Hello again everyone! Not long ago my husband and I moved to Ufa, and the apartment doesn’t have all the equipment. We still manage without a microwave. We think that we will buy something useful. We accidentally found out that there are interesting hybrids - an oven with a microwave function. It became interesting what it is and what to look for when choosing. Let's figure it out together.
The peculiarity of such an oven is that in addition to the oven it is a full-fledged one. They can be used separately (for example, to heat something in the microwave). They can also be turned on together. Let's say that in baking mode you can turn on both microwaves and grill.
A big plus of such an oven is that the cooking time of dishes is significantly accelerated, without impairing their taste in any way.
Today the market offers two types of ovens with microwave function: built-in and free-standing.
Such devices are also called the other way around - a microwave oven with an oven. They have their pros and cons.
The advantages include:
- A large number of cooking modes
- Fast warm-up
- Possibility to both cook and defrost food
- One device combines two fairly large electrical appliances. Therefore, such a “helper” saves a lot of space in the kitchen.
- Uniform heating of all sides of the product. This is due to the fact that the side walls, top and bottom are heated using electric heating elements. Plus, a convection fan can be located on the rear wall.
There are few disadvantages to this technique:
- High cost of the device, on average from 25 thousand rubles.
- Necessity of grounding, separate power line
In any case, the main selection criterion is 2 in 1. Despite the disadvantages, it saves space in the kitchen and has more than enough useful functions. Now let's figure out how to choose the right technique. What characteristics should you pay attention to?
Main characteristics
Size. First of all, you need to decide where you will put the cabinet. The standard height of an oven with a microwave is 55-60 cm. If there is very little space, then you can choose compact models - 40-45 cm in height. And their depth is standard - 50-55 cm. There are also double ovens a little less than a meter high.
Useful volume. The most popular models with a volume of 40-60 liters. This cabinet is small in size and has enough volume for cooking. For comparison, in conventional electric ovens, as a rule, 50-66 liters. Those. you can cook in exactly the same quantity as in a conventional oven.
Energy class. Agree, no one wants to pay huge sums for electricity. Therefore, pay attention to this parameter when choosing. The energy consumption class is designated in Latin letters from A to C. The most economical are marked as A++.
Power. Since we have 2 in 1, the amount of energy consumption will be equal to the consumption of the grill + microwave. The grill comes with a power from 1050 to 3000 kW. The higher the power, the faster the dish will fry. Microwave ranges from 600 to 1500 W. This parameter affects the speed of heating and cooking. Also pay attention to the connection power of the device. Modern ovens require at least 3 kW.
When buying such an oven, be sure to buy special dishes that are compatible with both oven and microwave modes. What is better to choose, I wrote in the article “”
Operating modes
For most needs the consumer has enough four oven operating modes: this is standard heating (bottom and top), grill mode with fan, just grill and convection.
Today you can find different combinations of modes. Modern models can have from 4 to 25 or even more.
- Grill can be in the form of a metal heating element, or infrared. In the second case, a halogen lamp is used as a heating element.
- Air fryer– This is a combined convection and grill mode. Well, a very useful turbo grill is the combination of infrared radiation with a fan. Then the crust forms not on top, but on the entire surface of the product.
- Convection- another necessary mode. It allows any dish to bake evenly. This feature also reduces cooking time.
- Defrosting. Can be defrosted using microwave or convection. In the second case, air at room temperature circulates in the chamber. It defrosts the product evenly from all sides.
But if you are a lover of healthy eating, choose the device with steamer function. It can be implemented in two ways.
- The cabinet has a removable water container. Water is poured into the container. The steamer function is selected on the display, after which water flows into the generator. It instantly converts water into steam.
- In the second case, water is simply poured into a special heat-resistant container. It comes complete with the device. Such a container with water is installed in the working chamber. Water is heated by high temperature. The dish is placed over it and it is thus prepared.
Other useful functions and features
There are also useful features that are worth paying attention to.
One such function is number of door glasses. In modern cabinets, from 1 to 4 glasses are installed. The more of them, the less the outer part of the oven heats up. If you accidentally touch it while cooking, there is less risk of getting burned. The door can also be hinged or hinged. This is important because the hinged door can be opened to the left or right. The folding one has one position.
Those who have small children will find this feature useful protection from children. I’ll be honest, I’ve looked at so many modern models – it’s everywhere. This blocking not only prevents the appliance from turning on. It also does not allow you to change the cooking mode.
Another very useful feature - cleaning system. It comes in three types. First type– hydrolytic. You will need to fill the container with water and turn on the oven. The water will turn into steam, the fat will get wet and then you will wipe everything off with your hands???? Second type- pyrolysis-cleaning. Here the device cleans itself. The temperature inside reaches 500 degrees, food remains turn to ash. All you have to do is wipe the camera. Third type– catalytic purification. Special plates are installed in the chamber of the device to trap fat. There is no need to wash the camera; you only need to change the plates on time.
If you are a fan of barbecue, and also often bake large pieces of meat, then you will need spit in the oven. Its presence of a spit can be an alternative to convection. Since the rotating dish is evenly fried on all sides.
If you want to buy a built-in device, it is better that it has cooling system. Thanks to it, your furniture will not deteriorate due to the strong heating of the device. A special built-in fan creates an air barrier around the camera. It circulates cold air, and the device itself does not overheat and the furniture in which it is built in does not overheat.
I can't help but mention telescopic guides. Thanks to the movable runners, the baking trays slide out when the door is open. You can forget about mittens and grips... and burnt hands.
Another useful thing - temperature probe. This is a metal needle with a dial. The device allows you to assess the readiness of the dish. Indispensable when roasting large pieces of meat.
And of course it is important number of baking trays installed. Two levels are enough for a small family. If there are a lot of you or you often gather guests, choose a 4-5 level camera.
TOP 5 ovens with microwave function
Now let’s move on directly to the review of different models and reviews. All the models below have energy consumption class A. They are equipped with microwave, grill and convection. They also provide child protection and an oven door cooling system. In addition, the connection power of all these devices is up to 3.5 kW.
I have selected the best models for you based on user reviews.
Asko OCM8476S
This oven is suitable for both large and small families. The optimal volume of 50 liters and small dimensions allow you to build a cabinet in any kitchen. A full set of necessary functions: grill, convection, defrost. Excellent price/quality ratio.
User reviews:
Ksyushka : I have very little space in my kitchen. I chose the device because of its compactness. It cooks food wonderfully on all sides, so I started doing more baking. I'm glad that if necessary you can use the microwave functions. For the price, it's a little expensive for me. But I don't regret the purchase.
Marya : I can’t say that I like to bake, but sometimes I spoil my family. That's why we didn't look for a large oven. This one takes up little space and cooks the meat amazingly! Appearance – well, very stylish! And the coolest thing is that the door doesn’t heat up at all. Safe even for children.
Victor : I was captivated by the fact that there are essentially two in one device. I really like the cooking modes, I chose the right dish, the weight - you can go watch football. The stove will do everything itself. I compare it with the old oven - this one cooks faster. It is easy to clean due to the special coating of the chamber. Another feature is that you can cook two different dishes on two baking sheets. Everything will bake evenly on the first and second ones, I recommend it.
Fornelli FEA 60 Duetto mw IX
A very compact stove with the necessary set of functions. The main advantage is the small size. The disadvantage is the internal coating - stainless steel. And since the cleaning method is hydrolytic, you will have to scrub everything by hand. Otherwise a decent model.
