off automatically.


Pros: Electronic controls with digital display, convection fan for even baking, 90-minute countdown cooking timer, top compartment for warming foods
Cons: Limited cooking height due to space allotted for top warming compartment, limited broiling capacity, wire rack tips slightly when pulled forward, requires extra counter space (both width and height to open the top glass door)

Warranty
1 year