microwave + convection oven - as durable as microwave alone?

March 16, 2021 11:10 PM

Hi - in 1996, I got a free microwave from a friend, who got it secondhand. It still works. However, I think we deserve something with more power and maybe a rotating tray. I'm considering a convection microwave - I believe we'd use it, but I worry that the heat from the convection mechanism will reduce the life of the microwave part, and/or that the microwave mechanism requires non-metal interior parts that wouldn't last as long with a heated oven.

I am a huge fan of solid, reliable construction, and will probably keep the small ancient microwave. I know that they literally don't make things like they used to, but does anyone know whether the heat/microwave combination itself necessitates a compromise in durability and construction?

Or: will I be happier with a microwave-only machine than with a combo machine?

posted by amtho to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

I am not sure about the combo. I, like you, prefer a solid built device that lasts a long time if I take care of it. When I redid our kitchen in 2004, I went for mostly commercial appliances. I got a Sharp commercial microwave. I got it from Dvorson's.. They are expensive, but the thing is solid as a rock. They are designed for commercial use which means heavy and often. I have a 1000 watt model. They are not cheap. When I sold my house, I made sure to exclude it from the sale even though it fit perfectly into a place in the cabinets that was built specifically for it. I included and left really nice custom made chandeliers but kept the microwave.

It does not have many bells and whistles. It just works really really well. 17 years now and still no sign of problems. (No turntable.)
posted by AugustWest at 11:48 PM on March 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

This isn't a long test drive, but I got a dual convection-microwave a year and change ago, and like it very much. It has a metal inside, which is apparently not an issue for the microwave portion, and the vent fan automatically runs when we use the convection oven function until it cools down (it also does this if we use the stovetop under it for a long time - there is a heat sensor). You just have to know which function you are using and put things in it accordingly. There is a metal rack we use in the bake mode that otherwise lives with the cookie sheets, and you can't out plastic things in during the bake mode, but that's it, really. The biggest flaw of the whole thing is the tendency for appliance makers to put more and more complex computing into their devices. This thing wanted to be connected to the wi-fi (we declined). I am SURE the computer will go long before any of the heating elements or physical parts do.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 4:39 AM on March 17, 2021

From what I have seen, these types of combos are quite popular in Europe. We didn't use ours very much (came with our place in Germany), as it freaked us out (WTF! Metal in the microwave!?!). These seemed, though, to be standard / common equipment.

With that in mind, you may what to check out European / German brands to get some idea of durability.
posted by chiefthe at 5:04 AM on March 17, 2021

No recommendation but as a FYI all microwaves have a completely metal cooking compartment lurking somewhere - it is what keeps the microwaves in. And metal in general isn't verboten in microwaves even for accessories at the manufacturer level. There are models that come with metal racks for example. The metal in microwave prohibition is for consumer level stuff that can cause arcing and hot spots.
posted by Mitheral at 6:42 AM on March 17, 2021

I've had one for about four-five years now, and although I do not use the convection function often (I have a much more powerful oven that I tend to use), I do particularly love the "crisp" function that it has, which turns on both microwaves AND the convection heater simultaneously. Based on my mileage thus far, I'd definitely buy another if it became necessary -- if there's any way to check, buy a model that runs the ventilation fan even after cooking is done. Some units (like mine) have a fan to protect the circuit boards, which runs as soon as the convection heater is engaged and continues until everything is safely cool again.

Pursuant to remarks above, the interior and exterior are all stainless steel, except for the glass rotating-plate thingie.
posted by aramaic at 7:33 AM on March 17, 2021

I have a high end combo convection / microwave I installed 12 years ago and it works great. We only ever use it as a microwave though, so it may not be a great test. My favorite feature is if you set it to 70% power it really runs at 70% power; it doesn't cycle off and on to simulate lower power.
posted by Nelson at 8:00 AM on March 17, 2021

I can't report on longevity since we've only had our Whirlpool convection microwave for two years now, but the convection function is kind of underwhelming. It's slower to preheat than our full size oven, and the convection modes are really opaque and inadequately explained in the manual (hey Whirlpool, what's the difference between "convection bake" and "convection roast?"). On the other hand there are a few item-specific convection programs that don't require preheating, like both thin and thick crust frozen pizza settings, and they work really well. As a microwave it's great, but we don't get anywhere as much use out of the convection features as I thought we would. After two years of using it I'd probably still opt for a convection model if I were buying a new one since the convection features can be useful enough to make the marginal cost worth it, but my wife now uses it as a comparison for any new appliance we are thinking about buying. "Are we really going to use it, or is it the convection microwave all over again?" She is not wrong to ask.
posted by fedward at 8:38 AM on March 17, 2021

I can't remember how old our Sharp combination oven is. At least 15 years. It replaced an earlier one that also lasted a long time. I wouldn't worry about longevity. Ours is a little less powerful than the current standard, but not enough to worry about and a new one is probably a bit more powerful.

The micro-convection combo setting does a great job on roasts and whole chickens.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:50 AM on March 18, 2021