Thread Number: 31984
Convection Microwave Ovens - Gimmick or Godsend? |
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Post# 482192   12/16/2010 at 23:48 (4,851 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Not knowing how long my current microwave oven may hold out (a Craigslist find, Panasonic "Genius" 1300w), have been casually looking at what is out on the market.
Having had the Cuisinart convection oven for a bit, am intrigued what could be done with perhaps a slightly larger appliance, but seeing as space is limited in my kitchen area, a counter top "convection/microwave" might foot the bill. Reviews and ratings of such things however are all over the place. Some persons swear by them, others claim theirs does one thing well but not the other. That some are better microwaves than "convection", and some the other way. Then there is the long pre-heating times some of these units have when used in convection/baking mode. Often twenty or more minutes is required, and that to me means quite allot of electric being used (which in our area is dear, especially in the summer months when rates are raised). Actually in twenty minutes whatever one was going to bake or roast could be well on it's way done in the range oven. Many rave about the older Sharp combo units, but they are really quite large ovens and haven't been made in years. Know also Amana "Radarange" had a combination unit as well, but they are hard to find and would be nearly twenty or more years old. Guess what one is after is do the things work, or only slightly better than a normal microwave. Am also concerned about clean-up. Microwaving causes meats to splatter and spray fat all over. The stainless steel insides of these units looks like heck therefore to keep clean. TIA |
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Post# 482214 , Reply# 2   12/17/2010 at 00:57 (4,851 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)   |   | |
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Choice last tested convection microwaves in 2008. From that test, Sharp and LG stood out as the best:
SHARP R990KW Price: $1011 Good Points Best overall performance. Excellent scores for defrosting chicken and mince, cooking scones, and reheating quiche using convection only. Very good scores for cooking broccoli and reheating quiche in combination mode. Bad points Touch pads require some pressure to operate. Several holes internally where dirt/grease can accumulate. Limited visibility during cooking. LG MC-9283JLR #Discontinued Price: $899 Good Points Excellent result for defrosting chicken and mince, cooking chicken and scones. Very good for cooking broccoli. Good visibility during cooking. Rated best for ease of use. Bad points Several holes internally where dirt/grease can accumulate. SHARP R880FS #Discontinued Price: $714 Good Points Excellent score for cooking chicken, broccoli, defrosting mince and grilling toast. Very good for defrosting chicken, and reheating quiche in convection mode. Cheapest model tested. Bad points There are several holes internally where dirt/grease can accumulate. Limited visibility during cooking. Overall score (%) Ease of use score (%) Cooking score Overall(%) Microwave cooking (%) Combination cooking (%) Convection cooking (%) Door opening Rank Ease O/All M/W Comb Conv Sharp R990KW (A) % % % % % % www.sharp.net.au... 81 70 88 93 81 89 Side # LG MC-9283JLR www.lge.com.au... 80 72 85 90 81 85 Side # Sharp R880FS www.sharp.net.au 79 69 85 93 81 82 Side # Delonghi MW865F www.delonghi.com.au... 76 65 83 87 77 85 Down # Whirlpool JT359WH www.whirlpool.com.au... 74 61 82 83 80 82 Down # Panasonic NN-A873SB www.panasonic.com.au... 72 60 80 90 80 70 Side Smeg SA987CX www.omegasmeg.com.au... 71 63 76 73 78 77 Side |
Post# 482323 , Reply# 5   12/17/2010 at 12:25 (4,850 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)   |   | |
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One of my biggest regrets was leaving the Panasonic Dimension 4 combi oven with my ex. Sure it was a big chunk of a thing but in the 3 months I had it It did all I asked, excelled in Chicken, Pizza, Oven Chips, Jackets etc etc.
Lots of really well programmed presets that worked and brilliant microwaving capability. Id have one back in a heartbeat although I will probably hold it for my Grandads/Nans 1991 Brother Combi, still going like a tank. Shame Brother dont exist here anymore in the Microwave market (Sewing Machines im not sure about) but they made cracking machines. Maybe look for a second hand one? One thing id say about the Panasonic though was I had a reduced price end of line one that only had 1 level cooking. Seen now they have 2 shelves which may be of use to you? I tend to put roast potatoes around the meat im cooking so was not an issue for me. Batch baking will always have me firing up the main oven to be honest. Not to mention I quite often just use the regualr oven filled to capacity to cook complete meals in, Meat, braised veg and pudding. |
Post# 482395 , Reply# 6   12/18/2010 at 00:18 (4,850 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Despite initial reservations am that well pleased with the current Panasonic "Genius" microwave with inverter, am quite sure could never go back. So whatever and whenever a new oven comes along it probably will be that brand, convection or not.
It really came home when looking at a Thermador microwave/convection combo how tedious other microwaves can be to probram. Having to enter amounts/portions and what not. On the Panasonic "Genius" all one does is choose what you want and perhaps a few other buttons, then press start, the oven does the rest. Example: we are big on oatmeal for breakfast, and with the old Sharp we had to choose portion size and then more or less to perhaps fine tune. Not with the Panasonic, just press the cycle for porridge and that is that. Am noticing some convection microwaves do not have a fan right in the oven as with true convection units. But rather the heater must be located inside the unit somewhere and right before the internal fan all microwaves have, and that is where the heated air comes from. Not quite the same thing IMHO. Have seen many older Sharp MC/C ovens listed on CL, but having already been through the mill with my previous "vintage" oven from that brand, am not too keen on purchasing a ten or twenty something year old microwave, I mean how much longer will it hold up? |
Post# 482488 , Reply# 7   12/18/2010 at 11:40 (4,849 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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If these combination units are going for $800 - $1000, I would suggest one do what I do: I have a decade old Kenmore microwave (excellent machine, by the way) with a 1/2 year old Cuisinart convection toaster oven perched on top of it, on a small table in the kitchen. Total cost? Less than $250.
I use the Kenmore to supplement the Panasonic Genius that sits in a cabinet/nook above the wall oven. I use the Cuisinart mostly for occasional toast or 12" pizza. It does excellent on both. Haven't had a need for the convection mode yet (although I used it a lot on its predecessor, an Oster convection/toaster oven, with middling results). The pizza mode on the Cuisinart is non-convection and it works just fine. As far as energy consumption goes... it takes the Cuisinart about five minutes to come up to 375F. A pizza takes about 23 minutes more, and the element is not on all that time (maybe about 30% of the time, if that). I don't think these things consume that much energy to begin with for a meal. And electric clothes dryer probably consumes much more per load. And I waste much more electricity if I forget to turn off the lights in the workshop overnight (one switch controls about six to eight 80 watt tubes, do the math). Which happens occasionally. Regarding the two microwaves: I prefer the Panasonic for defrosting and sensor cooking of pre-frozen entrees etc. Also for partial power cooking (where the inverter technology is best). I prefer the Kenmore for more even cooking on high power (the Panasonic tends to heat the bottom of dishes more than the top), and for sensor cooked popcorn (does excellent on that, much better than the Panasonic). Leaves fewest unpopped kernels without burning any. It was a discontinued item at Sears about ten or eleven years ago. Old (coil transformer) technology, and hefty, and the controls are a bit confusing (you set time and power with a dial, not by keypad), but it has a big five inch "fan" on the side (really a microwave distributor) covered by a translucent amber plastic cover (no mica to try to clean up) that seems to be the key to its even cooking ability. |
Post# 482546 , Reply# 8   12/18/2010 at 17:44 (4,849 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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What one loves is not having to turn and or rearrange items being "cooked" when using the "Genius" oven. With my old Sharp making chicken for instance required taking a hot dish out of the microwave, move things about, then return to the oven. Sometimes even with all the plaver things were not evenly cooked. It also meant loss of seasonsings/toppings unless one waited until it was time to flip before adding.
As for popcorn, don't think we've made any in a MC in ages. Have a nice heavy cast iron dutch oven for that, or a vintage air popper. What one will probably do is unless the current MC goes belly up, will hunt around for a used unit on CL, or a deal on fleaBay. Am not going to spend more than $200 (and even that is pushing it), for a new microwave oven today. Even with convection most seem not to last. |
Post# 482643 , Reply# 10   12/19/2010 at 08:16 (4,849 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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New microwave only ovens can be purchased for a lot less than $200 and have a much higher output wattage than older units so I guess they are more efficient. |
Post# 482951 , Reply# 12   12/20/2010 at 14:15 (4,847 days old) by Hoovermatic (UK)   |   | |
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wouldn't be without this unit! CLICK HERE TO GO TO Hoovermatic's LINK |
Post# 482953 , Reply# 13   12/20/2010 at 14:22 (4,847 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)   |   | |
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Post# 1059763 , Reply# 14   2/6/2020 at 11:20 (1,512 days old) by RichardHull (New York)   |   | |
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I really tend to use the microwave a lot when I cook for quick reheats, melting, thawing. I didn't really think about that before. When you use the microwave in convection mode, it gets really hot (of course) so you can't use the microwave until you are done with it and it cools down. This is really a pain. It never fails that I begin to heat it up to 350, then when it is almost at temp, I realize I need to melt butter or something.
I would suggest you pay attention to how much you use your microwave in a normal meal prep and how often you would actually benefit from not being able to use it in favor of using a small oven (sheet pans and many pots and pans won't fit in there). You can't cook more than one item at a time in there. For me, the answer turns out to be " not much" for convection use. CLICK HERE TO GO TO RichardHull's LINK |
Post# 1059768 , Reply# 15   2/6/2020 at 11:57 (1,512 days old) by IIIJohnnyMacIII (North Carolina)   |   | |
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Do you have enough room to keep your inverter microwave that you have now and buy a convection toaster oven? Breville makes a convection toaster oven heated using quartz. I have a small 4 slice quartz toaster oven made by Panasonic that toasts bread fast enough that it is an actual replacement for a toaster. If I needed something bigger I would definitely go quartz and add convection.
I have an inverter microwave too. And there is no going back. But as far as convection goes, I think a dedicated toaster oven with quartz elements would be the better choice. |
Post# 1059777 , Reply# 17   2/6/2020 at 12:47 (1,512 days old) by Ultralux88 (Denver)   |   | |
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In the last 6 or so years we've become very accustomed to a toaster oven. Never had one growing up, but we finally got one. I actually find it preferable to the microwave for a lot of things, especially anything you want to get or keep a crisp on, like fries. We have a full sized convection oven, but I wouldn't mind a smaller one that will warm up and cook/reheat something faster.
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Post# 1059848 , Reply# 18   2/7/2020 at 04:01 (1,512 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Grandmother and Mother both had Sharp Carousel convection/microwave ovens in the 80's and they both used them every day for both functions. Grandmother bought another one when hers died but Mother did not and just got a toaster oven for that other purpose. I bought a Sharp one going on 10 years ago now (maybe longer) and I use convection occasionally, like when baking larger items in the stove that may need different heat settings but all need to be cooking at the same time. It's a pain too that DH tends to not cover items in the micro and I have to clean splatters out before firing up the convection so as to not have black burnt spots inside afterwards. I use the toaster oven for small pizzas, frozen waffles, rolls, frozen fish, etc so I don't have to heat the kitchen up with the gas oven. Next micro will just be micro....plus it will have more wattage without the convection function since we have measly 120V residential micro ovens. |
Post# 1059860 , Reply# 19   2/7/2020 at 08:48 (1,512 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Post# 1059892 , Reply# 22   2/7/2020 at 17:03 (1,511 days old) by Paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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As it turns out I bought a SHARP R930CS (stainless) for the old home but replaced it with the R930AK (Black) for the new house. The CS is about twenty years old and the AK is about ten. Both have been no trouble whatsoever.
I love them and wouldn’t want to ever be without a microwave-convection combination. I agree with ASKOLOVER entirely. The combo unit is no replacement for a regular oven but does many tasks well. You have to play with it, then play with it a lot more to determine what works well for you. The best feature for me is the combo setting where you can heat the oven up to some temperature (ex: 275F) then add a small percentage of microwave to the food. It works wonders with leftovers. The sensor-cook on this model works especially well (detects vapor emissions from food and calculates cooking time). |
Post# 1059896 , Reply# 23   2/7/2020 at 17:32 (1,511 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)   |   | |
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Post# 1059936 , Reply# 24   2/8/2020 at 06:48 (1,511 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Well, like I told the online review site Epinions long ago, cleaning a micro/convection oven is no different than cleaning a regular oven. The reviews for my particular oven were quite harsh at times because people wrote in about having burned on food and they had no clue how to clean it. They called Sharp who couldn't help them. I've always used fume free Easy Off and followed the directions. Just don't spray it into the openings inside the oven. Shines up like new. Now, we have a little thing called Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it's a real labor saver. Can be used with just dish water and it will polish right up. Simple really. I wash the carousel tray in the dishwasher...it's porcelain on steel. If anything is baked on I'll use easy off on it too and then run it through the dishwasher. |
Post# 1059940 , Reply# 25   2/8/2020 at 07:17 (1,511 days old) by Logixx (Germany)   |   | |
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I really like mine and use it as my only oven. I bought it used off of eBay for 50 Euros. Don't know how old it is but it must be early 2000s.
It has two quartz heating elements for broiling, two behind the back wall for convection, and a regular heating element under the turntable. It does have a spit that I have only used once, though and a crisping plate (again, rarely used). I only the two racks. Max. power draw is 3,100 watts. |
Post# 1059980 , Reply# 26   2/8/2020 at 15:52 (1,510 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)   |   | |
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My OTR micro/convection has a stainless interior I really dislike, hard to clean. My previous microwave and most of the newer combo's have a silverstone or non-stick finish on the interior. Much better. |
Post# 1060102 , Reply# 27   2/9/2020 at 17:46 (1,509 days old) by verizonbear (Glen Burnie )   |   | |
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Good Evening,
I have a gas wall oven and I was unhappy with its baking performance so I installed a Sharp OTR Microwave Convention over my gas cooktop. I have been pleased with it, it does roast poultry to perfection with totally even browning coupled with a moist and tender result overall. I have baked cakes, brownies etc in combo mode. In the summer it is a lifesaver if you do not want to heat up the kitchen. Two caveats , one is cleaning, mine has a stainless steel interior and I have never been able to get it back to showroom clean no matter what I tried to clean it with. Some of newer models have a porcelain or non-stick interior that makes cleaning easier. The other despite the microwave being rated at 800 watts it pulls alot of current in combo mode, I had the electrician put it on a separate 20 amp circuit. Over all I am happy with with it CLICK HERE TO GO TO verizonbear's LINK |