help how do I use my new combi microwave

Eenymeeny

Cooked a baked potato on combination tonight and it was lovely and fluffy but crispy outside...yay! I must admit that I put it on top of the rack as last time I tried it wasn't crispy (I'd put it on the metal plate according to the instructions) I've been shopping and bought different things that I can experiment with, I'll report back. Thanks everyone

Eenymeeny

For anyone who is struggling with a new combi I've found a book which explains what you use, when and why! Along with over 200 recipes. It's the Good Housekeeping Combination and Microwave Cooking Book. I've found it a great help and even better, I found it in a charity shop for 99p. I felt like it was just waiting for me, brilliant!:j HTH

fuzzgun19

With a combination microwave could I -

Grill fishfingers, burgers etc?
Bake a cake, roast meat, cook yorkshire puddings?

I'm considering getting one of these, but it all sounds complicated!

If I could do all of the above, would it cost less to run rather than putting my electric oven on?

datlex

I have a combi microwave/normal oven/grill. I can cook all of the above you have listed in it. It also combines multiple functions. It is great for pizzas/cakes/ cheese of toast as the turn table means things cook evenly.

steveo3002

datlex wrote: »

I have a combi microwave/normal oven/grill. I can cook all of the above you have listed in it. It also combines multiple functions. It is great for pizzas/cakes/ cheese of toast as the turn table means things cook evenly.

how about some tips on how you use it ?

ive just bought one...an explanation of what the food was cooked on /in and what settings etc would be very handy

thanks

lushlifesaver

We've never used the grill on ours, well I did try it once and it was pants so...yeah wouldn't recommend it unless there's a combination setting with oven and grill


I had never used a combination microwave until I got with bf (that said the one at my parents might be a combination one but no one knows how to use it as anything other than a microwave!) and I must say it's been handy. Not tried everything in it but most things have come out ok - not to a similar standard/quality as I expect from an oven but that's understandable as everything seems to stay a lot wetter/moist (not always what you want) and I do find that some things take longer to cook (cakes and lasagne primarily!) I could also never get chips/wedges etc right in it.

The rack was always fine for use in oven/grill combination (of those two) modes as was the glass plate. That said our glass plate cracked (well...exploded practically!) a few weeks back so I've had to buy a replacement and now take it out whenever using it as an oven!


I find that fish fingers and things like that don't crisp up but that's never the end of the world. Do rather like chicken breasts etc cooked in there though. They are very yummy just bake don their own and easy to shred for things like soup etc

room512

We have a combi microwave and we used it to cook everything as our cooker wasn't very good. I can't think of anything that we couldn't cook in it. When doing large meals that required more than one shelf in the oven we had to be creative and cook things in stages. The only thing that we didn't really use it as was a microwave to be honest - we used the convection and grill setting mostly.

When using it on the convection or grill setting you must have the metal plate in it to protect the glass turntable from cracking. We used to cook lots of things in/on the metal plate. We also used any oven proof dishes, they just have to be small enough to fit in and turn. We have a great lasagne dish that fits in.

We just used to put the food in dial in the temperature and set the timer for that number of minutes - we never bothered with prewarming the oven and most things cooked in the time recommended.

Hope that helps.

Ollimae

HappyIdiotTalk wrote: »

Our micro has about had it. Are these combo microwave, oven, grill gadgets any good or just a gimmick? I use our current microwave for reheating food, defrosting and plate warming. But might be interested in a combo device for doing cheese on toast and that sort of thing. I'm a bit skeptical about the quality of a microwave and grilled roast chicken though... How do they turn out compared to roasting in a conventional oven?

We have a De Longhi combination microwave and it is brilliant for the two of us. I use mine just like a small oven or as an ordinary microwave and I can use the metal rack in either. If you want to grill you need the high metal rack, which was included in ours, but we also have a low rack for baking etc. I found that it's best to put the low rack on the glass plate before putting anything in to roast or bake as the glass did crack after a while and I had to replace it. Other than that it's much better that having my large oven on for the two of us.

With the low rack and high rack together I can cook two separate dishes at the same time provided they require the same temperature. I can cook them at the same time by having one dish on the low rack and the other on the top one. If they have different cooking times, say 30 minutes and 20 minutes I just set it for 30 minutes and add the second dish after 10 minutes so they finish cooking together.

youareallhelpingme

I have just bought a DeLonghi combi oven and the book just refers to not using cookware with metal in it in the microwave oven, but it doesn't then say they are safe to use in the convection oven. I think they have used the same hints and tips page in the Microwave recipe book and also in the convection/grill recipe book by mistake.


I've been using Pyrex but the dish has sides which means the air doesn't circulate well around chips. Is it safe to use my normal metal baking trays and pans when just using the convection oven?


I really don't fancy it exploding on me!

krlyr

youareallhelpingme wrote: »

I have just bought a DeLonghi combi oven and the book just refers to not using cookware with metal in it in the microwave oven, but it doesn't then say they are safe to use in the convection oven. I think they have used the same hints and tips page in the Microwave recipe book and also in the convection/grill recipe book by mistake.


I've been using Pyrex but the dish has sides which means the air doesn't circulate well around chips. Is it safe to use my normal metal baking trays and pans when just using the convection oven?


I really don't fancy it exploding on me!

Metal is absolutely fine when using the oven or grill modes (but not any combo mode that involves the microwave). I've had a combination microwave (think ours is DeLonghi too) for the past 2 and a bit years (since we moved - only the hobs on the oven here worked so we got it as a temporary solution, and it's so handy we haven't actually replaced the oven yet!) and always use metal dishes. I have the base from a springform cake tin that I use as a flat baking tray, or a rectangular deep sides pan for roasting things in. You have to be a little careful when shopping for pans as they don't all fit (have a lovely Le Creuset quiche pan which would fit perfectly if it weren't for the inbuilt handles! And I'm yet to find a pizza tray that fits) but you certainly don't have to stick to Pyrex.