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Combi microwave - anyone?

(43 Posts)
kittylester Sun 04-Sept-22 06:52:45

Does anyone have/use one of these? Any comments? Recommendations? Downsides?

I have read good reviews of a Sage one and A Hotpoint one.

And, I am suddenly very conscious of my extravagant energy usage while cooking.

Please don't suggest an airfryer, I am that strange person who doesn't get on with them.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 04-Sept-22 07:01:04

I have one an AEG - but have never used it?. Must have a look when I get home.

NotAGran55 Sun 04-Sept-22 07:06:14

Thank you for reminding me that mine is a combi!

I have only used it once as a traditional oven on Christmas Day when my 2 traditional ovens weren’t big enough.
I think I was a victim of great up selling in John Lewis when I was a busy working mum!
Must look out the instructions…

It is a Panasonic one btw.

grannycakes Sun 04-Sept-22 07:08:03

I use one (alongside an airfryer and pressure cooker) as I am uable to proceed with planned kitchen renovation until next year. Mine is a Pansonic and bought on Amazon for around £300 in the spring of this year.

You can use it as a microwave/grill/oven separately but you can also use it in combination mode which mixes microwave cooking with a fan oven therefore cutting the cooking times

I have used for roast/baked meals and also cakes/biscuits

teabagwoman Sun 04-Sept-22 07:31:13

Watching with interest as I have one and don’t use it as a combination oven as much as I used to. It does great baked potatoes and I used to roast chicken init very successfully.

Calendargirl Sun 04-Sept-22 07:37:48

I think my first microwave was a combi, back nearly 30 years ago.

Never used it as such, always just have a pretty basic one since then.

Purpledaffodil Sun 04-Sept-22 07:40:30

Shall watch this with interest. I’ve got a Panasonic one I’ve only used as microwave or grill. Look at air fryers then remind myself I’ve got this combi microwave I should use more effectively. Must find the instruction book though?‍?

rosie1959 Sun 04-Sept-22 07:48:34

We have had a combi microwave for years find it very useful we actually rarely use the microwave function but use it as a traditional oven. It saves putting our large oven on when cooking for just the two of us.
We also have an actifry which is brilliant for roast potatoes.
My latest kitchen appliance is a Cook4Me which admittedly I haven’t got round to working out yet. My daughter has one it is part pressure cooker but bit high tech for me but she cooks meals in minutes using it.

Pittcity Sun 04-Sept-22 07:52:08

I too have had a combi for years but have only just dug out the grill rack and the instructions to experiment.
The jacket potato button has been used and they are great but DS isn't impressed with the pizza button.

NanTheWiser Sun 04-Sept-22 09:39:29

I too, have a Panasonic flatbed combi microwave (it doesn’t have a turntable). As I live alone, I find it invaluable for heating ready meals (for example) instead of using my main oven. It has many more features than I use, but I find it extremely useful.
This is only the second Panasonic microwave I’ve ever had, the first lasted almost 30 years! Highly recommended.

lixy Sun 04-Sept-22 09:52:04

I had one of these as my sole method of cooking when we were 'between houses' and renting. It fed my family very well for 6 months Jan - June and I found it easy to use. Some of the recipes from the instruction booklet became family favourites.
We made everything from sausage casserole to birthday cakes!

growstuff Sun 04-Sept-22 10:00:18

I used to have one. The disadvantage was that the sides used to get splashed with fat, if I did something like a roast, so it needed cleaning quite often. I now have a normal microwave and just give it a quick wipe after I've used it.

Witzend Sun 04-Sept-22 10:03:20

I’ve had one (built in) for many years - I wouldn’t be without it. Use it a lot for jacket potatoes - two big ones with oven on max plus microwave for 14 minutes - perfectly done with crispy skins.
Of course I use the smaller oven on its own a lot, ditto the microwave on its own.
It’s an old model now so I can’t recommend a brand, sorry.

I originally opted for a combi because our kitchen is not exactly vast and I wanted a double oven without the need for a separate microwave.

Margiknot Sun 04-Sept-22 10:41:13

Our combi oven is in constant use. It’s a built in Neff so possibly not what you are looking for? My main complaint is the electronic buttons routinely ignore my fingers ( don’t work) and I either have to rub my thumb on a towel to get better contact, or ask my son or husband ( with bigger thumbs) to touch the button for me! The door opens down but not quite horizontal - but newer models open flat so you can rest a heavy dish on the door which I would find helpful- however not a consideration in a table top model.
The good points are - it heats up faster than a big oven when used as an oven and I think it is more energy efficient. The oven is at work top level which I find much easier ( to see and put things in and out) then our big cooker
I more commonly use it either as a microwave or an fan oven or grill, but do find some of microwave+ oven options useful as they are very fast. Actually we rarely use the traditional main oven when it’s just the 3 of us.

Mine Sun 04-Sept-22 10:42:17

I have had a combi microwave for a long time but like most of the other posters I hadnt started to use it until the fuel hike....Its brilliant...Dont have to turn on my grill or oven anymore..I use it most days now...Cooked a chicken in it yesterday then crisped up the skin on the grill part of it...Needs are must...x

foxie48 Sun 04-Sept-22 10:56:33

I have a Bosch combi which is built in with the addition of an induction hob. I also have a gas aga which goes off for the summer and I use the combi as my only source of cooking. It heats up really quickly and I put roasting joints in those bags or the oven gets rather messy. I don't tend to use the microwave + oven but it would cut down cooking times quite a lot. It's been in for nearly ten years and is still going strong.

Missedout Sun 04-Sept-22 11:19:36

I have a combi microwave oven which is in frequent use. Frozen foods cook much faster on the oven + microwave or microwave + grill depending on whether the surface needs to be browned.

I found that buying a Pyrex oven tray for the purpose gave me more options. Frozen beefburgers on the Pyrex tray took less than twenty minutes to cook and brown using the microwave and grill combination.

Frozen curries and casseroles don't need hours of defrosting either but I tip them into Pyrex casserole dishes before setting the microwave + oven timings.

Sussexborn Sun 04-Sept-22 11:31:18

Mine is a combi but i’ve Only ever used it as a microwave.

A friend used to use hers for casseroles, cakes etc and seemed happy with it. She was extremely penny pinching though and used one tea bag per day and that included any visitors!

growstuff Sun 04-Sept-22 11:42:11

I have a double oven and use the small oven, if I ever need to oven cook anything (which is quite rare). I think I'd prefer the option of a double oven and ordinary microwave, if I were planning to change my kitchen, but I guess it depends what you actually cook.

nadateturbe Sun 04-Sept-22 11:57:37

Panasonic. Love it. One of our best buys. Bought 2nd one for the caravan.

Pittcity Sun 04-Sept-22 12:07:16

Mine is a Panasonic too. Seems like the majority recommend this brand.

Dottynan Sun 04-Sept-22 12:55:39

I have a Panasonic combi which is very old now. Considering changing it for Panasonic combi with air fryer. I get on very well with mine

Floradora9 Sun 04-Sept-22 21:42:16

Had one for years mostly used when I am feeding lots of people and I use it as a second oven. DH uses the microwave in it to cook bought curry while mine goes in the little microwave. The trouble is you have to remember to take out the racks before you use the microwave option. I will maybe use it more to just cook in as it will be cheaper to run than the oven .

Callistemon21 Sun 04-Sept-22 22:17:04

I had one years ago but didn't use the conventional option much at all.

It went wrong fairly quickly too, after it was out of warranty.

We do have a double oven, perhaps I should experiment with using the smaller one as I've only ever used it as a grill or to warm plates and serving dishes.

LadyGracie Sun 04-Sept-22 23:51:31

I've got a Panasonic combi, I use it to warm plates,
for baked potatoes, making porridge heating milk and keeping covered food warm mainly.
I don't like that the grill goes on and off to keep the temperature static, it burns the top of whatever your cooking particularly sugary items, cakes etc.
Years ago I had a Bejam combi and it was great I even used it for meringue unfortunately it packed up.