Oven with microwave function: features, models, tips for choosing

The modern variety of all kinds of culinary recipes presupposes the presence of a large number of different household appliances. One and the same product can be prepared not in one, but in several ways. Unfortunately, most city apartments cannot boast of a large kitchen area, so it can be difficult to place all the necessary household appliances on it. In order to save such valuable space in this room, experts advise turning their attention to those models that combine the functions of two or more kitchen assistants at once. One of these household appliances is an oven with microwave functions.

An oven with microwave functions is an appliance that combines 2 completely different kitchen appliances in 1 case. The first one helps in cooking by stewing, baking or drying. Like a conventional oven, it works on the principle of heating the surface of dishes or food by supplying heat from one or more sides. This is what allows you to get an appetizing crisp and soft filling on a pie or casserole.

In turn, a microwave oven is a device that uses microwave radiation. Electromagnetic energy acts directly on the water molecules in food, which are set in motion. Due to the movement of particles, heat is released, which heats the mass itself, without heating the dishes and the air around it. This avoids situations where the outside of the food starts to burn, but the inside is still very cool.

By combining these two principles of operation, you get a universal oven that allows you to easily and quickly switch modes and achieve the desired result. At the same time, the functionality of different models itself can be very different from each other and depend on the price, year of manufacture and manufacturer.

In order to understand the reasons for the high popularity of such devices, it is worth taking a closer look at their advantages over classic kitchen appliances.

• Saving space... The main advantage of such devices is their ability to replace several large household appliances. This property is often decisive when choosing, since the size of modern kitchens is not as large as you want. In addition, the oven itself takes up less space than even the smallest hob. The combination oven is often built under the hob and allows you to leave space underneath for a small extra drawer, which is often used for storing large dishes.
• The speed of obtaining the result. Cooking in a microwave oven is much faster, since it does not need to be preheated to the desired temperature. This saves time for other, more important things.
• Multifunctionality. It is rare to see a model of such a device on sale without any additional functions. Most often, manufacturers are trying to increase their list for the comfort of buyers.
• Uniform heating. When cooking in microwave mode, the risk of spoiling the food and overdrying or burning the dish is much lower. Moreover, if you need to get a golden brown crust, you can partially cook the delicacy in the microwave mode, and then switch to a regular oven or even a grill.

Despite such a large number of advantages, some buyers still prefer to install separate devices in their kitchens. This is due to the disadvantages of such an oven, which, unfortunately, are still very significant.

• High price. An ordinary gas stove, and even more so a microwave oven, will cost much less. Not every family can afford the convenience at too high a price.
• Complex installation. It is somewhat more difficult to build and connect an oven with microwave functions than each of the devices separately. Sometimes this requires the help of specialists, as you have to change the location of the outlets or remodel kitchen cabinets.
• Electricity consumption. Gas costs much less than electricity. And besides, an ordinary stove uses it very economically. High power electric ovens consume a lot of energy, and their requirements for the quality of the electrical network are much higher than the requirements of a separate microwave oven.
• Risk of breakage. In the event that the oven breaks down, the family will be left without an oven and without a microwave right away. Reheating even ready-made food will be simply impossible. In the event that both household appliances are available, the risk of being left without a hot lunch is significantly lower.
• Small size... This is especially true for built-in ovens. Their size is so compact that sometimes it is not possible to cook food for a large number of people at once.

All the variety of models presented in stores and on sites can be divided into several types, depending on certain features. For example, according to the power source, they are divided into the following varieties.

• Gas. Such models are most familiar to those who previously had a conventional gas stove with an oven. In this case, the microwave mode will work only when connected to the network.
• Electrical. These ovens are fully powered from the mains, and therefore do not require two different types of connection.

Also, ovens can be divided based on their dependence on the hob.

• Dependents. This type requires an attached hob. The inclusion of both units occurs with the help of one button, they cannot function separately.
• Independent. This type of oven is independent of the presence or operation of the hob. They are connected separately and do not affect each other.

And, finally, such household appliances can be classified according to the type of installation.

• Embedded. The body of the oven is hidden inside the kitchen module, and the side edges of the oven fit snugly against the edges of the hole in it.
• Freestanding. Such cabinets have a wide range of sizes and can be both floor-standing and table-top. In some cases, it is possible to mount in a suspended state, but such cabinets are not common on the market due to their inconvenience.

There are a lot of advertisements on the web that promise high quality products at affordable prices. Most often, such calls greatly exaggerate the real characteristics or even hide fraud behind them. In order to understand the quality of a particular oven, you should seek feedback from real buyers. Based on them, a small rating was compiled and the 5 most popular combined ovens in various price segments were selected.

One of the best ovens with microwave functions is considered to be the built-in independent model CM678G451 from the German company SIEMENS. Ample opportunities with very economical power consumption make it so desirable in any kitchen. It's easy to install and intuitive to set up even without instructions. At the same time, such a technique cannot be called cheap.

The second place in the ranking is occupied by another German company with its built-in independent oven NEFF C17MR02N0.Its price is slightly higher than the previous one / Large volume and a wide variety of additional functions are combined with economical energy consumption. The only drawback of this model is the lack of automatic cleaning, you will have to spend your time on this.

The third place was given by the buyers to the CMG636BS1 model, which is also produced in Germany by the BOSCH group of companies. Its price is in the middle price segment, the technique is easy to use and has the ability to combine several cooking modes at once. Among the shortcomings, one can single out a noticeable heating of the case, which is very important for built-in models. Some users also noted the complexity of the setup and the poor adaptation of the menus on the display.

The Swedish built-in electric cabinet EVY 97800 AX from ELECTROLUX has the same large volume as previous models of ovens. Moreover, its price is quite affordable. The appliance is energy efficient and has a quick cooling function. At the same time, it has fewer additional cooking modes and does not clean itself of contamination on its own.

The fifth place in the rating is given to the Turkish model of the built-in independent oven OE 445 X from the WEISSGAUFF company. Its price is low, and the functionality is not very different from more expensive ovens. A feature of such a device is a wide selection of automated cooking modes that require only a couple of button presses. Attractive design and availability of additional accessories make this model one of the most popular in its price segment.

Before looking for reviews of real buyers in various forums, you need to decide on the main parameters of the future oven. First of all, you should choose its type, and then decide on the characteristics.

One of the most important characteristics of an oven is its size. It should be quite narrow to save space for kitchen units, while still being able to accommodate the main dishes and baking trays. The standard width for this technique is 60 centimeters. The height of the unit is 40-45 cm, and the volume of the chamber varies between 35-70 liters. The more family members there are, the larger the oven should be, since compact models will not fit large baking dishes and tall braziers.

Separately, the power of a microwave oven and a conventional electric oven is very different. For the first, it is about 1000 watts, and the second is 2500 watts. The speed of cooking directly depends on this indicator, and therefore the more the power of the combined model is, the less you will need to wait for lunch or dinner. In addition, the power affects the energy consumption (the more it is, the higher the consumption).

Any device needs periodic cleaning of the inner chamber. Such cleaning systems can have the following modifications.

• Catalytic type. In this case, cleaning takes place using high temperatures. Heating up to 250 degrees allows you to split the frozen drops of fat, after which they can be easily removed with a regular cloth or sponge.
• Pyrolytic type. This type of cleaning involves literally burning out any food contamination at a temperature of at least 500 degrees. The remaining ash and scale are simply wiped off with a regular napkin. Such cleaning requires special filters to prevent burning odors from entering the room. That is why it is the most expensive.
• Hydrolysis type. Such cleaning is carried out in the usual way. A dish with water is placed in the oven, the heating mode is turned on. The resulting hot steam softens the dirt, after which it can be easily removed with a damp cloth.

Regardless of whether the oven is built into the kitchen module or stands alone, it should fit into the rest of the kitchen interior. The body and the outside of the ovens are most often made of stainless steel and glass. However, there are models made of oxidized metals or coated with enamel. In addition to a variety of materials, ovens also boast a variety of colors. To choose the right device for the finished kitchen, you should follow a few simple rules.

• For style country it is better to choose bright colors with elements of cast iron or brass.
• Style provence assumes light technique of white or beige color and the same accessories.
• Retro allows you to combine the first and second design options.
• High tech suggests the presence of metal shine or glass reflections. The main color is most often black or silver.
• Style modern - this is the severity of the lines of the oven itself and complex classic elements with curls and complex designs. At the same time, the color scheme remains in calm tones.

Another of the most important additional parameters when choosing an oven is various security systems.

• "Gas control". The system shuts off the gas supply if the burner fire is out. This saves you from serious disasters as a result of household gas explosions.
• Laminated glass in the door... The number of such layers can be up to 4 pieces, which guarantees low heating even of the oven door, and not just its body.
• Child lock. The child will not be able to accidentally open or turn on a dangerous household appliance.
• Automatic shutdown at the end of the program. In this case, it is not scary to forget about the baked biscuit or stewed fish. Nothing will burn as the oven stops heating at the end of the program.
• Turn off microwaves when opening. In order to protect a person from electromagnetic radiation in microwave mode, the oven turns off when the door is opened.

Last but not least, what you should pay attention to when choosing - this is a number of additional functions that the manufacturer provides in a particular model.

• Grill. With it, you can bake vegetables, fish and meat as if they were cooked on a grill or fire. Uniform heating and, at the same time, the formation of a crispy baked crust - this is the difference between this function.
• Skewer. With it, you can quickly bake even the largest pieces of meat, poultry or fish. This function requires a built-in motor to rotate the spit.
• Fan cooling. Some models are equipped with a special fan to prevent the body and door from overheating. It drives a stream of cool air through the rear panel and into the interior.
• Convection. This function is also realized with a built-in fan. It allows you to evenly mix the air flows inside the chamber without mixing them. This will allow you to cook several dishes at once and not mix their flavors.
• Double boiler. This function will be especially important for those who prefer to monitor their health through food intake. Steam cooking assumes the absence of harmful fats and carcinogens, which are necessarily present when frying and baking food.
• Defrosting. The microwave oven allows you to add a built-in mode for quick defrosting of food. This is very convenient in cases where you need to cook something quickly, and all the products were in the freezer.
• Internal lighting. This lighting allows you to control the cooking process without opening the oven door. This is especially important for those who love fluffy baked goods, as even a simple biscuit will fall off if you run cool room air into a hot oven during constant checks.
• Temperature probe and information display. Some models come with a built-in or separate core temperature probe that can be positioned inside the food being prepared. Such a device will measure the temperature not outside, but inside a piece of meat or pie and transmit data to an external display.
• Management via a mobile application. Modern telephones have long been transformed from communication means into universal devices. And one of the newest functions is the control of all household appliances. Modern models of ovens allow you to set cooking modes and monitor their implementation, even when you are outside the kitchen or apartment.

Dimensions, functionality and even design significantly affect the final price of the combined oven. However, the appearance and availability of additional functions will be completely unimportant if the oven let the family down at the most inopportune moment or causes injury. That is why the main thing that experts do not recommend sacrificing at the time of choice is the safety and quality of the oven assembly.

For information on how to choose the right oven with microwave function, see the next video.