Talking Combination Oven

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the talking combination oven as sold by Cobbold Systems had  come up in conversation a number of times but I had never met anybody who had actually owned one of them. None of the comments I heard were particularly favourable but I was in need of a new microwave oven so I decided to do some of my own research. I took a look at some of the reviews that were on the Internet and I noticed that whereas that the reviews that were made a few years ago gave poor ratings, the newer reviews the better the ratings that were given. I had been using a microwave oven with strategically placed bump-ons but it was time to take the plunge and opt for one that would give me an audio indication on what I was doing.

So what made me choose this talking combination oven

after taking in all of the reviews I decided to go to the Cobolt System website and learn as much about this oven as I could. The sales page for the combination oven was simple to navigate using my screen reader but as you would expect from a company that targets the blind and visually impaired there were also links to audio files that described the combination oven, gave you the instructions for use, and also gave you sound samples of the voices available in different languages. I thought this was very professional.

On listening to the description of the combination oven it would be easy to become overawed by the number of buttons on the control panel but they are laid out in a very logical format and very simple to navigate around. I then went on to listen to the instructions for use and they were very clear. The information I got from this webpage and the fact that it did not need me to ask for any cited help in setting up the talking combination oven before I put it into action virtually sold it to me and then I saw the price, which I thought was reasonable, so I was on the telephone ordering it straight away.

The features that sold it to me:

  • Auto defrost, auto cook, auto roast facility
  • Buttons for one minute to minute and three minute operation
  • when you press the start button the program you have entered is repeated allowing you time to cancel
  • logical button layout
  • easy to locate cancel button if a button has been  pressed in error

after receiving the combination oven I placed it on the kitchen work surface, and before applying power to it I familiarised myself with the layout of the buttons and then went back and listened to the description of the oven. I then listened to the installation instructions, powered up the oven and prepared the oven for use, which basically meant I had to adjust the time and volume. I was then ready to start cooking.

Minor grievances

there are a couple of things about this oven that irritate me but none of them should be seen as showstoppers. In fact they all concern, or are related to the fan oven. If you set the volume to what appears to be a reasonable level when operating in microwave mode you might have difficulty hearing the voice when the fan is operating. The volume can be changed on the fly but I suggest you make a point of remembering to turn the volume down again when you have finished cooking unless you want all your neighbours to know when your meals are ready. You must also take great care if you use the supplied grill stand as it is quite high and one false move on removing it could mean burning your hands. As you see these grievances do not amount to much and with reasonable care and forethought they will not be a problem.

Related links

 

Talking Combination Oven

Cobolt Systems