If you mainly want to reheat and defrost individual portions, choose a solo microwave. If you’d also like to brown the top of a dish from time to time, consider a grill model. A combination microwave is better suited to some oven-style cooking when you don’t have a practical oven, provided its dimensions, ventilation requirements and accessories are right for your kitchen.
If you mainly want to reheat and defrost food, rather than use your microwave as your main oven, a solo model should suit your needs. Que Choisir distinguishes this category from appliances with a grill or oven functions.
In a small kitchen, a grill function lets you brown the top of a dish or ready meal from time to time. It doesn’t mean the appliance has a fan oven function.
If you want one appliance for reheating and some oven-style cooking, look at combination microwaves with a fan oven function. In a small kitchen, their positioning and the size of the dishes they can accommodate are still important considerations.
Que Choisir distinguishes between solo microwaves for everyday use, grill models for browning and combination models for extra cooking options. If space is limited, check that your chosen appliance can be installed in line with the instructions.
Consider it: for reheating, defrosting and a few quick cooking tasks, if you don’t need to brown food.
Limitation: it doesn’t have a grill or fan oven function.
Consider it: if you’d like to brown or grill certain dishes as well as reheat them.
Limitation: a grill alone doesn’t provide the same cooking options as a fan oven.
Consider it: if you don’t have a practical oven and will genuinely use its additional cooking modes.
Limitation: check that its size, weight and compatible dishes suit your available space and the meals you prepare.
| Priority | What to check | Who this suits |
|---|---|---|
| Reheating and defrosting | Check for a defrost function and controls suited to your everyday needs. | I mainly want to reheat meals and defrost food, without browning dishes or using the appliance as an oven; around 40% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Occasional browning | Look for a separate grill function and check which accessories you’ll need. | I’d like to brown the top of gratins or certain ready meals from time to time; this would be the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Making up for not having an oven | Check for a fan oven function, the available temperatures and the size of dishes it can accommodate. | I don’t have a practical oven, so I’d like to do some extra cooking in the same appliance; around 30% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Installing the appliance | Measure its external dimensions and check the instructions for ventilation clearances and electrical requirements. | Space is so limited that installation matters more to me than the cooking functions; nearly 10% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
The internal capacity tells you neither the external dimensions nor how much space the appliance needs for ventilation. For example, the instructions for the Schneider SCMWN20SDG specify clearances around that particular appliance.
Measure the available space, then compare it with the dimensions and clearances in the instructions for the model you’re considering.
According to Que Choisir, a grill is used to brown dishes, while a combination microwave can also have a fan oven function. So a product described simply as having a « grill » won’t meet your needs if you want oven-style cooking.
If you don’t have a practical oven, look specifically for a fan oven or convection function, and check which cooking modes are available.
Additional cooking modes may require a specific dish or rack. Which accessories are included and which containers are suitable will depend on the appliance and the mode you use.
Before choosing a function for regular use, check which accessories are supplied, whether you have space to store them and what the instructions say.
Its freestanding range includes combination models worth considering if you’re looking for extra cooking options.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a grill microwave for reheating and occasional browning.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a combination microwave with a fan oven function for some oven-style cooking.
A brand to consider for a freestanding grill model with detailed dimensions.
These appliances cover everyday reheating with solo models, as well as occasional browning with the Beko grill model. If you have a small kitchen, always check their dimensions and installation instructions against the space available.
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For reheating and defrosting portions if you don’t need a grill function.
The product name lists six power levels, a 30-minute timer and a turntable. Before choosing where to put it, check the ventilation clearances and its power input.
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For anyone who wants to brown a dish from time to time as well as reheat food.
The model name specifies a grill function; don’t confuse it with a fan oven. Check the instructions for ventilation clearances and which accessories to use.
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For reheating and defrosting with digital controls.
The product name lists six pre-set menus, eleven power levels and a defrost function. Check the dimensions and the clearances required in the instructions to make sure it will fit on your worktop.
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For everyday reheating with a solo microwave.
If defrosting is important for the meals you prepare, check that the MWP 101 W has this function in its instructions. Also make sure you can follow its ventilation requirements where you plan to put it.
As well as allowing for the appliance’s external dimensions, leave the clearances specified in the instructions for your chosen model. For example, the instructions for the Schneider SCMWN20SDG specify at least 10 cm at the back, 5 cm on each side and 20 cm above. Don’t automatically apply these measurements to a different appliance.
It can handle some oven-style cooking if it has the necessary modes, but it won’t necessarily cover every use of your usual oven. Check the fan oven function, temperatures, accessories and the size of dishes it can accommodate. Panasonic’s product details for the NN-C69KSM, for example, list a depth of 520 mm, which is worth bearing in mind in a small kitchen.
Yes. In France, the legal guarantee of conformity also applies to second-hand or refurbished goods sold by a business to an individual, according to the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. If the appliance doesn’t match the seller’s description, contact them to make a claim under this guarantee. It is separate from any commercial guarantee that may be offered.
In France, microwaves are covered by the electrical and electronic equipment waste scheme described by the Ministry for Ecological Transition. Contact the retailer, your local authority or a suitable collection point to find out about take-back or drop-off options.