Combi microwave oven, enough?

[JaffacakeJanine]

A plea to all of those who know more about ovens!

I have a small kitchen which I'm getting redone, cooking for two only so no massive needs there. Currently we have 1 bog standard built in oven, and 1 microwave which sits on the counter.

As counter space is at a premium in my property, I was thinking of maybe having 1 combi oven microwave and chucking the microwave - but will this fit the bill for all sorts of cooking? I do like the occasional roast dinner and we use the grill too occasionally.

So, combi microwave ovens - any you'd recommend, or is it just unsuitable as 1 oven and more for multi oven kitchens?

Forgot to say we can't really do without a microwave either!

I have a Neff one but it’s not full size. It’s built in microwave size. I’d never ever have just this. You are better off having a built under oven and a separate built under microwave. DD has this in a small kitchen for precisely the reason you state. Keeps work surface available.

The problem is, combi microwaves aren't designed for the sort of heavy use of a full size oven. You can (and should) use it to replace your microwave and cook lunches etc in it, but you can't do your main meal daily in a combi oven microwave.

In my experience with four different combi oven microwaves at different points in my life, they will break after a really short time if they're in use constantly as an oven or grill.

We bought a combi microwave to serve for a year or two whilst we saved to remodel the kitchen. It was so good, that when we redid the kitchen, we built the original combi in, and instead of a regular built in oven, bought another combi. We have replaced both ovens now, though the originals lasted 30 years and 15 years respectively.....dunno if what you but these days is as good though.

Buy these days.....auto correct failed me there!

Ive ditched my oven completely after falling in love with my Bosch series 8 combi oven. When my new kitchen was installed last year I bought another combi same model they sit side by side. Absolutely awesome and out performs every oven ive ever owned. Im an avid cook, love throwing dinner parties etc need performance & functionality, the Bosch S8 is a game changer.

My full size Miele is better than a compact Bosch combi. Having both is best.

Friends have two. They have dinner parties for eight regularly.

We have one and I still have no idea how to use it 🤭

I live alone, with my Samsung combi and Ninja foodi. First year in my new house, I cooked Xmas dinner (albeit for one) in the Combi ...
There is no usable oven so.. not much choice really 😂

We have a Siemens combi, as well as a stand-alone normal oven. The microwave in the combi is ridiculously underpowered - it’s only 600w. I’ve used it as a mircowave once and gave up when it took about 10 mins to warm a pot of pasta sauce up.

I use it as a grill or an extra normal oven; if it broke I’d replace it with another normal oven.

Do it! We have a full-sized oven but use it for storage as the combi one is so much more efficient.

It heats up really quickly and gets things lovely and crispy.

The only thing is that we have to do a roast in parts because it doesn't all fit at the same time.

Get an air fryer - they are brilliant

Really interesting to read the differing opinions here! Unfortunately I definitely don't have space for two ovens (already pushing what I can fit in there) - maybe for the next house haha

@monpetitlapin this is my worry that it won't be able to handle everything, then we are stuck without a useable oven. We don't do a huge amount of oven cooking (mostly hob stuff, but we do the occasional casserole or roast - maybe using oven 1-3 times a week?)

@GreenIsTheMagicColour which combi do you have?

@MotherOfGodWeeFella air fryer is also tempting although might struggle with a microwave/air fryer/oven combo!

@Nithingtoseehere will deffo look into the Bosch series 8, thanks for the heads up!

I live abroad so it's not a common brand in the UK. It's 900w.

Regarding air fryers, I bought one and sent it back because it didn't do anything the combi oven can't do on high! After trying one, I really don't see what the fuss is all about. Surely it's just like a mini-oven, or am I missing something? Maybe the one I tried was just crap!

Check the power of the microwave, ours is 600 and it’s useless. It’s a neff, you can buy higher powered ones, we just didn’t check. I’ve never worked out how to use a combi, we just use it as a poor microwave and an extra oven.

My Neff combi is 1000w power. You cannot do a whole roast in it. They aren’t big enough. I’ve never seen a kitchen so small you cannot get a full size oven in. What are the dimensions of the space?

I have a Miele 45cm combi. It’s great. You can oven cook in it as usual but are constrained by size.

microwave is 1000W.

only constraint is it’s not pyrolytic so you have to manually clean it :-(. Therefore I use my full size oven more.

Siemens have full size combis. Microwave power is 800 W.

I think it will be fine.

I lived with one for years when my oven broke cooking for family including roast dinners and baking bread/pizzas regularly. Was supposed to be a temporary measure as kitchen needed completely doing but dragged on for a long time before got around to doing it. Perfectly possible, think it was a panasonic🤔

@TizerorFizz the space will support a regular sized oven, it's just the extra microwave needed which is taking up valuable counter space. No space for 2x integrated ovens or an integrated oven& integrated microwave.

I was looking at a bigger model ideally, something like this:
https://www.johnlewis.com/bosch-series-8-hmg7764b1b-built-in-electric-oven-with-microwave-function-black/p110573842?srsltid=AfmBOooAryPtewa6DrAud8JNWDGTJDtZJjX_WTfUgx7uuucrv_4q6XRa0Jk

I looked at the compact one. The one you’ve linked to is a better size. Expensive but will do everything.