Anyone in a modern household or workplace will wax eloquent about the convenience of a microwave oven. Be it a countertop microwave, a built-in appliance, or an over-the-range microwave, this appliance has become a common resident in countless kitchens. While microwaves are immensely popular, traditional ovens were and still are used dedicatedly for roasting, grilling, and baking, which microwaves weren’t able to do, at least until a short time ago. With advances in cooking technology and changing trends in appliance choices, leading manufacturers have worked to combine the functionalities of a microwave with a regular oven. This gave rise to the microwave combo oven, which is becoming increasingly popular for several reasons. Let’s first look at the independent features of microwaves and wall ovens, and why combining the two makes a lot of sense.
Microwaves are Versatile Kitchen Saviors
Being undeniably user friendly and set with plenty of pre-programmed options, microwave ovens drastically reduce meal prep efforts when time is running low. How does a microwave work? Basically, microwaves, which are a certain type of electromagnetic waves, cause water molecules in food to vibrate, which creates friction between the molecules and produces heat. This mechanism cooks produce and boils beverages. Depending on personal preferences and living situations, one type of microwave oven may suit you better than the others. The three types of microwaves include:
Countertop Microwaves – A common sight in many households, countertop microwaves heat food, defrost frozen meals, and even cook snacks in just a matter of minutes. As they can be simply positioned on the countertop space, installation efforts are zero.
Over-the-Range Microwaves – An over-the-range microwave oven saves space as it is mounted above the cooking range. A fan is built in to circulate air outdoors, eliminating the need for a separate ventilation hood. These microwaves are best suited for compact kitchens.
Built-in Microwaves – A built-in microwave oven is installed inside a cabinet or wall, providing a seamless look and freeing up counter space. It is a perfect option for those who want to have a modern and stylish kitchen. Since built-in microwaves have to be specially engineered to fit in a wall or under the counter, they could be more expensive than the other two types.
You can use any type of microwave to cook soups, sandwiches, popcorn, and other quick bites. Trusted brands including GE, LG, and Bosch release advanced microwaves year after year, each line of appliances better than the previous one. There’s no dearth of options for anyone looking for a new microwave nowadays.
Traditional Ovens for Satisfying Meal Prep
Traditional ovens can be standalone appliances, integrated in kitchen ranges, or wall ovens. Wall ovens are flush mounted, and are specially engineered to be able to fit within a wall or in level with your countertop and cabinets. Ovens feature heating elements to cook food by conduction, convection, or radiation. When planning to install a wall oven, you can choose between:
Electric Wall Ovens – Designed with convenient controls and a roomy interior, electric wall ovens let you cook food that your family and friends will savor. The easy-to-use keypads and self-cleaning features available on many models make adjusting the temperature and maintaining your appliance a cake walk. Electric ovens maintain completely dry internal conditions and retains heat for long periods. Meat and veggies are rendered brown and sizzling, so every bite tastes great with both tender and crispy textures.
Gas Wall Ovens – If you include broiling and high-heat cooking in your recipes often, gas wall oven should be your pick. While electric ovens’ performance is vulnerable to power outages, gas ovens function superbly with a secure gas line connection. They are ideal for baking as they retain more moisture inside, essential for producing airy and moist cakes and pastries. Gas wall ovens let you control the temperature more easily than in electric ovens.
Warming Drawers – Even after a following recipe to the last detail, the food can fall flat if served at the wrong temperature or wrong time. At these moments, warming drawers help salvage the food you prepared. Not only do they pave the way for serving expert-level meals, they also provide flexibility to adjust to changes in mealtimes within a schedule. Other than warming food, warming drawers help in defrosting, cup warming, plate warming and low temperature cooking.
Both electric and gas ovens are available as single and double units. While a single oven is sufficient for average-sized families, a double wall oven makes sense for larger households. Individual controls for the top and bottom units let you cook different types of dishes on the menu at the same time. An oven with two racks will allow five or more positions to accommodate pots and pans of varying dimensions. Convection wall ovens provide uniform heating for every inch of the interior cavity to produce evenly cooked pies, roast beef, or chicken pot pies.
Microwaves, OTG Ovens, and Wall Ovens: What’s the Difference?
Apart from the working principle, the main difference between microwaves and ovens is the heating capacity. Microwaves generate enough heat to defrost or cook snacks and small meals. By contrast, ovens are able to cook more thoroughly owing to the higher heat output. Ovens can not only be used to baked shortbread and roast meat, but also grill produce and make one-pot meals like lasagna and casseroles.
An OTG, short for Oven, Toaster, and Grill, is a more compact version of ovens, but the two share the same working principle. OTGs combine the functions of a traditional oven and those of a toaster and a grill. However, they usually don’t have convection and broiling options. They also can’t produce that mouth-watering crispiness and browning that ovens can. Try getting a toaster oven with air fryer capabilities. This will open up many more ways to prepare crunchy goodies sans excess oil.
Dual-Function Ovens Double the Possibilities
In the past, microwaves were considered suitable just for prepping fast food or re-heating leftovers, while ovens were associated with more nutritious, sumptuous meals. But microwave combo ovens have changed this perception. You can get all the modern features of a microwave and more powerful performance of a baking oven in one appliance. Some of the traditional oven features found in wall oven microwave combos include:
Convection – This is probably the most helpful feature that microwaves have borrowed from traditional ovens. This is a cooking technique that includes a fan circulating hot air on all sides of the dish for creating consistently cooked food. True European Convection is offered in some convection microwave ovens. This feature is a result of a third heating element and a fan for crisper crusts and tastier browning.
Bigger Interior Volume – Ovens are better for cooking large portions and multiple dishes at once. Microwaves have a smaller cooking capacity than ovens, and are better suited for cooking small portions and reheating food. The typical capacity of microwaves ranges between 20 and 32 liters, ideal for small to medium families. In contrast, ovens come with higher capacities, ranging from 15 to 60 liters, making them ideal for baking, grilling, and toasting in larger quantities.
Minimalist Aesthetic – When it comes to kitchen aesthetics, the neat look of built-in cooking appliances looks professional and screams high end. So, a microwave that sits flush against the wall, just like a wall oven, is an elegant option for any contemporary kitchen. A microwave combo oven looks sleek and sophisticated when integrated with existing cabinetry.
Steam Clean and Self Clean – These features of a wall oven keep the interior looking great with negligible manual effort.
On the same lines, the microwave features that make combo ovens so versatile are:
Sensor Cooking – Sensor cooking allows for precise and consistent cooking results, eliminating the need for guesswork and manual adjustments. This technology is useful in automatically adjusting the cook time to help avoid overcooking.
Auto Defrost – The auto defrost feature is convenient to have in any kitchen. It makes the defrosting process quick and efficient, and ensures the safety and evenness of food defrosting.
Speed Cook – A Speed Cook microwave oven is an efficient kitchen appliance, perfect for days with packed schedules. With its unique combination of convection and microwave technology, it helps cook food up to four times faster than a conventional oven without sacrificing taste, texture, or nutritional value.
Smart Technology – Most of the advanced microwaves feature smart compatibility, which lets you control the appliance remotely using an app, Bluetooth or voice assistant. This feature is extremely useful when you wish to multi-task in your home.
Some combo ovens have microwave components already integrated in the conventional oven, so the appliance has only one set of controls and there are no external distinguishing characters to tell the microwave from the traditional oven. Or, you can go in for a combo oven appliance that has a microwave oven on top and a wall oven below, each with separate controls.
Being aware of the different types and advantages of each helps you know what to look for when picking appliances. Sears offers oven microwave combos from the best brands such as GE, Equator, Forno, and many more.
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Some Considerations for a Microwave Oven Combo
A microwave oven combo is a multi-tasking cooking appliance for any home by combining the rapid heating capabilities of a microwave with the even, thorough cooking of a convection oven. With these two cooking methods integrated together, a microwave oven combo streamlines kitchen tasks and maximizes functionality, making it an ideal choice for those seeking efficiency and flexibility in their cooking routines. Even so, there are a few factors to consider before going in for microwave and oven combo, such as:
Budget: Microwave and oven combos often sit quite high in a given price range. Although the pricing is justified by the multiple cooking options offered, be sure that the pros of this appliance combo outweigh the cons. You can opt for a convection microwave if you want all the traditional oven functions without the large heating and cooking capacity.
Cooking Habits: The dual function that a combination microwave and wall oven offers should be fully utilized if it has to be a worthwhile investment. Think about your food habits or your family’s lifestyle when deciding. It’ll be disappointing if only half of the appliance is of use and the other half lies vacant most of the time.
Space: Installing an electric wall oven with microwave can prove to be a smart kitchen improvement move. Since two appliances are combined into one, a combo oven can save space. However, it is bigger than a standalone microwave or an independent oven. So, before choosing a model, measure the space available to find one that fits perfectly.
Only you know best whether an oven and microwave combo is a good pick for your home or not. Do your research and understand the features and benefits before zeroing in on any appliance.
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