Choosing a microwave oven might be confusing to many people. If you have browsed some ovens, you would be interested in the word “convection”. This article is designed to explain what a convection microwave is and how does it work. The ultimate objective is to help you decide whether a convection microwave oven is a good choice for your home.

What is a convection microwave oven?

A convection oven is a hybrid appliance that combines a traditional microwave oven and a heating coil and fan. It can work as a conventional microwave oven, heating your food through the power of microwaves. Additionally, it has bonus functions such as bake, brown, crisp, and roasting foods.

How does a convection microwave oven work?

A convection microwave has at least two modes – the first is a traditional model that uses microwaves to heat or cook food. The second is a convection mode that turns your microwave into a convection oven, which uses a heating element and a fan to evenly distribute heat throughout the appliance. Subsequently, a convection microwave lets you use cooking techniques that aren’t available with traditional microwaves – think baking, roasting, broiling, and the like. Convection microwaves let you alternate between both modes to cook foods faster. So how do these two modes work? The magnetron converts energy into specific, safe electromagnetic radiation known as “microwaves.” These microwaves are broadcast towards the food and vibrate the water inside it so quickly that it causes friction. Hence generate heat and warms up your food. However, microwaves react poorly to metal, so they can lead to sparks when you use metal trays or leave a fork in your food.

On the other hand, when you use the convection mode, it works more like an oven. The heating element in the microwave converts energy to ambient heat. The neat trick with convection cooking is the fan: it blows the hot air at the food, to cook it more quickly. The best part of convection microwaves is when microwaves and convection are used at the same time. Convection microwaves can be used to quickly cook food while still getting that home-cooked, crispy brown exterior.

In fact, many convection microwaves have special programming included. You can touch a button and it will set the convection microwave to run as a microwave for a certain amount of time before finishing off your food like an oven. This saves you time and guesswork in the long run.

What are the benefits of convection microwave ovens?

Thanks to versatility, convection microwave ovens can bring several advantages to your kitchen and cooking style. This includes:

- Faster cooking times due to a combination if convection and microwave cooking

- More even cooking with convection setting

- Racks that allow you to microwave multiple dishes at once

Additionally, convection microwave ovens are better at browning, which means they are great for pies and cookies. And they are also great for roasting or reheating foods that were roasted in the oven.

Are convection microwaves worth it?

Convection microwaves have more features and can provide more functions, however, it costs more money. Therefore, the answer is that it depends.

If you live in a small space but want to cook more, a convection microwave might be perfect for you. These convenient appliances take up barely more room than a standard microwave. However, they can cook everything from popcorn to a Sunday roast.

In contrast, if you already have a full-size kitchen, complete with a microwave and an oven that works, a convection microwave is not a necessity. But they can still be helpful when you need an extra cooking space. Convection microwaves are also a fantastic choice for vacation cabins, motor homes, dorms, and small flats. If the space is a little too small to support a full oven, then a convection microwave can widely expand your culinary options.

Sounds great, right?

You are welcome to visit SMAD's official website www.smad.com.cn to explore different types of microwaves and choose the most suitable one.