That's interesting about the possibility of the meat probe being off by 20 degrees. My husband thought ours was undercooking but when we started using the Polder we stopped using the meat probe until Dacor resolved the beeping issue.

I even had Dacor replace my meat probe because I thought maybe that was the reason the oven didn't beep. Replacing the probe would be a simple solution - unfortunately it didn't work.

I'll have to use both the Polder and Dacor thermometers and see what happens.

By the way did you receive the "New Style Wall Ovens" cookbook? Mine came in the mail today. It only has 46 recipes but it is specifically geared to the Discovery Guide ovens.

After reading this post, I tried using the probe. It did not beep; I was standing in front of the oven and only saw the display change to HOLD. My roast chicken was also undercook and the top was burnt.

This is very disappointing, we paid so much for the oven and it has so much problems.

Your chicken being undercooked inside but burnt on the top is not the fault of the probe or the oven -- you have to use the right baking mode coupled with the appropriate temperature.

I have achieved beautiful roasted chicken using the temperature probe and Pure Convection/Sear set to 350 degrees for the bake temp and 170 for the probe temp. Try that and see if you get better results. I get the most delicious chicken this way.

If the CSR at Dacor isn't aware of this issue when you call them, let me know and I'll pass along my contact and her extension number. Although I was the only person who called her about the non-beeping probe she was aware that it was a problem.

I think I'll also call my dealer too. They have a working kitchen and do Dacor demonstrations.

I used surround convection mode with the standard tempurature (350 or 375) and 175 for the probe. I have problems with uneven heat before. The service guy had to install a buffer to even out the heat. I hope that is not the problem again.

nutkin88, what's a "buffer"?

Surround convection is the wrong mode to use for roasting a chicken. Surround convection/bake modes heat from above and below, giving you a "brick oven" effect. This mode is most effective for small portion-sized pieces -- anything larger and you run the risk of overcooking the outside and undercooking the interior, which sounds like what happened in your case.

You should achieve superior results by using Surround Convection/Sear in the roasting menu. Set your temp to 350, and the oven will pre-heat to 425 and roast at that temp for a period of time, then drop down to 350 for the duration until the probe temp is achieved. This sears in the juices of your bird, while slowly cooking to the benefit of the interior.

eamon2, can you give me the name and contact info for your person at Dacor? I'd like to notify them of my non-beep as well and see if I can get my hands on that mythical cookbook I keep hearing about. You can email me from the GardenWeb via the link on my page.

Thanks!

sshrivastava
I will send that to your email address. I'm a little surprised though that so far only three of us has written about this. I wonder if that means no one else has the same problem?

sshrivastava, the "buffer" (I think that's what it is called) diffuse the hot air & distribute it evenly. It is a kit that Dacor made because of complains of uneven cooking. My pie crust was burnt at the front & nicely golden at the back.

In the roasting mode, how many surround convection button are there? I thought that was the one I used. Have to check that when I get home. Well, the probe tempurature read 175 on an uncooked bird. Sigh! Don't tell me I have a malfunction probe too!!!

eamon2, can I have the phone number of your contact too? Thanks. I attended a cooking class by Darcor last December and there were only one other person that has this oven in a class of maybe 15 people. So, the lack of resopose maybe because there are not that many people with this oven.

nutkin

I tried to send you an email but I guess you didn't register an email address with the Garden Web. I don't want to publish her name here - but the phone number is

PH: 800-793-0093 ext 2194

Fax: 626-204-2780

Good luck.

______________________________________________________________________________________

I just called my CSR at Dacor to see if there was an update. She put me on hold while she checked and then told me to call back in 2 weeks. I mentioned that she told me the same thing 3 weeks ago and that I wanted some reassurance that there was going to be a remedy.

She replied that they were waiting for a part and that they were going to do more testing to make sure that this resolves the problem. I also mentioned that my meat probe was inaccurate and she volunteered that engineering thinks the 2 problems are related.

She said that Dacor has only had a few complaints about this so they don't believe it's effecting many ovens. And she was quite confident that a solution would be available soon.

So I will call her back in exactly 2 weeks. Have either of you learned anything else?

My oven is not even in yet. I am missing the probe, instructions and now found a 2" and 1" chip in the enamel on the front. I have a call in to the salesman. I am frustrated with this oven and don't even have it in. He was going to give me the name of someone to talk to.

Thank you eamon2. I will call her.

wekick

I thought I was missing my probe too. However it was inside the oven in a small plastic bag and my installer didn't take it out. Luckily my husband checked before the installer turned the oven on. I could just imagine that plastic melted to the bottom of the oven. The owner's use and care manual and installation specifications are also available to download on Dacor's web site.

What model did your order? I didn't realize any had an enamel front. I thought the wall ovens had stainless fronts and the new style Preference series were color enhanced glass?

sshrivastava had trouble with her doors too - I think they were replaced because they didn't close properly.

eamon2,
The enamel is on the inside but towards the front. The door is not on yet. I've taken it all apart just to see what else is missing. Because of what sshrivastava said about her enamel I wiped out the oven and was going to look at it with a flashlight but didn't have to look too far.

That is perplexing - how can that pass Quality Control? At least I didn't have that problem with my double Millenium, the meat probe not beeping is bad enough.

At first I thought that the chip was on the inside of the door and that perhaps that was the last thing packaged for shipping. And since the doors are extremely heavy it was banged on something. But inside the oven - that shouldn't have been overlooked.

EVERYONE... see my other post regarding Dacor's resolution of my quality issues.

Dacor has gone well above and beyond anything expected to resolve my issues, and I AM TOTALLY IMPRESSED with this company. They sent one of their QC engineers from California on a drive to Arizona, with an oven in tow, to install it to my satisfaction. This is truly amazing customer service.

I can once again recommend Dacor products!

Great news. I was going to post a question here to find out if you were going to get your new oven soon. And now I find out the problem has been resolved.

That is good to hear.

I have the 30 inch Millenia oven and am trying to figure out a replacement for it. Long story of panel burn out, clock replacement, uneven baking, light not working. The last straw was the temperature probe. Every time I tried to use it, it would beep that I needed to insert the probe when the probe was already inserted. I don't know how many roasts I baked trying to figure out that probe. The master tech from the appliance store came out and checked out the oven. He put the probe in a pan of water and it seemed to work fine. I pulled a zucchini out of the fridge and stuck the probe in it and it would not work. It would just beep and flash insert probe, then the oven would shut down. The tech thought that there was a short in the probe unit and suggested that I get it replaced. I've had so many parts replaced, I just want a new oven and I am hesitant to get another Dacor.

Camary,

Have you considered asking Dacor to replace your oven? I was told that Dacor has a new software to fix the probe problem. As for the uneven baking, they have a buffer which can be installed by the service tech. to distribute the heat. They installed it on mine.

nutkin88, I'm still curious about this buffer thing. Is it something that sits inside the oven, or is it something that requires the oven to be removed and disassembled? I haven't noticed any uneven heating, but I am curious as to how this buffer works.

Camary, you didn't say whether your oven is under warranty or not. I had chipped enamel in mine and they sent a QC engineer all the way to Arizona from California to install an oven which he brought in the back of his truck. That's INCREDIBLE customer service. I think if you've had so many problems under warranty, Dacor should get you a new oven if it's still experiencing problems.

A side note on the temperature probe beeping. Even if you have the probe inserted when you start a cycle, it will beep for you to remove the temperature probe -- it sounds rather alarming. All you have to do is go to EDIT, then touch PROBE and assign it a temperature. The beeping will stop and the temp probe mode will be on. I don't know if that's a resolution to your issue or not, but that's how it behaves in my oven. I insert the probe BEFORE engaging the bake mode, then hit the PROBE button and assign a temperature. All is well.

sshrivastava, the buffer is a part which the service guy install inside the oven. If you have a double oven like I do, make sure he install a buffer in each oven. Also, make sure to confirm that he has received the software to update the oven's computer too. Mine had to come out twice.

Do you pre-heat your oven with the probe attached? Does the probe beep with your new oven?

Camary, I have lots of problem with my oven too. The uneven heating, the tempurature differences & the probe. Dacor finally decided to replace my double oven with a new one at their expense. This is their last chance to make good, the new oven better be in perfect condition with none of the issues we have all experienced.

I do not pre-heat with the probe attached. When the oven is finished pre-heating, I attach the probe and press PROBE and assign a temperature. Everything works just fine.

My probe still doesn't beep when the oven reaches probe temp and finishes baking -- this is a known issue with Dacor and is being worked on. As far as the buffer is concerned, I don't think I need it. My oven has baked just fine with everything that I've thrown at it so far -- multiple trays of biscotti, pizza on a pizza stone, casseroles, etc. I do bake on reflective aluminum pans, however, as dark colored non-stick pans are notorious for uneven heat distribution.

I have used shiny aluminum pans and my buns and cookies are still dark on the bottom. I followed the manual directions and preheated the oven first and then pressed probe,inserted the probe. The oven would beep and read insert probe. I would reinsert the probe with the same result and then the oven would turn off.
The meat probe was the last straw, the appliance store is letting me return this oven and order a different brand. Since wall ovens require different size cutouts, my choices are limited without having my new custom finished cabinets altered. I am deciding between a GE Monogram and a GE Profile. I am scared to try another Dacor at this point.
Camary

DACOR NEW CONTROL BOARD IS OUT!

FYI to everyone who is waiting for a control board upgrade to get their temperature probes beeping when cooking is finished, I got an email from my Dacor CSR several days ago telling me that they've shipped the new control board to my local servicer, who will be calling to schedule an appointment.

Good news everyone!

sshrivastava

It's been nearly a month since your last post about the new control board. Mine was installed today and I'm happy to report that the meat probe now beeps when the meat has reached the set temperature.

I was just wondering if you have had yours replaced yet.

nutkin, wekick, camary - any updates?

Actually the service place left me a VM a couple days ago to schedule the install, I just haven't had time to get it taken care of.

Do you know if they have to pull the oven out in order to do the replacement? I have access from above, if needed, by removing my cooktop -- I just don't want to unscrew the oven and and pull it out again (it would be the third or fourth time).

The technician removed both doors and he did remove the screws and then he pulled the oven out a few inches. He said he needed to do that to get better access to the control panel. I was surprised that he couldn't just change the panels while the oven was in place because the screws are right beneath the panel. Especially since I have the double ovens and they are quite heavy.

Maybe he had to pull it out a little because the ovens are installed tight against the cabinet.

sshrivastava,
I didn't see your May 30th post. I will call and see about it. Sad to say I have a chip on my Dacor range door so maybe they can look at that too. I do love the way both appliances bake. It takes a bit getting use to with all the convection choices on the oven. I baked 6 quiches the other day on one rack and they came out very evenly brown.

eamon2,

They have not replace my double oven yet. I received a call from the service place but could not take the time off from work for the install. They will let me know when their technician is free again.

Camry - was your Millenium the new one with the Discovery system or the old classic? I would love to know.

Okay, who on this list would consider getting a Dacor now knowing what you know? I was leaning this way and now I am completely confused. Maybe I will tell my daughter that she has to go to State school and get that 30" Gaggeneau! (or maybe a Miele?)

I will post when I get my new board. My issues with baking are when I bake large amounts, it doesn't bake evenly even with the convection. I did roast the most delicious turkey breast ever(in almost 40 years of cooking) using the Discovery settings. I'm going to try that again. Smaller batches or one item comes out great.

Dacor has delivered four boards, with four different service calls. The first two times they sent the wrong part, the next two times the control board arrived damaged and full of finger prints all over the attached LED display. Obviously they are putting damaged goods into the box, so I don't know what the heck is going on over at Dacor.

DACOR QUALITY CONTROL IS TERRIBLE.

I'm bumping this - there have been a few new references on other threads about this.

Thanks

Service call #5 yielded a board for the double oven, not my single oven model. You should read the email I sent to Dacor about this cluster f*ck.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Yep, you've all convinced me that while the classic Dacor might be fine, the company may be having some issues right now. I think I am going with the Miele.

Good luck, sshrivastava!

sshrivastava - It's more than unbelieveable. Tell Dacor to have the technician who delivered your replacement oven (which was it - #4?) to hand deliver the correct board. I am honestly at a loss to understand all this.

I lucked out. My double ovens weren't chipped, the doors were straight and the first electronic board they sent corrected the meat probe problem.

I hope your e mail described ALL of the issues you have had with this oven. I wonder if the corporate heads have any idea how this hurts their reputation and their sales?

omg - sshrivastava, eamon, et al - I am so glad I discovered these threads. I need a 27" double oven for our still-being-designed renovation and have been seriously considering the Dacor, DCS, and Thermador, in that order. Argh. I am happy that their customer service is so great, esp. compared to what everyone is saying about A&E's service for KA, Jenn-Air and the other Whirlpool-owned brands. BUT - who needs this aggro at all? I was looking at the classic - maybe it doesn't have the same quality issues. Nevertheless, I am going to think twice. Maybe by the time I am ready to order (2008 at the rate I'm going) more of the quality issues will have been resolved. Any follow-up will be appreciated!

Well, I will say that Dacor has issues with its communication -- the service company is top notch, the installers and resellers are all top notch, the only weakness in the chain is Dacor's distribution network and communication with resellers and service providers.

I spoke with the customer service supervisor about this issue, and she ASSURED me the right board was going out this time. I got a free 3 year extended warranty for all of my headaches in this round -- I already got a free roasting pan, and pizza stone, and extra glide rack for my previous headaches.

Yes, I have experienced aggravation, but I've also been somewhat compensated by Dacor for my inconvenience with items that have a nice dollar value attached to them. I will say one more thing -- would you expect your oven manufacturer to contact customers currently under warranty to tell them that a board w/ new software has been released and that they'd like to update the oven free of charge? I think this is unheard of with most brands.

My understanding is that they only replace the board if you know to ask for it. Another issue I've had with my oven is that when I turn it on to 350 the preheat comes on and and goes off when the oven is only 250 (the oven states temp is 350)and then cycles on and off like it is just maintaining temp and takes another 10-15 min to gradually reach 350. If you turn up the oven it does not turn on the element like other ovens it just gradually drifts upward toward the temperatureover 15-20 min. I bought a separate thermometer because my oven just was not cooking right and that seems to be the problem.

wekick -
I don't know if your oven is working properly or not. However I also have Dacor and I've learned that newer ovens require a longer preheat. It's possible that the sensor beeps when the sensor hits the set temperature, but it still takes longer to hear the entire coven.
This is an excellent article on the need to fully preheat an oven. It is not unusual to preheat for 30 minutes to make sure the oven interior and oven walls are heated.

The Heat is On

Wekick and other Epicure range owners (or Epicure oven owners),

I've been reading this forum for some time in preparation for an upcoming Boston area kitchen remodel. I will be installing a 30 inch range in addition to a few other niceties. Dacor recently announced the ER30D range with similar features to its existing larger Epicure range models. I would appreciate it, if you could give me some additional feedback on your range experiences. I have noticed posts that indicate a wide breadth of Dacor satisfaction / dissatisfaction.

**Overall**:
(1) Would you purchase the range again today based upon its cooking/baking capabilities and features?
(2) Has Dacor provided satisfactory response to warranty, repair and upgrade issues?

**Rangetop**:
(3) Are you satisfied with the rangetop and, if not, why not?
(4) Do you like the high heat and simmer on the crown burner (18000btu) and other burners (16000btu & 8500btu)?
(5) Do the sealed burner flame sizes match well with your pan sizes or do you find the burner flame width to be to wide (high heat / low heat / pan size)?
(6) Is cleanup of the rangetop reasonably easy or does everything show on the black porcelain top?

**Oven**:
(7) Are you satisfied with the rangeÂs oven and, if not, why not?
(8) Has the dual-fuel range, with its electric European convection oven, met your expectations for greater baking capabilities over that of an all-gas convection range?
(9) Do you like the RapidHeat (under glass) bake and broil elements?
(10) Do you like the Pure Convection (convection fan, element and filter) system?
(11) Do you find your oven temperature to be uniform (no hot spots) and stable?
(12) About how long does it take for your oven to reach a 350 degrees preheat temperature, and does the oven seem to preheat on a timed basis or until cavity temperature is actually reached?
(13) Does the display show actual oven temperature or merely the desired setting, and is the display temperature accurate?
(14) Do you like the meat-probe?
(15) Does the display show actual meat-probe temperature or merely the desired setting, and is the display temperature accurate?
(16) Does the range chime when reaching the desired meat probe temperature?

**Cooking**:
(17) What are your subjective thoughts or objective measurements on stockpot water boiling times?
(18) Does the crown burner and supplied wok ring make for a good, high temperature and responsive temperature recovery, wok cooking experience?
(19) Most importantly, can you bake tons of great cookies at multiple rack levels on convection mode?

Sorry for the extensive set of questions. Please feel free to answer only those that make sense. Thanks.

Liame

Wekick,

The ovens with Discovery controllers have three temperature sensors within the oven. I don't know if the computer averages the temperatures, picks the highest or lowest, or simply takes the middle reading. It is one of the most advanced ovens out there, and my service guy told me they are among the best designed ovens in the industry.

I baked trays of biscotti over the holidays, regularly convection roast chicken, grill meats and vegetables, and baked an angel food cake once... I never had any issues related to uneven heating. In fact, if you use a good roasting pan and elevate the chicken on a V-shaped rack, your results will be as good as rotisserie without the mess.

Do you ever watch Good Eats on Food Network? Alton Brown never relies on his oven's thermostat -- he always uses his own thermometer in the oven, which I find interesting. Perhaps oven thermostats are just not as reliable as dedicated thermometers? He's got some pretty nice ovens, too.

sshrivastava, I have had some of the items come out well when it is a single item. I made a turkey breast mentioned earlier that would bring you to your knees and if the oven did only that it might be worth having. The low end of the temperatures seems to be way off. 200°-220° when it is set for 250°. The 350° once it gets there holds exactly. I think my thermometer is accurate at least it corresponds well with the Dacor ER36D range and it seems to register temperature change faster than the oven heats. So one of them is off. It is when I have it filled that I have uneven baking. The tech that came to the house to replace the panel told me that I have to stagger the cookie trays. I asked him then to explain to me the cookie sheets on the Dacor web site that go from side to side and fill the whole oven. Dacor thought also that the new board would make the oven bake more evenly. As soon as I can I will have the rep from Dacor come to check the oven. I was shocked at the difference in the reading between the oven digital reading in the Discovery oven and my thermometer. In order to get the oven to preheat to 350° I set it for 450° and when it beeps my thermometer reads 350° and I turn it back to 350° and it hold temp like a champ. If I need to increase the temperature the element does not come on like every other oven I have had it just cycles on and off and very gradually(over 10-15 min for each 100° with the oven empty) increases the temperature. The only way to make the preheat come on is to raise it by more than 175°.

A possible explanation for the elements cycling when you increase the temperature is that a more gradual increase in temperature will keep food from burning to the bottom of the pan -- also the top if you are using the Surround Bake mode. If the elements just engage and stay on until the oven hits the target temperature, you may have some burned food on your hands.

Much of the behaviors you describe are intentional design choices by Dacor, I'd be curious to know the rationale behind having the oven behave in these ways. I'm sure these weren't just arbitrary decisions, although they may be. Wouldn't that be a kicker? LOL!

I would not rely on the advice of a service tech to stagger your cookie sheets. I would call Dacor directly about this and ask to speak with a customer service supervisor. They have chefs on staff that you can speak with as well to answer your questions -- that may be a good place to go with your cookie sheet question.

It turns out that both of my ovens do not work -the ER36D range and the Discovery oven. Dacor is sending out a new reprogrammed board for the range sometime in the future and a tech from the disributor to look at my wall oven who will call and talk to Dacor at my house and try to determine if it needs yet another board and if they can fix the door in any way. Dacor:"these things can take awhile to figure out." The guy from Dacor also told me that I am expecting too much to have my oven bake evenly during convection bake, that I will have to turn my items during cooking. I know people who have convection ovens and this is not the case. I have also met another person who has Dacor ovens 3 years old who says that they have never been able to get her ovens to work correctly. I am well into $1000.00 in lost wages to take off for service calls that can never be recovered and just total aggravation with these appliances. I am looking at at least 2 more service calls. 2 weeks before the holidays start and no oven that works. I am seriously thinking of cutting my losses and aggravation and junking these if they can't fix them this time. Too expensive to get a lawyer. The worst thing is the "oh well, these things take time to figure out" attitude by Dacor.

Oddly Dacor just now called me back and they want to resolve the oven issue now and they are sending a new oven and will repair the other one at the same time.

Would you think about a buy back and just go with GE? or FP, neither of which report anything like this aggravation?

If this oven doesn't work then I will ask for my money back. A friend has a FP and likes it. I myself have had good experience with GE appliances too. I do need to get this behind me and every time I look at these appliances --grrrr. Too much negative energy. I love my cabinets-I love my countertops-I love my sinks-I love my faucets-I love my garbage disposals-I love my floors.

I'm so glad I came across this thread--especially while my oven is still under warranty. I'm pretty sure my oven didn't beep when the probe reached the proper temperature, and my bottom oven is not cooking correctly. I'm pretty ure it's cooking unevenly.

So here's the newest question: Does anyone know how to clean the probe? I can't find it in their manual or online. Thanks!

Look on page 31 of the use and care manual linked below. The vinyl on my probe is already split after 5 careful uses.

I am on my second oven and a second board on this oven and they (Dacor) were supposed to bring a third oven last week but I haven't heard from them. My range oven also has a new board as of Wednesday that was supposed to have the errors present on the previous board fixed but with a quick check it does not seem any different. I would advise anyone that has any Dacor product to get a thermometer and check your oven and do not buy their line that your thermometer can't measure the way their oven heats with their "new technology". Heat is heat(basic science- Calorie:A basic measure of energy where 1 calorie is equal to the total amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.) and a thermometer will give at least a general idea of your temperature.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dacor use and care manual