Evenheat or Paragon???

C L Wilkins

C L Wilkins

Joined
Mar 18, 1999
Messages
2,114
I am looking at HT ovens and would like some feedback on what you guys are using out there. Evenheat is a bit less expensive, Paragon is a bit more but not enough difference to make me shy away from one. Just looking for the best oven for the oven.

What are you folks using?

Craig
 
I got an Evenheat 22.5 from Tim Zowada. It's fantastic. Takes a bit of learning to program the SetPro but it's doable. I think Tim has the lowest prices out there, and a great guy to deal with.
 
Evevn heat is a great oven but a Paragon is built tougher. I've really looked close and I like the Paragon better. I bought a Sugar Creek oven a year ago, it's the cheapest out there and works great but I am going to get a Paragon soon and will use the Sugar Creek for my low temp tempering. Nothing wrong with Evenheat :thumbup: just think Paragon is a bit better.
 
I have been using my Paragon for over 20 years and it is still going strong, not one break down, always gives repeatable results. I can't compare to others as my Paragon is the only one I have used.
 
I have an old Paragon purchased about the same time as Ed's and a newer Evenheat. IMO, the Paragon is built better on the outside, having a heavier guage steel case and a piano hinge door. Some people don't like the dropdown door and having to reach across it to grab the blade. I had a thermocouple drift out of accuracy and had to replace it.

The Evenheat has thinner sheetmetal. It doesn't matter except for the fact that the mounting for the door hinges allows the door to sag a little when opened. This makes it tough to close all the way when one hand is clutching a tongs with a 1950F blade in it and one is in a hurry. I recently upgraded the SetPro to a RampmasterII control and like the keypad better than the scroll arrows.

In terms of whether one heats up metal better than the others, I don't notice a difference. They both hold temp very nicely. Whenever I use either one, I have a second thermocouple hooked up to an external meter just as a double check. The Evenheat has a much larger interior, so it may take a little more juice to heat it up.
 
Mike, what did the conversion cost if I may ask? I really don't like the scroll arrows.
 
Anyone have a link to where to buy a Paragon? I can find info all over the place on Evenheat ovens, but for some reason Google doesn't want to help me find much on Paragon.
 
I have the KM14D. Its a fine little furnace, but I will probably buy another one soon. The reason why I want another is because this one is 120 volt. It takes a coon's age to get to 1950 or higher. I am convinced that it is because the 120 volt input can only yank 16 amps max out of the line, and therefore is slow to ramp - even at a max ramp speed setting. From room temperature to 1000 degrees it is very accurate and works extremely well. So I think I will get another one in 240 VOLT and relegate this one to tempering duty.

Incidentally, I bought this one direct from Paragon. They'll definitely deal over the phone. I had it within a week of the phone call - made fresh just for me. Oh and you can also ask them for any door or interior configuration you want. I have the long and narrow chamber, but a friend of mine got the side-swinging door and a wider, less-deep chamber. I like his alot, but mine will fit 16" of steel diagonally. He does nothing but folder blades, so he could care less about a long chamber.

All this said and done, I'll buy the new Paragon just because I already own one. Hopefully the paint will match! LOL!

~BUT~

...if I had to do it all over again I would get the Evenheat because I don't see much difference in quality - only price. After all, its merely a few fire bricks and some electronic guts and some sheet metal. Its not like you'll be tossing it around in the air with your friends every friday night, either. I say go for price.
 
I definitely think you should get the Evenheat, Jeff; just from the standpoint of decor aesthetics. After all, the paragon is that nasty industrial finsh while the Evenheat is, well.... so SHINY and CLEAN looking!!!!:p :D
 
fitzo said:
I definitely think you should get the Evenheat, Jeff; just from the standpoint of decor aesthetics. After all, the paragon is that nasty industrial finsh while the Evenheat is, well.... so SHINY and CLEAN looking!!!!:p :D
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Just make sure you dont touch the outside of it while its running, It gets VERY hot!

Michael

www.AdamMichaekKnives.com
 
adammichael said:
Just make sure you dont touch the outside of it while its running, It gets VERY hot!

Michael

www.AdamMichaekKnives.com
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Hmmm... point taken. My Paragon is hot but not so as it would instantly sear flesh. IG's relish, now THAT sears flesh. First time I smelled it all my nose hair fell out. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, ovens. :D
 
jhiggins said:
Hmmm... point taken. My Paragon is hot but not so as it would instantly sear flesh. IG's relish, now THAT sears flesh. First time I smelled it all my nose hair fell out. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, ovens. :D
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The Evenheat gets very hot on the outside. I dont know the exact temperature "hurts like hell!" is, but its that hot.
I put a blanket of koawool on the outside and secured it with 4 or 5 of those really strong magnets. It looks like hell but it saves my fingers.

Michael
www.AdamMichaelKnives.com
 
Higgy, I had the 22" Paragone for years. Don't expect it to reach the high temps that your after very quick. I got mine back when I was doing mostly stainless steel and it seemed to take well over an hour to reach the 1900's. I would think the Even Heat would be faster since its got twice as many heating elements.
 
I just replaced the element in my Paragon 24" kiln. I did the research on line. Paragon has a good web site with all manuals for the kilns and controllers availible on line, PDF downlads, free. I emailed @ 10 in the morning and had a reply that day. I called and placed the order the next morning. They were fimilar with my email and I received a 2400 degreee element of the correct wattage that I had asked about. The delivered cost was 8$ less than I was quoted on the phone. I eceived the element the next week with detailed installation instruction.

I had bben using two large bars of steel in the bottom of the kiln as a heat sink. I put a large foil wrapped knife in the kiln between the bars. Th bars were heavily scaled from many heatings. The foil wrap chipped and flipped a piece of scale onto the coil. This is why my coil burned out. Just wanted to share that info with kiln users.
 
Raymond Richard said:
Higgy, I had the 22" Paragone for years. Don't expect it to reach the high temps that your after very quick. I got mine back when I was doing mostly stainless steel and it seemed to take well over an hour to reach the 1900's. I would think the Even Heat would be faster since its got twice as many heating elements.
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Hmmm... good point, Ray. Now it appears that there is some real diifferences between the two. Was your Paragon a 240v model, or 120? More heating elements may also have a direct effect on how quickly a kiln ramps to the setpoint.

Also, hey Mike Kanter... your Evenheat is THAT hot on the outside? WOW! Do the rest of you EH users experience the same thing? At 1900+, I can set my open palm down on the top of my Paragon - not to leave it there, but just to show its not scorching hot.
 
jhiggins said:
Also, hey Mike Kanter... your Evenheat is THAT hot on the outside? WOW! Do the rest of you EH users experience the same thing? At 1900+, I can set my open palm down on the top of my Paragon - not to leave it there, but just to show its not scorching hot.
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My guess would be around 300 to 400 degrees?

Michael
www.adammichaelknives.com
 
Ed Schempp said:
I just replaced the element in my Paragon 24" kiln. I did the research on line. Paragon has a good web site with all manuals for the kilns and controllers availible on line, PDF downlads, free. I emailed @ 10 in the morning and had a reply that day. I called and placed the order the next morning. They were fimilar with my email and I received a 2400 degreee element of the correct wattage that I had asked about. The delivered cost was 8$ less than I was quoted on the phone. I eceived the element the next week with detailed installation instruction.

I had bben using two large bars of steel in the bottom of the kiln as a heat sink. I put a large foil wrapped knife in the kiln between the bars. Th bars were heavily scaled from many heatings. The foil wrap chipped and flipped a piece of scale onto the coil. This is why my coil burned out. Just wanted to share that info with kiln users.
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Ed, do you mean that there are relaceable elements for a Paragon that can take 2400 degrees?

if so, I might consider replacing my elements with ones that can go over 2,000 degrees so that I can use HSS for some knives.

If you don't mind, what is a ball park price for the elements, and is it difficult to replace them?

By the way, my KM14D is probably around 16 years old, and has required absolutely no maintenance. :)
 
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