By Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY: Smeg has released the SCA112XO, a new linear pyrolytic oven which the company describes as “tomorrow’s oven, available today.” The intent behind the oven is three-pronged: high performance in cooking, to meet environmental concerns and be safe to use.

The oven’s control panel features an LED light and touchpad sandwiched between two knobs. Style was definitely considered in the design, with silver-grey exterior of the oven contrasted with the control panel’s light spectrum of white, blue and orange.

In terms of cooking, the SCA112XO boasts nine cooking functions, ranging from static bake and grill to fan-forced baking and grill. An onboard computer can be preset for the cooking of regular meals. These include not only meat products and vegetables, but also pizza, biscuits and cakes.

A thermoseal feature on the oven door, according to Smeg, “delivers fool-proof baking and grilling.” (sic) The seal works by securing the heat inside the oven, meaning that the temperature doesn’t fluctuate. This means that, “meat and fish remain succulent and pastries and cakes don’t suffer due to hot spots.”

To save power and increase the environmental selling points of the model, the oven can be placed on stand-by, in a similar way to a computer, so that its energy use, Smeg claims, becomes negligible.

For cleaning, the oven can be powered to 530° Celsius, reducing anything within its hold to ash. 

With the potential for such high temperatures, safety is a major concern. To nullify this, Smeg has, in their own words, “placed great emphasis on safety.”

Features include a double-glazed door with forced air cooling, independent carcase cooling system and ceramic insulation. Smeg claims these reinforcements will ensure that the door and the controls function will remain safe-to-touch even at the aforementioned cleaning temperature.

To keep the appliance safe when standing-by, the oven can be locked down to prevent any curious souls from causing harm. This feature can also be used to protect the settings of the oven while it is in use.

The Smeg SCA112XP – RRP $3,090.