If you mainly reheat and defrost food, choose a solo microwave. If you’d also like to brown or crisp dishes from time to time, look at models with a grill. To cook some dishes without a traditional oven, look for a combination microwave with convection, then check that its dimensions, cavity and required clearances, as set out in the manual, suit your kitchen.
In a studio flat, holiday home or small kitchen, you may want to reheat, grill and cook certain dishes using a single appliance. A combination microwave with convection is worth considering. Just make sure you check its cooking modes, accessories and the space needed for installation.
If you mostly heat ready meals and leftovers, or defrost food, a solo microwave may be all you need. UFC-Que Choisir specifically cites student accommodation as one situation where your choice of appliance depends on how you’ll actually use it.
The stated capacity in litres alone won’t tell you whether the appliance will fit your dishes and your kitchen. Compare the external and internal dimensions, door clearance and ventilation requirements for the model you’re considering.
If you have a small kitchen with no oven, start by thinking about what you’ll actually cook. Then check that both the appliance and its installation will fit the space available. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between microwave heating, grilling and convection cooking: having one function doesn’t guarantee the same results as another.
Choose this if: you mainly reheat and defrost food.
Bear in mind: it won’t meet your needs for browning or convection cooking.
Choose this if: you mainly reheat food, but would like to brown or crisp dishes occasionally.
Bear in mind: a grill on its own doesn’t provide convection cooking.
Choose this if: not having an oven means you’ll regularly need to cook dishes as well as reheat and brown food.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to check its dimensions and installation requirements carefully.
| Criterion | What to check | What matters to shoppers |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking without an oven | Clear indication of convection or fan-assisted cooking; modes and accessories suited to the dishes you plan to cook. | I don’t have a traditional oven and want to cook in ways other than using microwave power, not just brown a dish. Around 31% of shoppers prioritise this cooking need. |
| Space and usable room | External and internal dimensions, door clearance and the clearances specified in the manual. | My worktop is small, but my dishes still need to fit inside the cavity. Available space is the top priority for around 25% of shoppers. |
| Reheating and defrosting | Defrost settings and a capacity suited to the containers you use every day. | I mainly heat portions and defrost food, so extra cooking functions wouldn’t be much use to me. This everyday need comes first for around 19% of shoppers. |
| Occasional browning | A grill and accessories suitable for the selected mode. | I’d like to brown some dishes without relying on the appliance to replace an oven. Grilling is the priority for around 13% of shoppers. |
| Everyday use | Door opening, controls, cleaning and thermal safety test results. | In a small kitchen, I need to be able to open the appliance and handle dishes easily. Ease of use and safety come first for around 12% of shoppers. |
A grill can brown or crisp food, but it doesn’t cook in the same way as a convection mode. If you plan to cook regularly without another oven, this distinction will affect your choice of appliance.
Look for “convection” or “fan-assisted” explicitly in the product listing, and check which accessories are compatible with the modes you’ll use.
Two appliances with similar capacities aren’t necessarily the same size inside or take up the same amount of room. The depth of the appliance, door clearance and ventilation requirements could prevent it from fitting where you planned to put it.
Measure the space and the dishes you usually use, then compare these measurements with the appliance dimensions and installation instructions in the manual.
A long list of functions won’t tell you how easy the door is to open, the controls are to use or the appliance is to clean, or how it performs on thermal safety. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these aspects separately in its microwave tests.
Make sure you can open the door and take dishes out in the space available, and check independent test results for the model you’re considering, if available.
These brand examples show some of the configurations you could compare. They don’t represent every model in each range, or guarantee availability from any particular retailer.
The range includes freestanding and built-in combination microwaves, with modes and cavity configurations that vary by model.
Some models combine microwave, grill and convection functions, with dimensions that need to be compared model by model.
The brand offers combination microwaves with grill and convection, including larger-capacity models.
The models below are suited to two types of use: combination microwaves to consider if you want to cook certain dishes without a traditional oven, and microwaves with a grill if reheating and occasional browning are your priorities. Check the exact modes and installation requirements for each model before you choose.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a combination microwave to cook without a traditional oven. It has a stated capacity of 39 L; check that the appliance, door clearance and clearances specified in the manual are suitable for your space.
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Consider this if you plan to cook more than just reheating food and have room for a 42 L appliance. Compare its dimensions with your kitchen, check the manual for ventilation requirements and confirm which accessories are included if you plan to use them.
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Worth considering if you want to reheat and brown food occasionally, rather than replace an oven. It has a stated capacity of 25 l; if you need convection cooking, check that this mode is explicitly listed before choosing this model.
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Worth comparing if you mainly want to reheat food, with a grill for occasional browning. It has a stated capacity of 20 L; check that your containers fit inside the cavity and that the installation location meets the requirements in the manual.
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Worth considering if reheating and browning matter more to you than cooking dishes that would otherwise go in an oven. It has a stated capacity of 25 L; check the dimensions and ventilation instructions for the exact model before installing it.
A combination microwave with convection can cook certain dishes without a traditional oven, unlike a model limited to microwave and grill functions. Check the modes available on the exact model and any test results you can find: UFC-Que Choisir assesses convection separately from other functions.
Measure the width, depth and height of the space, as well as the room needed to open the door. Then compare the appliance’s external dimensions and cavity size with the dishes you usually use. You’ll also need to follow the installation clearances in the manual for your chosen model.
Follow the clearances specified in the installation manual for the exact model, rather than relying on a distance that may not apply to every combination microwave. Before buying, make sure the space you’ve chosen allows you to follow these instructions without blocking the ventilation areas.
Yes. In France, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a consumer, as the Ministry of the Economy points out. It is separate from any commercial guarantee offered by the seller, so keep the product description and any documents provided when you bought it.