To cook without an oven, start by choosing an appliance that suits the dishes you want to make: a mini oven is ideal for dry-heat cooking in an oven dish or tin, a multicooker for recipes prepared in its bowl, an air fryer for portions you want to brown, and a microwave for reheating and defrosting, with other cooking options depending on its functions. Then check that your dishes will fit, that the appliance can be installed as directed in the manual, and that its cleaning requirements suit your routine.
If you can’t use an oven where you live, start with the meals you make regularly. A countertop appliance can handle some cooking tasks without any changes to your kitchen installation, but its functions will determine which ones.
Compare the appliance’s footprint with your portion sizes and the parts you’ll need to wash. A capacity given in litres alone won’t tell you whether your dish or tin will fit.
If you want to keep making quiches, gratins or bakes, look for a suitable dry-heat cooking function and check the usable dimensions. A microwave with a grill or a small air fryer won’t automatically handle these dishes in the same way.
Worth considering: for pizzas, quiches, gratins or cakes, if your dishes fit inside.
Bear in mind: the space needed around the appliance and the cleaning of its trays, racks and interior walls.
Worth considering: for soups, stews and other dishes prepared in a cooking bowl.
Limitation: it won’t directly replicate the dry-heat cooking needed for a pizza or quiche. If it’s a pressure cooker, follow the instructions for that model.
Worth considering: for portions you want to roast, brown or crisp, as long as they fit in the basket.
Limitation: a compact basket is less suited to large gratins and deep tins.
Worth considering: if you mainly reheat or defrost food. A grill or another function may give you more options, depending on the model.
Keep in mind: a grill, even when combined with microwave mode, doesn’t mean the appliance has a convection function.
Once you’ve chosen the type of cooking you need, compare the dimensions of your dishes with those of the appliance, then check the installation and cleaning requirements for the specific model.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Types of dishes | Check the functions listed: dry-heat cooking, cooking in a bowl, grilling or reheating. For a microwave, check separately whether it has a convection function if you need one. | I want to be able to make the meals I usually cook, not just reheat a dish or brown a small portion. |
| Usable capacity | Compare the internal dimensions, basket or turntable with your dishes and portions. Don’t rely solely on the capacity in litres or the stated number of people served. | My tin needs to fit inside the appliance. If I’m cooking in a bowl, I also need enough room for the portions I plan to make. |
| Installation | Measure your worktop and check the manual for clearance and ventilation requirements. Check the model’s voltage, power rating and plug before connecting it. | I have a stable surface and a suitable socket, with the ventilation areas required by the manual left clear. |
| Cleaning | Check which parts can be removed and how they should be washed. For a pressure cooker, also follow the instructions for the lid and safety components. | I want to know what I’ll need to wash after each meal, whether that’s a basket, cooking bowl or turntable. |
A grill can brown food, but having one doesn’t mean the appliance has the convection function you may need for some oven-baked dishes.
If this type of cooking matters to you, look for the exact function in the product details and the model’s manual.
A cooking bowl, basket and oven cavity with the same volume won’t necessarily fit the same shapes of dishes.
Measure your tins and dishes, then compare them with the appliance’s usable dimensions and opening.
Whirlpool warns that blocking a microwave’s ventilation openings can cause it to overheat quickly.
Follow the clearance requirements in the model’s manual and don’t cover its vents.
A study published in February 2026 by ADEME and the National Consumer Institute does not demonstrate a clear energy advantage for combination ovens over traditional convection ovens. Nor does this finding allow you to compare every type of countertop appliance.
First, choose functions that suit the dishes you make. When comparing energy use, look for tests based on similar recipes and conditions.
These examples highlight functions you can compare; they don’t indicate whether these models are included in the Joybuy selection below.
Two different types to consider: the Optimo OX485E10 mini oven for cooking in an oven cavity, and the Cookeo+ CE851A10 multicooker for dishes prepared in a cooking bowl.
The Easy Fry Essential EY130815 is an example of a basket-style air fryer for portions that fit inside.
The MCP 345 WH lets you compare microwave and grill functions with those you’d expect from an appliance with convection.
This Joybuy selection includes cooking appliances with bowls and freestanding microwaves. Compare them based on the meals you make: the listed functions alone don’t make these models replacements for a mini oven when it comes to dry-heat cooking.
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Worth considering if you mainly prepare meals in a cooking bowl and would also like an air fryer lid. Pressure cooking requires you to follow the manual. Before buying, also check the model’s size, plug and cleaning requirements. These functions don’t confirm that it can accommodate the dishes you usually cook in an oven.
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For programmable dishes made in a cooking bowl, this model lists a 24-hour timer, a frying function and voice control. If you plan to use the pressure-cooking function, check the instructions for closing and cleaning the appliance. Also check the available space and socket. Its programmes don’t guarantee dry-heat cooking for dishes in tins.
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Consider this model for reheating, defrosting and grilling, rather than for replicating every type of oven cooking. Check that your dishes fit on the turntable and read the manual for the required clearances. A combination of microwave and grill functions doesn’t confirm that it has convection.
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This two-zone hot pot is designed for dishes prepared in a cooking bowl, especially when you want to keep two flavours separate. Its name indicates a temperature setting from 0 to 210 °C; this doesn’t confirm that it offers oven-style dry-heat cooking. Check the socket, clearances and cleaning instructions, and don’t immerse the appliance if the manual says not to.
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Worth considering if you mainly want to reheat and defrost food, or brown it under the grill. Check that your dishes fit on the turntable and that the appliance’s location meets the ventilation requirements. Having a grill doesn’t confirm that it has convection for oven-baked dishes.
A mini oven with a suitable cooking function is the best option if its cavity can fit your dishes. If you’re considering a microwave instead, check its functions carefully: a grill doesn’t confirm that it has convection.
It can handle portions that fit in its basket and that you want to roast or brown, but it won’t automatically accommodate larger dishes or deep tins. Tefal lists a 3.5 L capacity for up to four people for the Easy Fry Essential EY130815; compare this with the portions you actually make.
Not for dishes that need dry-heat cooking in a tin or on a tray. Multicookers are better suited to dishes prepared in a cooking bowl. If the model has a pressure-cooking function, follow its instructions for closing, safety and cleaning.
Place it on a stable surface, keep the vents clear and follow the clearance requirements in the model’s manual. Also check its voltage and plug: Whirlpool lists 230 V, 50 Hz and a Schuko plug for the MCP 345 WH, but these specifications don’t apply to other microwaves.