Monday 30 September 2013

Microwave Combination Ovens - My Personal Shortlist

The following combination microwave ovens made it onto my personal shortlist after some investigation and reading of user reviews and ratings. If you are after a microwave oven it is worth finding out which ones are reliable and value for money.

Panasonic NNCF778S flat bed combination microwave.

The NN-CF778 SBPQ combination oven has no turntable so you don't have to choose a plate small enough to rotate. That's what partly accounts for this machine's 27-litre capacity, giving you a large usable oven space to fill with large dishes. You also get true combination cooking with microwave, grill & convection oven.

Some features include:

1300 watt grill to cook an entire roast dinner in a flatbed microwave. Stainless steel cavity with 2 cooking levels. Energy saving mode. 6 power levels. Turbo defrost. Touch control. Child lock.

Some specs include:

1000W (I.E.C.) Inverter Microwave 1300W quartz grill with three settings and 1400W fan assisted convection oven Oven temperature range 40°C then 100-250°C Stainless steel lining with catalytic self-clean back plate

General Electric Profile Advantium 120 SCA1001KSS

The primary benefit of the SCA1001KSS over other speedcook ovens is that this model runs on 120-volt electric power. You can install this model, plug it into an existing over-the-range outlet and start cooking immediately.

However having said that, you should choose the 240-volt model if possible for its better performance if you are not limited to a 120-volt outlet. Otherwise the Advantium 120 makes a good choice over a simpler microwave.

This oven offers a superior array of features. The Advantium 120 offers 100 pre-programmed food selections, a sophisticated help program and a recipe saver for your personal favorites. A high performance sensor monitors moisture in foods and stops cooking at precisely the right time. Using this sensor can virtually eliminate ruining foods in the microwave.

A two-speed ventilation fan provides a maximum of 300 cfm - the norm for ovens of this kind. The cooktop lighting is provided by our favorite light source for this purpose: a bright, effective halogen light source.

Pros: Runs on 120 volt power, excellent sensor, superior lighting

Cons: Less powerful than 240 volt models

A happy user wrote: "My Advantium preheats in roughly 5 minutes. It cools down very fast and I have not had any problem using it as a microwave right after using it as an oven. (I'm using it now on the countertop during the temporary kitchen phase. A real godsend!)"

Other models worthy of investigation are:

SamsungCE137NTM Combination microwave oven.

Sharp R898 1850 Watts Convection / Microwave Oven.