GE's Profile Advantium over-the-range taps new technology to cook food faster

You won't have to wait long for food to cook with the GE Profile Advantium over-the-range oven.

That's because GE promises that this 1.2 cubic foot oven can cook up to eight times faster than a conventional oven, roasting a whole chicken in 20 minutes, baking a potato in four minutes, and cooking a pizza in about 5-and-a-half minutes.

The Advantium, model SCA2001KSS, combines halogen lights and microwave power (950 watts) to bake, brown, broil, and grill food. GE's so-called Speedcook technology uses intense halogen light to cook the outside of your food, while also penetrating the inside--so both cook equally at the same time. (Speedcook technology has won a total of eight national and international awards, including the Popular Science "Best of What's New" award.)

The oven, which is 30 inches wide, offers many features, including auto-time defrost and sensor controls that automatically adjust the temperature and time-to-cook for fewer botched dishes.

For making a meal in a hurry, the oven offers 100 preprogrammed food choices. You can also customize the menu or add your own items. (The oven has an electronic scrolling digital display.)

Inside the oven, there's a turntable that rotates for even cooking and a child lockout feature. The oven uses halogen for superior lighting.

A two-speed, high-capacity exhaust fan (standard for this sort of oven providing the maximum 300 CFM) vents fumes from the oven and helps remove grease.

Online reviews of this oven are scarce, but this one at Consumer Guide says that this oven, a 240-volt model, is harder to install than GE's 120-volt Advantium model. Yet, the 240-volt Advantium is the better choice if you can afford it, the site says. "In our opinion, you should choose the 240-volt model for its better performance , if at all possible," the site suggests.

The oven is available in stainless steel (about $1,500), bisque, black, and white (about $1,400).