You mainly reheat meals
In student accommodation, a studio flat or a second home, you’ll mainly want to reheat portions and defrost food. A standard microwave covers these needs without adding oven-style cooking functions you’re unlikely to use.
Which option is right for you?
You like your food browned on top
You want to reheat food in the microwave, but also occasionally brown the top of a pizza, toasted sandwich or gratin. A grill is a useful feature in this case, but it doesn’t mean the appliance has fan-assisted cooking.
You cook without a conventional oven
If you’re planning to make quiches, cakes or roast dishes, check the oven-style cooking modes on a combination microwave or mini oven. The size of the dishes you use, the appliance’s external dimensions and its ventilation requirements matter just as much as its stated capacity in litres.
What should guide your choice?
If you live in a small home without a conventional oven, start with the meals you prepare most often. A grill is useful for browning food, while fan-assisted cooking is essential if you also want to cook as you would in an oven.
Standard microwave
Consider it: if reheating portions and defrosting make up most of what you need it for.
Limitation: it won’t meet your needs for browning food or baking pastries.
Microwave with grill
Consider it: if you want to reheat food in the microwave and occasionally brown a dish.
Limitation: a grill on its own doesn’t provide the cooking modes of a fan-assisted oven.
Combination microwave
Consider it: if you need one appliance for both reheating and oven-style cooking.
Limitation: its external dimensions and required clearances can be a challenge in a small kitchen.
Electric mini oven
Consider it: if pizzas, pastries and roast dishes matter more to you than microwave reheating.
Limitation: it can’t reheat food using microwaves.
| Priority | What to check | What consumers say |
|---|---|---|
| Reheating and defrosting | Defrosting functions and straightforward controls for frequent use. | When I mainly want to bring portions back up to temperature, I prefer simple settings to cooking modes I’d rarely use. Around 33% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Browning food | Whether it has a grill, and whether there’s enough room for your dish and the accessories specified in the manual. | If I regularly make toasted sandwiches or gratins, I want to be able to brown the top without adding another appliance. This would be the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Cooking with a combination microwave | Whether it has fan-assisted cooking, its cooking modes and its external dimensions, including the required clearances. | Without a conventional oven, I need to be able to cook quiches or cakes while still having microwave reheating. Around 27% of consumers would prioritise this combination. |
| Prioritising oven cooking | The mini oven’s cooking modes, whether the cavity is large enough for your dishes and how much worktop space it needs. | If I mainly cook pizzas or pastries, I’d choose oven functions over the speed of a microwave. This would be the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Choosing based on capacity alone
Capacity tells you about the inside, not how much space the whole appliance takes up. For example, Panasonic lists its NN-C69KSM as 520 mm wide and 520 mm deep. Check that it will fit on your worktop before deciding based on its capacity.
Measure the available width, depth and height, then allow room to open the door and for the clearances specified in the manual.
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Assuming every model needs the same ventilation clearances
Samsung gives typical clearance measurements for its microwaves, while noting that requirements vary by model. Whirlpool also reminds users not to block the air vents.
Check the manual for the exact appliance before deciding where to put it, especially if your worktop is next to cupboards or a wall.
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Confusing a grill with fan-assisted cooking
A grill browns the surface of food. If you plan to bake pastries or cook roast dishes regularly, this function alone doesn’t mean the microwave will meet your oven needs.
Make a note of the meals you actually want to prepare, then check that the model you’re considering has the right cooking modes.
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Confusing a retailer’s guarantee with your legal guarantee
A service promise or retailer’s guarantee doesn’t replace the statutory legal guarantee of conformity that applies to relevant purchases from a professional seller in France, as explained by Service-Public.fr.
Keep your proof of purchase and the product description, and make a note of the seller and the service options they offer.
Brands to consider for each appliance
These brands offer useful reference points for specific ranges or models. Their inclusion here doesn’t guarantee that a model is available or suitable for your kitchen.
Panasonic
The NN-C69KSM and NN-CD88 are examples of combination microwaves for when you need both reheating and oven-style cooking.
- Panasonic’s product details list microwave, grill and convection functions for these models.
- Temperatures, accessories and dimensions vary by model. Check the exact model number and its availability before planning where to put it.
Moulinex
The mini oven range is worth considering if oven cooking is more important to you than microwave reheating.
- Moulinex says the Optimo 19 L has six modes, including fan-assisted cooking and a grill, as well as a thermostat that goes up to 240 °C.
- Moulinex recommends mini ovens under 33 L for one person, a couple or a student. Still, check that your dishes will fit and that you have enough space.
Severin
Its mini ovens can be a useful point of comparison if dish size and conventional oven cooking are key factors in your choice.
- Severin lists the TO 2056 as having a 30 L capacity and external dimensions of 45.3 cm wide by 40 cm deep.
- The product description and technical table don’t agree on whether this model has fan-assisted cooking. Check the manual for the version you’re considering.
Samsung
Samsung’s guidance helps explain the differences between a standard microwave, a grill and a convection model.
- Samsung associates standard models with reheating and defrosting, grills with browning food, and convection with other types of cooking.
- Its general ventilation guidance is based on typical measurements. Always follow the clearances in the manual for the model you choose.
Microwaves to consider on Joybuy
These models are suited to reheating and defrosting, with or without a grill depending on the model. If your main need is oven cooking, compare the functions of a combination microwave with fan-assisted cooking or a mini oven before choosing one of these.
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Hisense H25MOBS7H, 25 L black microwave
Worth considering if you want to reheat portions and also brown some dishes. Check the grill modes on this model before relying on it for this.
The product listing states a capacity of 25 L and a power rating of 900 W. Check the manual to see how much space to leave around the appliance when installing it. A grill isn’t a substitute for fan-assisted cooking.
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Heinrich's, 20 L solo microwave
One to consider if you mainly want to reheat and defrost, without needing a grill.
The product listing states 700 W, six power levels, a defrost function and a 30-minute timer. Before deciding where to put it, check the clearances specified in the manual.
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Beko MGC20100B1, 20 L microwave with grill
Worth considering if you want to reheat portions and have a grill for occasionally browning a dish.
The product listing states 20 L and 700 W. Check the clearances and accessories in the manual. A grill doesn’t mean this model has fan-assisted cooking.
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Samsung MS23K3513, 23 L solo microwave
Worth considering if your priority is reheating and defrosting rather than browning food.
The product listing states 23 L and a rapid defrost function. Before installing it, check the manual for the ventilation clearances required for this model.
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LG Electronics MH 6535 gih, 25 L microwave with grill
Worth considering if you want one appliance for both reheating and occasional browning.
The product listing states a capacity of 25 L. Check the power rating for each function on the details page for the exact version, as well as the ventilation clearances in its manual.
Frequently asked questions
How much space should I leave around a freestanding microwave?
Follow the clearances specified in the manual for the model you choose. Samsung gives typical guidelines of 10 cm at the back and sides, and 20 cm above, but notes that requirements vary. Whirlpool also advises against blocking the air vents.
Can I use the same containers for microwave, grill and fan-assisted cooking modes?
No. The container must be suitable for the mode you’re using. Don’t use metal in microwave mode unless the manual expressly allows it. If using this mode, choose plastic that’s specifically stated to be suitable, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for grill and fan-assisted cooking accessories.
What statutory guarantee applies to an appliance bought from a professional seller in France?
The statutory legal guarantee of conformity may apply to a microwave or mini oven bought by a consumer from a professional seller in France. Service-Public.fr explains that it covers new, second-hand and refurbished goods, among others, when a lack of conformity that existed at the time of delivery becomes apparent within two years of delivery. It is separate from any retailer’s guarantee.
Can the seller take away your old appliance when you replace it?
Yes. The ‘one-for-one’ take-back scheme applies when a retailer sells an equivalent electrical product, up to the type and quantity of products sold or replaced. Service-Public.fr says it must be offered free of charge. Check the practical arrangements with the seller, particularly if your new appliance is being delivered.