If you mainly want to reheat and defrost food, start with a solo microwave. A grill is useful for browning and gratinating dishes, while a combi microwave with a fan oven or a mini oven is worth comparing if you’ll make regular use of oven cooking. Before choosing, check what’s already included in your accommodation and measure the available space, allowing for the clearance required. For example, the Moulinex Optimo OX444810 mini oven does not have a microwave function.
You mainly use the appliance to reheat leftovers and defrost food, and don’t want extra oven-cooking functions you’re unlikely to use day to day. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between solo microwaves and models with a grill or combination functions.
You’re comparing a combi microwave with a mini oven, depending on how often you’ll use the microwave to reheat food. Moulinex describes the Optimo OX444810 as an electric oven, with no microwave function.
Check what’s already provided and how much space you have before adding another appliance. In 2018, Étudiant.gouv described student accommodation with microwaves in some rooms and shared kitchens in other types of accommodation. You’ll still need to check what’s included where you live.
Choose this if: you mainly reheat and defrost food, and don’t need to brown dishes or cook as you would in an oven.
Bear in mind: it doesn’t have a grill or fan oven function. Check the model’s dimensions and exact features.
Choose this if: you’d also like to brown or gratinate some dishes.
Bear in mind: a grill doesn’t necessarily mean the microwave has a fan oven function. The Severin MW 7771 is one example, according to the manufacturer’s product information.
Choose this if: you’ll genuinely use both the microwave and oven-cooking modes, particularly if your accommodation doesn’t already have an oven.
Bear in mind: dimensions vary by model. Severin lists the MW 7775 as 52,5 × 51 × 33 cm (width × depth × height).
Choose this if: oven cooking is your priority and you don’t need to reheat food in a microwave regularly.
Bear in mind: a mini oven can’t replace a microwave function. Moulinex lists a 19 L capacity and six cooking modes for the Optimo OX444810.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Reheating and defrosting | Check whether it has a defrost function, how the controls work and whether the turntable is large enough for your plates. | If I mainly want to reheat leftovers or defrost food, I’d rather avoid features I won’t use. Around 36% of consumers prioritise these functions. |
| Available space | Check the accommodation inventory, the appliance’s external dimensions, door clearance and the spacing specified for the model. | In a kitchenette that’s already full, I’d measure the space and check what’s included before adding another appliance. Around 21% of consumers prioritise available space. |
| Oven cooking | For a combi microwave, look specifically for a fan oven function. For a mini oven, check the cooking modes and the space available inside for your dishes. | If I don’t have an oven and want to make recipes that need one, I’d compare the cooking modes on a combi microwave and a mini oven. Around 29% of consumers put oven cooking first. |
| Occasional browning | Check whether it has a grill, and whether or not the model also has a fan oven function. | If I want to brown a dish now and again, but oven cooking isn’t my main use, I’d check whether a grill is enough. Around 14% of consumers prioritise occasional browning. |
These functions aren’t the same. The Severin MW 7771 product information lists a grill, but no fan oven function.
If your recipes need oven cooking, look for the specific function you need and compare mini ovens too.
The internal capacity alone won’t tell you how much room the appliance takes up or how much space there’ll be for your dishes. The Severin MW 7790 and MW 7775 have different dimensions.
Measure the space and your dishes, then check the clearance specified in the manual for the model you’re considering.
Some types of student accommodation described by Étudiant.gouv already include a microwave, while others have shared kitchens.
Check the inventory for your accommodation and only choose extra functions if you plan to use them.
The MW 7790, MW 7771 and MW 7775 illustrate, respectively, solo microwave, grill and grill-with-fan-oven options.
The Optimo OX444810 is an example of a mini oven to consider when oven cooking matters more than microwave reheating.
The MWP201SB is an example of a freestanding microwave with a microwave function only.
The MS23F300EEW/EF is an example of a 23 L solo microwave featured by Samsung France.
This selection includes freestanding microwaves, solo models and versions with a grill or other functions. Depending on the model, you can choose between straightforward reheating and defrosting or extra cooking options.
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A solo microwave option for reheating and defrosting food in a small home.
Capacity: 20 L; power: 700 W; 6 power levels; 30-minute timer; defrost function.
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Worth considering if you’d like a grill as well as microwave functions.
Capacity: 25 L; power listed in the product name: 1 000 W.
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For reheating food in a small home, the product name identifies this as a worktop microwave.
Capacity: 20 L; power: 700 W; 6 power levels. Before installation, check the ventilation clearance specified for the model.
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A freestanding option with a grill for reheating food and adding a little browning.
Capacity: 20 L; power: 700 W. Check the ventilation clearance specified for the model before installation.
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If you want a freestanding appliance that combines a microwave and grill, compare this model’s dimensions with the space you have available.
Capacity: 29 L; grill; steam cooking. Measure the space before installation.
Check the inventory for your accommodation before you buy. In 2018, Étudiant.gouv described rooms with microwaves and accommodation with shared kitchens. These examples don’t replace checking what’s provided where you live.
Follow the power and timing instructions on the packaging. In information published on 29 September 2025, Anses notes that heating food for too long can increase the migration of substances from some packaging into food.
In France, contact the retailer under the legal guarantee of conformity. In its guidance dated 3 October 2023, the DGCCRF states that claims under the guarantee of conformity must be made within two years of the goods being delivered. Any commercial guarantee is separate.
ADEME recommends reusing or repairing it where appropriate, then returning it to a shop or taking it to a collection point for electrical and electronic equipment. The Ministry for Ecological Transition explains the conditions for taking back an old appliance on a ‘one-for-one’ basis when you buy an appliance of the same type.