Convection Microwave: who likes theirs?

[FishinHatteras]

Hey folks,
We attempted to use our convection microwave with little success this wknd.
Kay tried to make biscuits, but the top was the only portion that cooked. The bottoms were still dough. I don't think the dawgs would have eaten it!
Anyhoos...who likes their convo/micro? Maybe if I took the time to read the owners manual I would have some success, but I have never been a fan of nuked food. We discussed removing it & replacing it with a good ol' fashion stove.
I have two questions plz?

If we removed both, and went with the regular oven & cooktop combo unit, does anyone have any idea how much we could get selling the microwave & cooktop?

Is anyone REALLY happy with their convection/microwave unit?
Thanks,
Gavin

[aftermath]

Gavin,

Sorry, can't answer either one of your questions. I am not a fan of the nuclear option when it comes to food. If I could have it both ways I would keep my oven and have a nice little built in micro hidden somewhere for leftovers.

We love our oven and our main concern is the fact that your setup requires that you are plugged in all the time. Don't like those limits so we went the other way.

Good luck with your decision.

[lsbrodsky]

I am perfectly happy with mine; I also have a better version of the same in my home. The microwave is only for heating/reheating stuff. The convection works for us for baking and broiling, as long as you know how to use one. Read the manual!
Larry

[Ahab]

We too love ours. As mentioned above, read the manual.

[BAB]

I assume you have the Sharp Microwave/Convection oven. You will find posts from people who love it and people who hate it. IF this is the oven you have, realize you must spend adequate time figuring out how to use it. IMHO, this oven had the most complex, counterintuitive instruction manuals and front panels I have ever seen. Eventually, I ripped mine out, installed a regular gas thermal oven and also installed a Cuisinart Microwave/Convection to replace the Sharp. I do not believe you can "replace" a regular gas oven with the Sharp and expect to consistently deliver baked goods like muffins, cakes, or biscuits. Just my opinion. Others will disagree...

[Silverbee]

I use the convection function of the microwave quite a bit. I have had success with casseroles, brownies and bread. One key when baking is to preheat. This is covered in the manual.

Mrs. Silverbee

[Foiled Again]

Sigh - I read the dratted instruction book every time I use the thing in "convection mode". It works fine IF you read the directions. The little cookbook isn't bad either.

I like the microwave because I full time - alone. Making a single cup of tea, or reheating a bag of frozen leftovers is a way of life. (It's no more mess to cook for six than for one or two, so I cook for six and vacuum bag the remains.) The RV fridge isn't all that big, but I can get 20 bags and an ice cube tray in it. If you DON'T full time, you can do the same thing - just start a bin of frozen portions in your home freezer and transfer them to the RV freezer before you leave. This will help you love your microwave... AND trips become more "vacation" for the duty cook! I if you're boondocking without electricity the bags can also be reheated on the stovetop in a pan of boiling water.


I had a conventional oven in my former Airstream and rarely used it (your mileage may differ). It isn't the same as a home oven. Lighting the pilot - aaargh! PIA! And it's small and only has one burner on the top (no broiler underneath.). Try baking on a warm day and the heat will run you outta the place. Broil fish and live with the smell for six months!

So changing out might not be all that good.

My solution - Cast Iron Dutch Oven - Cook outside and don't smell up the camper, also wonderful in Summer when the temp inside would be horrible. I added a "Volcano Cooker" which fits a 12" diameter Lodge oven perfectly, and can be used with propane as well as charcoal - best of all, it's safe on a picnic table, though I do have a couple of tiles I set it on just in case.

Other options: A "camp oven" that operates on propane. I didn't even know they had these things but it's basically a real oven - looks like it was built to be set on the tailgate of a truck. I think the first one I saw was at Cabella's though I'm sure Dicks has them too.

If you do decide to change out - you'll probably find someone to trade with you right here on the forums. I'd HOPE and bet that it wouldn't be any big deal to get a propane line to a conventional oven since you'd already have one to the hob (stovetop).

Happy Trails, Paula

[cwf]

Our convection MW combo uses actual heating elements for cooking in convection mode.

My wife and granddaughters made my Birthday cake in it!!!!

[murreywalker]

Because the operation is different from conventional ovens, many don't like it.

But, if you approach it like you would a software app, and diligently read the instructions, you will come to find the convection feature is like any other conventional oven.

It was awkward for us at first, and we still have the manual stored above the cooktop vent. ;-)

[GCinSC2]

That black thing that looks like a microwave but can't pop popcorn?

Just subscribing for now too busy campfire cooking.

[wolf146]

We use the convection oven and it really does a nice job.No "nuking" involved in this process.( Recently made broiled chicken and it was really good).
The Microwave is only used to reheat leftovers etc.
Read the manual even though I find it confusing.

[dkottum]

I strongly suspect the device itself is quite good if it had good power. But the campgrounds we have often visited have long runs of underground wire that are not adequate to support the power demands of the many units drawing from it.

Put a voltmeter in an a/c outlet in your trailer and see what the voltage reads before and after you turn on the conv/microwave.

[moosetags]

New Lucy is our first experience with one of the microwave/convection ovens. The microwave part is easy. It's the convection portion that is new to us. We are microwave people. We have two microwaves in our kitchen at home so that we can eat together. If you light a burner on our home gas range, you have to watch out as you may start a lint/dust fire.

That being said, we have recently grilled a hamburger in New Lucy's convection oven. We followed the instructions, and voila, we got a grilled rare hamburger as good as any grill could give us. What A deal!

Brian

[Dot Dave]

We've had success with ours, but I have to refer to the manual just about every time I use it. We're weekend campers, so we really haven't done much more than bake biscuits, oh, and a pot pie we bought at a farm market. It does the job well enough. But I haven't tried anything complex in it yet.

My complaint is the location! In our 20 foot, ours is under the range. I have to sit on the floor to read and press the numbers. Have to look at the display straight on -- no bending over and looking from an angle. Or maybe it's just my eyes.

[moosetags]

No, it's not just your eyes. We all have to do that. I just get down on my hands and knees. All of these ovens that I have seen are below the range top. I figure that it's "camping", so what the heck.

Brian

[dkrug]

All I can say is, I hate it. I wish we had the regular gas oven.
I keep reading the manual and google all kinds of stuff, but it seems to require really small pans, cookie sheets, etc. We are living in our Airstream at the moment and I will attempt a turkey breast Thursday. I don't hold out much hope. I think we will be eating mashed potatoes and crock pot dressing.

[Wayward]

We very occasionally reheat coffee in the microwave part of it.

Having to sit on the floor to figure out the keypad is crazy so we never use it otherwise.

[Jaxon]

We love ours... bread, biscuit, turkey, deserts, all sorts of things... the manual’s got good info. Of course, we’re using one we bought , a GE profile. Really useful in the summer (Aug/Sept), when using the oven is... not advisable...

[daveswenson]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

That black thing that looks like a microwave but can't pop popcorn?

Just subscribing for now too busy campfire cooking.

It does pop popcorn. You should have read the manual. Somewhere in there it tells you to put the package on top of an inverted bowl. Don't know why but it works.

[Ag&Au]

I do not have a convection microwave, but it was an option. We had a choice of a regular gas oven and a regular microwave, or an convection microwave and no oven. Can someone try to explain to me why one would chose to lose their oven and get a convection microwave instead? The only gain we would have seen was extra storage under the stove.

Ken