It’s a premium buy, but because of its many functions, it can be a tad confusing to use, so keep the manual close by at first. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Finally, our testers judge each microwave for its ease of use and design, considering its overall quality and accompanying instructions. Generally, they will use less electricity than traditional ovens because they heat a smaller space. Some models can even steam food or air fry; the possibilities really are endless. Head to our microwave buying guide for all you need to know about each.
It effortlessly baked fluffy fairy cakes, grilled crispy-yet-juicy sausages, and produced a golden-topped mac and cheese. Note that you can’t change the temperature of these functions though – only the time – which limits its versatility when compared with an actual oven. It was fantastic at cooking ready meals from both chilled and frozen too. This reasonably priced design put in a stellar performance in our lab, scoring full marks when heating up soup and cooking jacket potatoes. Like the Sage above, this Salter is ideal if you want to join the air fryer train without sacrificing precious kitchen space. This combi microwave was the simplest to use of all the models we tested, with an easy-to-read manual and responsive buttons that make cooking effortless.
Ratings and reviews
Detailed instruction manuals also cover how to cook everything from a jacket potato to sausages. If all this seems daunting, many come with a host of pre-programmed auto-cook options that do all the hard work for you. Toast lovers take note though, the grill element may not be as powerful as conventional grills, so it may be slower to brown your bread than an oven or a toaster. Essentially, it’s like having a small oven on your kitchen counter. Master every meal with smart cooking
Convection microwave ovens are a justbit highly versatile kitchen appliance that combines the speed and convenience of a microwave with the functionality of a traditional oven. We’ve been testing products at the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 100 years and have seen on the innovations in microwave tech over that time. A detailed manual will guide you through this, along with all its other functions, which produced well-heated and cooked food as well as nicely defrosted meat. It won’t start the programmes though, so you still need to do this manually, and its auto-cook function disappointed a little; our frozen lasagne needed an extra minute to reach a safe temperature for eating. You can check cooking times, follow guides and recipes, and even add ingredients to your shopping list from your phone.
With its convection oven feature, you can enjoy versatile cooking and baking options, allowing you to prepare a variety of meals with ease. The Sharp R959SLMAA Microwave Oven offers a generous 40-litre capacity, perfect for cooking larger meals or multiple dishes at once. This allows you to cook a wide variety of meals quickly and efficiently, saving you time by integrating defrosting, grilling, and convection into one setting. Plus, the combi modes combine microwave, convection, and grill settings, ensuring your dishes are cooked quickly and evenly.
Functions that make cooking easier
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How do I choose a combination microwave?
With SLIM FRY Technology, you can enjoy crispy food with just a touch of oil, making it a healthier choice. They come in a range of sizes and styles, from compact countertop models to full-sized built-in units, making them suitable for any kitchen.
- Finally, our testers judge each microwave for its ease of use and design, considering its overall quality and accompanying instructions.
- Enjoy consistent outcomes and delightful flavours with this innovative kitchen companion.
- The Sharp R959SLMAA Microwave Oven offers a generous 40-litre capacity, perfect for cooking larger meals or multiple dishes at once.
- Both performed excellently on test, but the former has a larger capacity and more presets while the latter costs half the price and comes with an air fryer function.
- Convection microwave ovens are a highly versatile kitchen appliance that combines the speed and convenience of a microwave with the functionality of a traditional oven.
- Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers.
- Its large 31-litre capacity means it competently doubles as an oven when needed, with ample room to roast a big chicken or bake a generously sized cake.
Igenix IG3095 Digital Microwave with Grill
One appliance handles microwaving, grilling and baking, so you can cook more without clutter. The Russell Hobbs RHM3002 Microwave offers great versatility in your kitchen. Additionally, the stainless steel interior is not only durable but also easy to clean, ensuring a hassle-free cooking experience. With 900 watts of power, it efficiently handles cooking, reheating, and defrosting tasks. If you’re often in a rush, the auto defrost function makes thawing seafood, poultry, and meats quick and easy. The Daewoo Combination Microwave offers an impressive 25L capacity, making it perfect for families and larger gatherings.
You no longer need to worry about reheating meals, as the genius sensor automatically determines the optimal cooking time and power. Both performed excellently on test, but the former has a larger capacity and more presets while the latter costs half the price and comes with an air fryer function. On test, we enjoyed evenly cooked food, well-defrosted minced beef and crispy jacket potatoes with fluffy insides. This microwave offers convenience and flexibility with its cooking options. Its large 31-litre capacity means it competently doubles as an oven when needed, with ample room to roast a big chicken or bake a generously sized cake. This powerful combi does it all, including cooking up a Sunday roast thanks to its 29 auto-cook programmes that include roast lamb and beef.
- The additional nine air fry auto menus enable you to enjoy healthier meals, as they require no added oil while still achieving that crispy texture.
- This means you can effortlessly prepare crispy fries, roast a succulent chicken, or quickly defrost food, all with one appliance.
- When testing the air fryer mode, they enjoyed a well-cooked, tender whole roast chicken and delicious sausages – add some fluffy mash and that’s dinner sorted in just ten minutes.
- One appliance handles microwaving, grilling and baking, so you can cook more without clutter.
- Additionally, the stainless steel interior is not only durable but also easy to clean, ensuring a hassle-free cooking experience.
- Essentially, it’s like having a small oven on your kitchen counter.
The grill gave our sausages a patchier finish than most, but given its extensive capabilities, this microwave is excellent value – especially for often pricey Panasonics. It also has a whopping 40 auto programmes, including ones for rice and fresh fish, alongside a nifty “keep warm” function. We programmed it to defrost a 1.5-kilogram chicken, and it calculated the right length of time, fully defrosting it within 24 minutes. Another impressive combination microwave from Panasonic, this one does everything the above model can, and it steams food too. It’s ideal if you tend to cook for only one or two people, as it saves you heating a large oven and performs just as well.
The 2400W grill offers 10 auto cooking programmes, enabling you to grill, roast, and bake with ease. The fan-assisted convection cooking feature mimics a conventional oven, allowing you to enjoy perfectly cooked meals. The Sage Combi Wave offers remarkable 3-in-1 versatility, serving as an air fryer, convection oven, and microwave. The TOSHIBA Combo Microwave Oven offers remarkable versatility with its five cooking functions, including microwave, air fry, broil, bake, and combi modes. Our experts have trialled hundreds of kitchen appliances, including the best solo microwaves and best air fryer microwaves, so we know exactly what makes a top buy. The speediest of chicken roasters, this combination microwave’s auto roast setting served up a bird in just 37 minutes.
This determines how quickly your microwave will cook; in general, the higher the wattage, the quicker the cooking time. Or, if you’re ready to shop, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have tested 41 combination microwaves to find the best versatile cookers on the market. Combining microwave, grill and oven functions in one unit saves counter space and replaces separate appliances. During our convection microwave oven research, we found 124 convection microwave oven products and shortlisted 10 quality products. The Igenix IG3095 Microwave combines the advantages of a fan-assisted oven with the rapid cooking of a microwave, making it ideal for busy lifestyles. Additionally, the 2500W fan oven provides even cooking results, ideal for baking or roasting.
We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of convection microwave ovens, including Daewoo, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba, BLACK+DECKER. We found that most customers choose convection microwave ovens with an average price of £160.60. We collected and analyzed 26,494 customer reviews through our big data system to write the convection microwave ovens list. With a generous 30-litre capacity and 1000W microwave power, you can easily prepare anything from quick snacks to hearty family meals. With a powerful 900W microwave performance, it ensures quick heating, while the 1100W grill feature is perfect for achieving that crispy finish on your favourites. The Russell Hobbs Microwave Oven offers a spacious 25-litre capacity, making it an ideal addition to your kitchen.
On the menu is tinned soup, chilled and frozen ready meals, jacket potatoes, a roast chicken and homemade fairy cakes. This means the microwave power level and convection or grill temperature are fixed, so you can’t tailor the settings to what you’re cooking. One way to increase your microwave’s cooking capacity is by looking for a model with stackable racks, as that will allow you to cook a couple of dishes at the same time. While solo microwaves are the more affordable choice, if you are after increased cooking capabilities, combination microwaves are undoubtedly a savvy investment. Additionally, the auto minute start function simplifies the cooking process, making it convenient for you to heat up meals quickly and efficiently.
This smart technology ensures your food is heated perfectly every time, preventing any chance of over or undercooking. Its dual-level cooking allows you to prepare multiple dishes at once, saving you time and effort. Moreover, the 95-minute timer allows you to cook meals without the concern of burning, providing you with peace of mind while preparing your favourite dishes. Alternatively, our best value combination microwave is the Russell Hobbs 900W Combination Microwave RHM2574, and it was also rated the easiest to use in the lab.
Testers were impressed with its general microwaving skills (which delivered a beautifully cooked jacket potato) as well as its grill function. Plus, when we used the convection oven and microwave combination, we tucked into a succulent chicken after just 45 minutes. We’ve rounded up our best air fryer microwaves in a separate buying guide to make it even easier to find the best one for your kitchen.
While this Samsung model doesn’t have a convection oven (so skip if you want one for cakes and roasts), it does have a grill with one temperature setting that’s perfect for giving microwave meals a crispy finish. With a 26-litre capacity, it offers lots of flexibility; on test, our experts cooked a roast chicken in 41 minutes, and praised its ready meal and jacket potato prep skills too. Not all combination microwaves have the same features; some have a grill, some have convection cooking, and some have both. Using a combination of microwave and convection heating, these ovens can cook, bake, roast, and grill a wide variety of foods quickly and efficiently. The auto convection setting cooked a whole chicken well with lovely moist meat, and it grilled sausages beautifully.