First Look: CIO – Countertop Induction Oven by @PanasonicUSA #mycio

The first in its class, Panasonic launched its CIO – Countertop Induction Oven at the historic landmark Greystone, the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley campus and we had front row seats.

Cook, Grill, Broil, or Bake a meal in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals cooking show, or hone your hot yoga moves. And, wait for it, with little or no preheating. Drum roll please!!

What you get for $599.95:

• Direct induction and double-infrared heating for precision cooking.
• Dishwasher safe heavy duty grill pan that radiates heat uniformly from center to edges to simultaneously cook foods requiring different heating times.
• Convenient cooking modes and preset cooking options to bake, broil, grill, reheat, and toast with adjustable temperature control.
• Keeps food warm for up to 60 minutes.

• Step-by-step induction cookbook with 26 recipes created by Certified Master Chefs at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for Panasonic.

If the sizzling sound of seared meat is music to your ears, you will appreciate the high, uniform, and quick heating of the CIO, which delivers deep dark brown grill marks, while still retaining the juice of the meat. Even bone-chilling 10 degrees temperatures won’t deter you from indulging on your favorite cut of aged marbled meat.

At the helm of our interactive cooking demonstration was the suave Celebrity Chef Gabe Kennedy (ABC show – The Taste season 3 winner) and CIA Consulting Group’s Chef David Kamen, PC III.  Chef Gabe had us drooling with delight at the endless permutations of flavors, by marrying classical cuisines with modern technology.

Dishes included Roasted Cauliflower with beurre noisette, capers, and nuts, Grilled Lamb Loin with harissa & carrot salad, Whole Branzino with herbs and pickles, Sausage Stuffed Chicken Breast, Savory Stuffed Peppers, Napa Valley Pizza, and Grilled Steak Chermoula. All successfully cooked with the CIO, in front of a live audience of food influencers, and paired with complimenting California wines.

Wondering what’s the secret ingredient? During the cooking process, the Japanese engineered oven circulates a fine mist of steam, and the flavors released by the cooking ingredients heighten the savory taste of umami. An airtight door seal assists in maximizing cooking efficiency for shorter cooking times.

We reckon even children (under adult supervision) and college teens can whip out tasty treats while multi-tasking their school activities. So whether you are a wannabe chef, health nut, single living in tight quarters, or a workaholic wondering how to clone yourself to juggle work and personal life, the CIO unleashes your inner chef to create mouthwatering memories around the dinner table, just in time to watch Sunday night football.

Now available for purchase at Panasonic and Wiliams Sonoma.

Photography by the Bokeh Studio.

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