Summerset “The Oven” SS-OVBI-NG Built-in Gas Oven + Smoker Review
Summerset grills is an expanding line of outdoor cooking appliances. Their SS-OVBI outdoor oven is designed to run on clean-burning natural gas. This unit can be installed as a built-in part of an outdoor kitchen or used as a countertop appliance. Just keep in mind that it only runs on natural gas and not propane. This means you will need to have a natural gas line plumbed to the location where you want to use it.
The SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven is made predominantly from 304 stainless steel. The interior has double-thick insulated walls which help retain the heat produced by the 16,000 BTU stainless steel burner element. Their shape also helps to redistribute the heat evenly throughout the oven chamber. It comes with two stainless steel racks which can be inserted into three positions.
The SS-OVBI-NG also comes with some nice accessories included in the initial purchase. This includes a smoker box for wood chips, a flame tamer, a pull-out grease tray, and a large pizza stone. It also comes with protective feet for setting it safely on a countertop.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Being made from 304 stainless steel gives the SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven superior rust and corrosion resistance. However, you should still consider covering it if you plan to install it outside. As time goes on the weather can gradually start to tarnish stainless steel.
Assembly of the oven itself isn’t very complicated. You should be able to get it out of the box and onto a countertop, ready for use in under half an hour. Installation and plumbing of the natural gas line are where the wrinkle comes in.
Natural gas isn’t as energy-dense as propane, and this outdoor oven will not run on anything other than natural gas. Ideally, you want to install it where a natural gas line comes in. If you have natural gas running to your home already a professional can install a secondary line for a small fee. At that point, you just have to choose between installing the SS-OVBI-NG in a set location, or if you want to use it as an outdoor countertop oven.
Grilling Performance
An outdoor gas oven like this is the height of versatility. Especially with the accessories that Summerset Grills includes in the initial purchase. The trick is to let it properly preheat. Then adjust the flame to the temperature you want.
For something like a fresh dough pizza, you want to leave the pizza stone in the oven during the preheating process. The goal is to get the interior rocket hot while making sure the stone absorbs enough heat energy to properly bake the crust crispy on the bottom.
This isn’t to say that the SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven is only capable of high heat baking. In fact, the natural gas that it runs on burns very cleanly and efficiently at low temperatures. This isn’t something that you always see with propane, which is technically a more energy-dense gas.
Sometimes when you burn propane at very low temperatures, a trace amount of gas is released into the air, which can land on the food, gradually giving it an artificial flavor. Natural gas burns so efficiently that you don’t have this problem, which is really nice when you put a smoker box full of wood chips over the flames. This ultimately makes it a very good option for making smoked meats.
While chicken and turkey tend to shine the most in this kind of gentle smoke, they aren’t the only options on the menu. The kind of low, consistent heat the SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven is capable of also makes it a great option for things like skin-on salmon fillets, trout, and seafood. You could even smoke a really juicy beef brisket pastrami.
Special Features
This natural gas oven has a window built into the door, as well as an internal halogen light also lets you keep an eye on the food as it cooks. Just keep in mind that the more you use this oven as a smoker, the faster the window will cloud up with soot and smoke residue.
The accessories that come with the SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven are also a really nice touch. The pizza stone and smoker box let you make the most out of its versatility, without having to spend extra money on buying them separately. The cover is also a nice touch to ensure the long-term gleam of the 304 stainless steel.
Ease to Clean
The Summerset Grills SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven is relatively easy to clean. It is designed to divert any drippings down to the large grease drawer at the bottom, which is easy to pull out and pour away. The removable stainless steel grates are a little sticky when you place lean cuts of meat on them. If you need to scrape them down it might be better to use a nylon bristle grill brush, which won’t damage the appearance as much as a steel bristle grill brush will.
Warranty
The Summerset Grills SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven comes with a limited warranty that offers different levels of coverage for certain components. It has a 5-year warranty against construction and material defects. It also has a 3-year warranty on the 16,000 BTU stainless steel burner. All internal parts, grates, burner covers, igniter, light and external parts come with one year of coverage.
Conclusion
The Summerset Grills SS-OVBI-NG is very efficient as well as versatile. Just keep in mind that it is only set up to run on natural gas. If you have a natural gas line coming into your home, it’s relatively inexpensive to have a secondary line extended to your outdoor kitchen. At that point, you only need to decide if you are going to use the SS-OVBI-NG Gas Oven as a built-in or a countertop oven.
Remember that it isn’t just an oven. The clean-burning natural gas and accessories also make it a great option for barbecue, baking, braising and other low heat cooking methods.
