What is a convection microwave?
A convection microwave is a household appliance that is a combination of a conventional microwave and a convection oven. This device is popular in many households as it provides faster cooking times and comes with the added bonus of ensuring that foods like pizza or fries come out golden and crispy, rather than soggy as in a traditional microwave.
Due to the additional features and engineering that this form of microwave oven has, they used to be expensive to purchase. However, due to them growing in popularity, they have dropped in price, making them a more affordable purchase.
This means that an increasing number of people who want a speedier way to cook a wider range of foods are looking at purchasing the best microwave convection oven combos. However, finding a good, reliable model isn’t always an easy task, especially with so many options around.
3 Convection microwave reviews
To make the process of selecting and purchasing a microwave convection oven combo easier, the features and benefits of three of these devices under $250 are discussed below in these convection microwave reviews.
Remember we already reviewed 3 premium convection microwaves here. For a guide to the best microwave convection oven combo to buy, read on.
1. Farberware Gourmet FMO10AHSBKA 1.0 Cubic Foot 1500 Watt Microwave Oven with Healthy Air Fry and Grill/Convection Function – Once you get past the noise and initial learning curve it proves to be a great combi option cooking popular foods to perfection
The Farberware Gourmet 1.0-Cubic-Foot 1500-Watt Microwave comes with an air fryer, grill and convection function. Priced around our $250 price point this model comes with unmatched features and a touch of elegant styling.
Next level functionality
Offering state of the art technology for home cooking, it is named as the ‘next level’ in multi-purpose functionality. The design is modern, smart and will fit well into most kitchens with its black frame and stainless steel handle. It offers ten power levels, four output options, interior LED lighting, and a sleek whole glass door. Great so far.
One of the fantastic things about this model is the fact that it has a wide range of features and offers more than most other convection oven and microwave combos. As well as having an air fryer, grill, and heat option, this design also has a ‘popcorn’ option and a ‘potato’ feature, both of which work perfectly, offering popcorn that is fully popped and not burnt and potatoes that are baked to perfection.
The defrost feature also works well. The interior is incredibly easy to clean. While the fish that this microwave oven cooks is beautiful.
A bit loud when in use
The downside to this model is that it is a little loud during use. It can also take a while to get to grips with, as some of the settings are complicated to understand and use. However, every feature is explained perfectly in the instructions. Then there is the fact that the clock only displays in ‘military’ time, a small niggle.
Pros:
- Smart and modern design would fit easily into almost any home
- Not overly large
- Provides up to 1500 watts of cooking power
- It has ten auto cook programs, which means that there are plenty of features to take advantage of
- It has ten power levels
- There is a smart sensor built into it
- Unique healthy air fry technology
- Affordable
- Stainless steel cavity
- Child lock function
Cons:
- Model can be loud when working
- The settings are complicated to use and understand at first
- The clock only displays in ‘military’ time, which can be irritating for some users
The Farberware Gourmet 1.0-Cubic-Foot 1500-Watt Microwave is a great microwave convection oven combo that already has lots of positive reviews on Amazon and other websites. We are no different and highly recommend it.
Genuinely useful features
This microwave comes with a wide range of truly useful features that you will use daily. Most are simple to use but some of the settings aren’t that simple to get to grips with at first. That being said, it’s unique range of features, including its air frying setting makes it a model that is highly popular, particularly with people wanting to lead healthier lives.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, this is a good product that has some fantastic features. Its unique selling point is definitely its air frying feature which makes an ideal buy for anyone who is health conscious.
2. Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Convection Microwave with Sensor Cooking Function, 1.5 Cu.ft, Stainless Steel – Slower to reheat than the other options but offers overall good value for money with basic functionality
The Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Convection Microwave offers two very different ways to cook, combining microwave cooking with grilling. This model combines microwave cooking with convection oven cooking, allowing it to heat, bake and grill food, and can cook food using the microwave setting or grill setting or it can combine both settings.
Price offers good value
It’s a cheaper option than the Farberware which represents fantastic value for the range of features that it offers. It has a modern design that would fit seamlessly into almost any kitchen, thanks to its sleek stainless steel finish.
One of the benefits of this device is the fact that it offers a wide range of features, including being able to bake crispy fries, heat up a frozen pizza, or roast a whole chicken. There are four auto functions for bake and roast, so it is quick and easy to prepare some of your favorite meals.
The auto bake feature can be used for fries, muffins, dinner rolls, and pizza. While the auto roast feature can be used for a joint of beef, whole chicken, turkey breasts and pork.
Weight input helps cook meat thoroughly
You can enter the weight of the meat that you are cooking to ensure that the auto roast feature cooks the meat thoroughly. This model offers incredible value for the price and is popular with families because of this. The microwave function heats food and liquids quickly and evenly, speeding up cooking times. The oven preheats well, which again speeds up cooking times.
One of the downsides to this model is that it can take longer to reheat foods than other models of microwave convection oven combos. This model seems to have a lower power than other similar models, making it not as popular as other options.
Can lose heat quickly
Furthermore when the door is opened during preheating to put the food in the oven quickly loses heat, meaning that it can take a lot longer to heat up than is necessary.
Pros:
- Smart, sleek stainless steel design, ideal for modern homes
- Sensor cooking and reheating options
- Auto menu for roasting, baking and defrosting
- Easy to clean stainless steel interior
- Pre-programmed sensor menu for heating of popular foods including pizza, potatoes, vegetables, and more
- Digital control panel with interior LED light
- Provides up to 1000 watts of microwave cooking power
- Can fit a whole roast chicken inside it to roast
- It is affordable
Cons:
- It can take longer to reheat food than other models
- This model doesn’t seem as powerful as other similar ones
- The quality isn’t as high as other models
Final thoughts
The Toshiba EC042A5C-SS Convection Microwave combo is a budget-friendly model that offers a wide range of features, including a selection of auto sensor ones. It can roast, bake and defrost foods and tends to work well when doing so.
Lower power means cooking times are extended
Some buyers will love it due to its budget-friendly nature, others won’t be so keen and will prefer to spend the extra and get something of better quality. It is simple to use though and does cook food well. However it can sometimes take longer than expected to do so.
In conclusion, this is a good model but a basic one, and a design that is more popular with people on smaller budgets, as it lacks quality.
3. Emerson 1.5 CU. FT. 1000W Convection Microwave Oven with Grill Touch Control Countertop, Stainless Steel and Black Cabinet, MWCG1584SB – A decent option but too small for roasts and that door handle requires a bit too much force to open
The Emerson 1.5 CU. FT. 1000W Convection Microwave Oven is a popular microwave convection oven combo that that is similarly priced as the Farberware.
It comes with a grill feature with a removable rack that is ideal for browning food on after heating; its convection function makes baking and roasting easy and straightforward.
Auto cooking of popular foods
It also has nine preset cooking functions for easy cooking that automatically cook foods like popcorn, potatoes, and vegetables, taking the guesswork out of the process.
One of the benefits of this model is the fact that it is made to be child safe, thanks to the lockout function. This function ensures that the oven is lockable and cannot be accidentally used or operated by children or anyone that doesn’t know what they are doing.
It also has a removable glass turntable that makes keeping it clean easy. There is also an automatic defrost setting where you enter the weight of the food, and the oven works out how long it needs to defrost properly.
Small and quiet
This design is very quiet unlike the Farberware which makes it ideal for people who aren’t keen on noisy kitchens or live in a small apartment. The unit is small, compact and lightweight design, which makes it ideal for using in smaller spaces. Despite being small, it is powerful and heats up items fast.
One downside of this model is that the door can be difficult to open and can require quite a lot of strength to do so. The grill feature is not as easy as it could be to clean, which is a downside to this device. Plus, it is too small to cook certain things in, as it is so compact.
Pros:
- Stainless steel front and black cabinet back – it’s smart and modern and fits well into most kitchens
- It’s small and compact, making it ideal for smaller spaces
- It’s lightweight, so easy to move around for cleaning purposes
- It comes with child locks
- It has a removable glass turntable, so is easy to clean
- There is an automatic defrost setting which makes defrosting foods much quicker and easier
- It’s quiet so is not distracting when in use
- It heats items up quickly
Cons:
- The door can be difficult to open as it is rather stiff
- The grill is not easy to clean
- It is not that large, so certain dishes won’t fit inside it
Final thoughts
The Emerson 1.5 CU. FT. 1000W Convection Microwave is a microwave convection oven combo that has received mixed reviews. While some users love the small size and lightweight design, others aren’t keen on it.
Lacks a little power
While it can be used to roast, bake and defrost foods, and works quickly and effectively. However, some people feel that it lacks power and doesn’t work as efficiently as it could do.
In conclusion, this model is a popular option but is not a good fit for everyone. Its small size makes it more suited to smaller homes and single users, not families.
Conclusion: Which is the best microwave convection oven combo reviewed here?
Out of these three microwave convection oven combos, the best option is the Farberware Gourmet FMO10AHSBKA 1.0 Cubic Foot 1500 Watt Microwave Oven with Healthy Air Fry and Grill/Convection Function.
This microwave is not only budget friendly and affordable, but it is also powerful, comes with a wide range of features, including a unique air frying feature that makes healthy cooking even easier.
Both the Emerson and the Toshiba EC042A5C-SS have their plus points but they are not a good fit for the most number of household users.
