Microwave - Is a Combi moneysaving??

kiwichick

Hello There Old Friends :wave:

Its been months since I last posted here and having had a thread on other boards go unanswered I am hoping you can help me.

My current microwave (a conventional one) is on its last legs, not only did the plate meet an unfortunate end (thanks to DS bless him) but it is now cooking things erractically (sp?). I defrosted some sausages yesterday and it cooked them!!!!!!!

I've been looking and found lots of places sell combination microwaves, now I've never heard of these until this week and am wondering if one of them would be a good purchase in the long run. My oven is gas and I dont like it much as it cooks unevenly with things nearer the back getting burnt.

Will I be able to do some cooking and maybe baking in a combi micro with decent results? And are the cooking times shorter meaning less electricity used???

Being so dimwitted here but now that I am on my own with the kids every penny is working harder and I dont want to make the wrong decision.

Love to all,
Al x

kiwichick

B U M P - anyone????

Olliebeak

Sorry I can't be of any help on this subject - but maybe one of the other posters on here has experience of these.

Have you tried googling a particular one and looking for any reviews on them?


There's some reviews on this site:
http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/microwave-ovens/sanyo-ems2298v.asp


It's worth checking out Dixons, Comet, Argos as well - they'll all have product reviews.

good luck - hope you get the information you need .

kaya

if your oven burns things at the back you need to get it repaired, sounds ,like the door seal could be naff, as for combi ovens , just more to go wrong

moneysaver

We have a Panasonic combi, It does cook a lot quicker & a lot more even than a conventional oven as the food is on a turntable. It can be used as a normal microwave, conventional oven or combination of both. We use it for baking but we have to bake in batches as it is smaller than a normal oven.

It is also handy to have an extra oven if you need to do things in 2 ovens at different temps.

We have had it for years & would not be without it.


Moneysaver

Olliebeak

OP - just an idea - have you considered one of the Halogen Ovens instead of a combi-microwave?

rosieben

I have a combi micro/convection oven/ grill. The micro bit isnt working so I've bought a cheapie just for the mo, but will replace the combi asap. I dont preheat and it uses less power so must be more economical than my fan oven though I havent done the maths. I've seen a combi with a removable shelf which is maybe the one I'll go for.

I bought a couple of smaller casseroles to fit the combi but I found that if I take out the turntable I can use some of my bigger ones too.

beverleyhills

moneysaver wrote: »

We have a Panasonic combi, It does cook a lot quicker & a lot more even than a conventional oven as the food is on a turntable. It can be used as a normal microwave, conventional oven or combination of both. We use it for baking but we have to bake in batches as it is smaller than a normal oven.

moneysaver wrote: »

It is also handy to have an extra oven if you need to do things in 2 ovens at different temps.

We have had it for years & would not be without it.


Moneysaver

We have had a similar one for years and agree with Moneysaver. It produces better pastry than our gas oven. I have cooked a 5lb+ rib of beef and loin of pork using the combination mode.

I find I need it on the work surface or eye level in order to see the various settings.

jessicamb

I have a combi and have never really figured out how to get the best out of it - but it can cook a roast chicken in 45 minutes which I have tested and "microwave + grill" oven chips are better than the oven. It seems to cook the food more evenly than my oven so its less guess work.

I got this one http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4006062/c_1/1|cat_14418476|Microwaves|14418513/c_2/2|cat_14418513|Combination+microwaves|14418520/Trail/searchtext%3EMICROWAVE.htm as I wanted a decent timer that I could set to have food ready when I got home from work.

jessicamb

some ideas of recipes here

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=679541

Burp_2

Have a read of this previous thread

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=405992&highlight=