Start with the meals you cook most often: a portable hob for saucepans and frying pans, a mini oven for dishes you want to bake, a combination microwave for reheating and some oven-style cooking, or a multicooker for recipes made in a cooking pot. None automatically replaces all the others. Before you buy, check the available space, the clearances specified in the manual and the power supply. If you choose induction, make sure your cookware is compatible too.
Pasta, vegetables, eggs and slow-cooked dishes are regulars in your meal plans, but your kitchenette doesn’t have a fixed hob. A portable hob can meet this need, provided you have a suitable place to use it and compatible cookware.
If you often make gratins, pizzas, roast vegetables or bakes, look for an oven function. You’ll need to make room for a mini oven, or check that a combination microwave has the cooking mode you need.
If you often reheat meals or mainly cook in a pot, a multi-function appliance could handle several tasks. Compare its features with the recipes you usually make, rather than assuming it can also replace a hob and an oven.
Start with the meals you genuinely plan to cook, then measure the appliance and the space needed to use it. The four needs below are aimed at people kitting out their first studio flat, and are grouped by cooking priority.
| Need | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cook on a hob | Space for the hob, the required power supply and whether your pans are compatible with induction. | I don’t have a fixed hob and want to boil, simmer or fry food every day. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise this cooking option. |
| Cook in the oven | External dimensions, the size of dishes it can accommodate, heating modes and the clearances specified in the manual. | I often make gratins or roast dishes and want to be able to bake them despite having a small kitchenette. This would be the main need for around 25% of consumers. |
| Reheat and cook | Whether it actually has microwave, grill and fan-assisted cooking functions, as well as its depth and weight. | I often reheat meals, but would also like to grill or cook some dishes without adding lots of appliances. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this combination. |
| Cook in one pot | The capacity of the cooking pot, useful programmes for your recipes and the space needed to open the lid. | My meals mainly involve rice, steaming or slow cooking, and I prefer to prepare everything in one pot. Around 17% of consumers would have this as their priority. |
A combination microwave brings together some cooking modes, but it doesn’t provide a hob for a saucepan. A multicooker is suitable for recipes made in a cooking pot, but won’t necessarily replicate oven or frying-pan cooking.
Make a note of the meals you cook most often, then check that the model you’re considering has the function you need for each one.
Depth, door clearance and weight matter too. For example, Severin lists a depth of 43,5 cm and a weight of around 15 kg for its MW 7774 combination microwave.
Measure the furniture and the space around the appliance, then check the manual for the clearances and ventilation requirements for that model.
An induction hob needs compatible cookware. Its compact size won’t make it useful as your main cooking option if your saucepans and frying pans aren’t suitable.
Check your cookware before choosing a portable induction hob.
You may need to replace any incompatible cookware.
The number of accessible sockets isn’t enough to determine whether the installation and connection are suitable for an appliance. Promotelec, for example, identifies equipment that requires dedicated circuits in a fixed installation.
Follow the instructions for your portable appliance. If you’re unsure about the installation in your home, ask your landlord or a qualified professional for advice. Don’t alter the fixed wiring yourself.
These models offer useful reference points for comparing features and size, but their specifications don’t apply to every appliance from the same brand.
The Everyday Slim IH210801 portable hob is an example of an induction cooking option for using a saucepan in a kitchenette.
The TO 2067 mini oven and the MW 7774 and MW 7773 combination microwaves offer two ways to retain oven-style cooking.
The NN-C69K combination microwave listed by Panasonic combines reheating, grilling and fan-assisted cooking in a freestanding appliance.
The MK705111 multicooker is a useful point of comparison if your meals mainly involve rice, steaming, soups and slow cooking.
These models suit three different needs: cooking on a portable hob, preparing meals in a cooking pot or reheating food with a microwave and grill. Choose according to the meals you usually make and the space available. Don’t choose the microwave with grill featured here as a substitute for an oven without first checking whether it has fan-assisted cooking.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you mainly cook with a saucepan or frying pan and are looking for a portable hob. The model name indicates an adjustable temperature range of 60 to 270 °C. Check your cookware is compatible and confirm the permitted mains voltage before buying. Don’t base your decision on the advertised number of programmes.
Image unavailable
Consider this if rice, grains and steamed dishes feature regularly in your meals. Its stated capacity is 5 L. Measure the space where you plan to put it and check the clearances specified in the manual, particularly for when you open the appliance.
Image unavailable
This option is suited to slow-cooked or steamed meals prepared in a pot, rather than dishes you’d bake in the oven. Allow room for the pot, lid and steamer basket, and check the manual for the clearances needed during use.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if reheating with a grill function is your priority. Its name indicates a 25 L capacity and a microwave power rating of 900 W. If you also want to cook as you would in an oven, check whether it has fan-assisted cooking. Check the dimensions and ventilation requirements, and make sure your furniture can support the appliance.
Don’t assume an extension lead makes this type of connection suitable. Promotelec identifies equipment that requires dedicated circuits in fixed installations. If you’re unsure about the installation in your home, ask a qualified professional to inspect it. For a portable hob or oven, check the manufacturer’s instructions separately.
It can handle some oven-style cooking if the model has the required mode. The Panasonic NN-C69K and Severin MW 7774 combination microwaves described by their manufacturers combine microwave, grill and fan-assisted cooking. Check that your dishes will fit too. Even so, a combination microwave doesn’t provide a hob for cooking in a saucepan or frying pan.
Prioritise the appliance that lets you cook the meals you usually eat. A blender or chopper helps prepare ingredients, but doesn’t replace a hob, oven or reheating appliance. Add one if your recipes call for it and you have room to store it.