A New Oven for our Kitchen?

I am blogging this event because I am entirely frustrated.  In my kitchen at The Window, our convection oven was old and slowly losing it's life. It used to an oven at a local school until they purchased a newer one and I received this one for about $1000 to put in my newly remodeled kitchen. Now, I have never worked with a Convection Oven before and once I started using it - I couldn't believe how much I fell in love with it. I was able to cook faster, more efficiently and with cooking for 100+ people every day - it was what I needed.

Anyway.....after 2 1/2 years of this "old" oven working for me - it began to show signs of falling apart. And because I like to be proactive, I began my search for another one. Because we are a non for profit organization and run solely on donations and some gov't grants - I needed to be able to get a rather good oven for as little money as I possibly could. And I  wanted to convert the electric one that I had been using to gas. It was cheaper to purchase from the outset and then it would be cheaper to run on a daily basis.  I went directly to the online company that we have used with many of our other appliances that we have had such great results from.  We have purchased a walk in freezer, walk in cooler and a pantry cooler and I believe another piece of equipment that I can't recall right now. All of these items have been used, a little older and for less money but in great condition.  So I went right to them with much confidence.

I found this convection oven for a really really good price, so really really good that I couldn't believe my luck.  I had my Director call his guy in this company and we were able to purchase it for an even lower price than was listed.  I was ecstatic to say the least.  Now that the oven was purchased, my cook set to work at tearing apart the old one. We are scrapping it to make some money off of it.  So now 2 weeks have gone by with no oven. Finally last Thursday, I got the call that it had come in. I quickly made some phone calls to get some guys and my handsome, strong, every ready to be my hero husband to come and help get this heavy piece into my kitchen.

I was so excited to fall in love with my new/used convection oven and couldn't wait to get it installed so we could go back to life as we know it in the kitchen.  But much to my dismay - the oven was a disaster. It was rusty, it was greasy, the screws were stripped and had to be hammered out. As the guys began to set it in the kitchen, I became more and more disappointed.  The panels that dictate the temps and the controls was cracking and peeling off. The knobs were all caked in grease and the oven doors themselves were coated on the inside with grease. I psyched myself up and thought that with a little elbow grease and muscle we could clean it up and make it shine and we would be ok.

We plugged in the top unit and devastation ensued - the fan was not working.  The next day, my Director began to make phone calls. We had an inspection of the unit yesterday and for sure the top unit's motor had seized and we would need another one. Ok, no worries - we would get a new fan and get it working in tip top shape and in the meantime, we would clean it up, get the gas hooked up to the lower unit and began to cook with that one. So today, my cook had the day off cooking so that he could begin the cleaning. The gas was hooked up to it and he turned it on.......black smoke began to billow out of the doors.  I thought ok, well maybe the cleaning solutions or if they put in new parts - it has to burn itself out. 20 minutes later.......the cloud was still billowing and the staff were beginning to choke from the smoke and the smells. So with crestfallen hearts and faces we turned it off, unplugged it and once again called our guy from this company.

By this time, I'm mad, I'm frustrated, so very disappointed and I tell the guy that I just want to have this piece picked up and taken away, get our money back and begin this process all over again.  He assured me that he is just as confused and frustrated as I am that we're having such a problem.  He was going to talk to Customer Service and call my patient Director back.  As of 4pm today, he has not received a call.

So I find myself in a conundrum.......do I totally allow myself to get all worked up about this or do I find the silver lining, find something to be thankful for in this situation?  I am trying to remain calm. I am hoping that this guy will come through for us.

For now, we go back to cooking old school, the way that I used to when I didn't have the convection oven.  By using roasters....a lot and using the ovens I do have that cook slower.  I am very thankful that I have those ovens. I can at least cook 8 steam table pans at the same time for which I am very grateful. I am also very thankful that this is happening during our slow time with lower numbers in the dining room. I am so hoping that we will have another convection oven in full swing by the time the weather gets warmer and our numbers go up.

Thank you Lord, for helping me to find things to be thankful for in this chaotic and frustrating situation.