Mini Oven or Micowave oven?

rizla01

Hi All.

I'm sure plenty of you will know the answer to my dilemna.

Presently I have a basic Microwave plus a separate Mini Oven.

The mini oven is as good as my full size oven only a lot cheaper to buy AND use, and I use it more than both main oven and microwave.

But I do appreciate the need for a microwave.

So obliviously the All-in-one Microwave/Grill/Oven sounds like the answer but is it?

TWO Q's.

A) Is the oven section as good as a conventional fan oven?
Is the Microwave usually as good as a separate?

Thanks

joedenise

I've got a microwave/grill/oven and use it quite a lot. What you have to think about is how do you use your big oven? Do you cook loads of things at the same time or just one or two things? Would you be able to fit everything into a microwave?

I still use my big oven when I'm cooking a roast as generally use both shelves because I use 3 dishes - meat, potatoes & roasted veg.

If you think you can cope with the size then I'd definitely go for a combination microwave.

The microwave part is just as good as a conventional microwave.

Hope that helps you make a decision.

Denise

mollymoggs

We moved into this rental property about a year ago, and the oven is a bit wonky. For various reasons, we didn't want to complain about it, and we were going to buy a microwave anyway. So instead we opted for a Sharp combination microwave (grill, convection, microwave, combi). We use it every single day and have not used our oven since.

A couple of things, there are different "combinations". Some do not come with a convection oven, and some have some sort of steam function instead of at least one of the others. Also, if you are interested in baking, you should find out what bakers say about the model you are interested in as some have all their heat come up from the bottom. We've not had that issue with ours, and it is absolutely brilliant.

Another thing to consider is size. If you want to roast decent sized things, a bigger one might be worth it. You also need to figure out what the requirements for ventilation are. Some require space above; some to the back and sides.

Also, we picked up a cheaper one first, and ended up returning it because it wouldn't keep the temperature. So, we shelled out about £50 more, and got a better one.

As for your specific questions, yes, both functions on ours work as good as separate ones. The only complaint I have is that sometimes when you open the door, it loses temp, and because the area of the oven is so small, it can sometimes drop more than opening a regular oven. But with ours, I usually bake with a low microwave/slightly lower temp convection combination when I can, and things turn out beautifully and moist and in less time than convection alone. I have used convection alone for things that aren't appropriate for microwaves (like raisins) and they come out just as good as our old oven.

rizla01

I must admit that I am impressed with my Mini oven (Which was a freebie off freecycle).

I assumed it would be rubbish as it was given away virtually unused.

Point is, I wonder if anyone here has gone from a MINI oven to a combination?

Miss_Mulberry

Interesting, I had no idea mini ovens exist! As I've only got a microwave it's something I'd like to budget for in the next few months!

rizla01

Miss_Mulberry wrote: »

Interesting, I had no idea mini ovens exist! As I've only got a microwave it's something I'd like to budget for in the next few months!

Dont be put off by the cheap price that they sell for (Often £50-£60 ish).

They work very well and often have convection and grilling ability.