ANVil COA8004 ½ size oven Review

ANVil COA8004 ½ size oven

First of all I’m not a cook, nor a baker, more like a flunky. But after having gotten interested by a friend who bakes and cooks as a hobby, I learned that a oven is almost like a wife, get a bad one and you can’t live with it, get a good one and you can’t live without it. When did I learn all this? After about 65 years, and 2 divorces, and a few months trying to bake bread and other assorted goodies. I spent about two months looking for a “decent” locally made oven, finally giving up and went online looking. A baker (hobby) in Singapore took some pictures of his bread and posted online and it showed a small oven that looked like it would do the job so I inquired the brand name and he sent me the info. UNOx, So I started looking for this brand and found a place in England that sold the brand, but wouldn’t ship to the Philippines, more searching and finally found the Cadco brand, which is made by UNOx. Well to make a long story short, Cadco only sells to dealers, although they do have a consumer Div. called Broil King. Not a lot of help there I’m telling you. Last years models, returns, reconditioned units. A220 V ½ size oven was double the price of a 110V model, same oven overall. Then I saw ANVil brand, and started checking it out. Made in S.A., shipped world wide, with a nice dealer network in the states.
So I go to Google Product search and dang, prices all over the sky, from $925.00 plus shipping to $2000.00 plus shipping, and this is the same model I’m looking at. OK, can’t be helped, I want an oven that works, so I pick out the best looking dealer, and make the purchase . Damm, Google check out uses a default shipping address, and I wanted this oven to go to LA for trans-shipping. So I called the dealer and the woman, girl, whatever she was gave me a hard time so I just told her to cancel the whole thing. A couple days later I re-ordered the same oven and included the correct shipping address. Success. A week goes by and nothing about shipping my oven, and I want my dang oven, so I called again, thankfully I got a different customer service lady (this one didn’t piss me off) and a couple hours later got an email that it was being shipped directly from the manufacture.
Oh boy, I’m happy!
I track that sucker all the way across the US (N.C. to Ca.) and it moved fast, like 4 days. Woopee!
Its gets to LA and then the fun begins, I have to pay the freight forwarder bank account in PI to ship it over. No problem, so I go to the BPI and took cash, (I knew they wouldn’t take a check), wow, P200 ($4.50) charge to deposit money in someone else’s account. What a racket the banks have here! (That’s a future post, Banks in PI). So ok, every thing is paid, now 3 weeks for the shipping.
Last Friday my oven arrives, and my new mixer (see Electrolux) and I went to work. Got my 100lb. wife to help me set it on the counter and the very first thing I did was to check the preheat time. Oh yeah, 450F took 21 min., 12 min. for 350F, and 16 mins for 400F. Dang, that’s quick, and I’m happy.
Since that Friday, I have baked about 10 batches of cookies, every batch different, and about 6 different kinds of bread. I’m a happy camper!
I have rendered some lard, slow baked a pork roast @225F all day (6Hr.), Several roasted, injected chickens, broiled some beef tenderloins and this oven has done most everything to perfection.

The pro’s
Takes ½ size commercial baking sheets or pans.
Really, really great insulation, as you can place your hand on the out side at 450F without pulling away from it.
Oven handle stays cool to the touch.
Operating temp from 170F to 550F.
Small foot print- 23”hX 23”wX 25”d.
All Stainless, inside and out.
Temperature reflecting glass in the door.
Light inside oven, stays on while oven is on.
Separate control for broiler function.

The Con’s
Thermostat setting is off, like 15F
Weird settings on thermostat ( 120 l l l l 210 l l l l 300 l l l l 390 l l l l 480 l l l l 570 )
No dealers in PI
Common to most ovens, weak door gasket.
No fan control switch, to turn off or select a slower speed.

Bottom Line
Love it, would buy it again.