5 Best Convection Microwave Oven

Buying Guide for best convection microwave oven in India

When you are buying a convection microwave oven, you must be aware of the latest technology, benefits, types, importance, market trend and other factors. Just to make your buying experience better, follow this microwave oven buyer’s guide.

The difference between Conventional and Convection microwave oven

Conventional Microwave

The Conventional ovens use basic microwave technology to heat the food. It works with both plastic and glass. However, metal containers should not be used in conventional microwave ovens. There are two types of conventional ovens: solo ovens and grill ovens.

Convection Microwave

Convection microwave ovens are a modification of the conventional types with a fan to circulate hot air inside the oven. This makes the cooking even and much faster than the conventional microwaves. Apart from that, these microwave models have a lot of added features.

Comparatively, these ovens will cost you a little more due to their advanced features used for cooking, baking, roasting, and grilling.

You must consider these essential features before buying the best convection microwave oven

Microwave ovens of all make and models offer several mind blowing features. However, these features are more or less similar with little to no differences. So, here are some common yet must-have features that you should consider before buying a convection microwave oven.

Oven capacity as per family size

In general, microwave ovens in India are divided in terms of capacity. On average, 19-20L is the standard size used by Indian families across the country. Joint families or families with over 5 people require microwave ovens with large capacity like 23L or 27L.

Microwave oven price

The microwave oven price varies based on the type, technology, capacity and extra features. Here is a brief idea of the microwave oven price in India.

1. Solo: Solo microwave ovens are simplest ones, designed to fulfill the basic microwave needs. You can easily get a solo microwave oven in between 5,000 to 7,000 rupees.
2. Grill: Along with basic needs, grill microwave ovens can fulfill your grilling needs. Hence they are a little more expensive than the solo ovens. You have to spend around 8,000 to 10,000 rupees for a grill microwave oven.
3. Convection: These are the high-end microwave models with all the latest features, designed to meet the maximum cooking needs. Hence, these ovens are the most expensive ones. You have to pay around 10,000 to 20,000 rupees, depending upon features you choose.

Brand

Be it microwave ovens or any other home appliances, the brand name matters. The best known brands are known to stand as per the customer’s expectations. You can expect quality and durable products with after sales and support.

When it comes to buying a convection microwave oven, you can go for brands like Samsung, Haier, IFB, Morphy Richards and Panasonic among the others.

Auto Cook Menu

This is one of the advanced features which allows you to cook some dishes in a smart way. All you have to do is to select the dish type and its approximate weight. The smart features of the appliance will auto-calculate the time and temperature required for the dish.

The best part is that you can cook several dishes even when you do not know how to cook. Also, microwave ovens with this feature helps those who hardly get time to cook.

Rotisserie

Rotisserie accessory is quite necessary if you love to try out a lot of non-veg dishes. The feature makes grilling of chicken, mutton, paneer be done by a rotisserie bar.

However, this feature comes with only a limited microwave ovens. Additionally, you must remember that microwave ovens with rotisserie accessories will cost one to two thousand rupees extra.

Child Lock

Like every other home appliances, a microwave oven is also an electric device. So, precautions and cautious use is always advisable. However, if kids are around, you have to be extra careful.

Children, often out of curiosity, tend to mess and experiment with new gadgets and appliances. Doing so with a microwave oven can be dangerous. It may cause burn or injury, especially when the oven is switched on.

To help you out, the microwave brands have come up with a Child Lock feature, which ensures that children can not open the hot oven while in use.

Preheat

This particular feature is required for those who love baking. You have to preheat the oven before proceeding with your baking plan. Also, you need to have precision timing and temperature setting for the best bakery products to come out.

So, if you want to use the microwave for baking, choose a microwave oven which has a preheat and timer setting.

Defrost

Defrost option is useful when you store frozen meat, fish, chicken, and other poultry items. You often struggle to get the moisture of the meat back. You have to put the frozen meat and fish in hot water and wait for hours before it gets back to the ready-to-cook stage.

But with this defrost option, the meat will be ready for cooking within a few minutes. Just put them inside the oven and select the defrost option. It is as simple as that.

So, when you are out in the market to buy a convection microwave oven, ensure that defrost feature comes with the microwave model.

Timer

This function is what makes a microwave oven to be preferred over a gas stove or hob. Due to the timer option, you do not have to stand and check for overcooking or burning of food. On the contrary, you can do something else while leaving the food to be cooked as per the time you set. Once the time is up, the appliance will automatically shut itself down.

Hence, whenever you are buying a convection microwave oven, select a model which offers the preset timer feature.

Turntable

Turntable ensures that the food is cooked evenly and properly. For that reason, it rotates food inside, thereby saving you from doing it by hand. Most microwave brands are offering this feature nowadays. You may even find a rectangular tray that slides back and forth in some latest models..

Warranty

Last but never the least, always check the warranty provided by the microwave oven brands. Be careful about the warranty, as it differs on each product and also on the parts. Also, check how long is the warranty period, whether the service centre is available near you or not.

Additional features you can consider before buying the best convection microwave oven

Panel Types

All the low-end microwave models come with either Mechanical,or Tact Dial control panels. On the other hand, Feather Touch panels are an addition to the high end models. Feather Touch panels sense the fingers and therefore, they are suitable for precision setting.

Automatic sensors

Oven with automatic sensors are the latest additions. Automatic sensors help you to cook precisely. As sensors can stop cooking the moment they sense the food is cooked perfectly, you do not have to worry about overcooking or burning of food.

Microwave oven accessories

While buying a convection microwave oven, you can check if you are getting any accessories. These accessories may include microwave oven gloves, microwave safe cookware, microwavable cooking vessels and bowls.

Power Rating

The power ratings of microwave ovens are expressed through watts. A microwave with higher watt value consumes more electricity, but reduces the cooking time. Microwave ovens with larger capacity generally have higher power ratings(1000-1600 watts).Similarly, the low-capacity microwave models, with lower power ratings(800-1000 watts), take more time to cook.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the best convection microwave ovens

Q. How is a convection microwave different from a conventional microwave oven?
A. Convection microwaves use a fan along with the heating element. The fan circulates the hot air inside the oven, which leads to thorough and uniform cooking. A convection microwave oven also features more cooking options. On the other hand, the conventional microwave gives you limited options.

Q. Do microwave ovens hamper the nutrients that are present inside the food?
A. No, the food you cook never loses its nutrition inside the microwave oven. No matter, whether you prefer to boil or cook the vegetables in the water they remain as nutritious as before. This has been tested and proven by several labs and nutrition experts.

Q. Which are some of the best microwave ovens in India?
A. The best microwave is different for different requirements. However, for generalization, the best microwave oven for household purposes is Morphy Richards 20 L Microwave Oven for overall use.

However, in terms of budget, you can choose Panasonic 20L Microwave Oven.

Q. Are microwave ovens safe to cook food?
A. Yes, these appliances are completely safe to cook food. People have a misconception that the microwave oven uses high RF radiation to heat the food that develops the cancer cells. It is nothing but a myth.

Q. Can a metal substance be used in a convection microwave?
A. No, it is best if you do not use any metal substance. There is no restriction to use metal substances during convection mode. However, it is advisable to not use metals for precautionary measures.

Conclusion

Buying a convection microwave oven can be confusing, especially if you do not have a fair idea about the market trends. That is why we have compiled the list of the best convection microwave ovens for you. You can follow this buyer’s guide to select the best convection microwave oven.