Old Comet Matsui oven is dying due to some of the plastic parts starting to fail (due to wife opening and closing to door too frequently - the button now shoots across the room when the door is closed).
What are the views - is a grill element worth having? Does it have any real use after the initial "let's try it" phase
Regards
John
It depends if you've got an easily reached grill on your cooker, IMO.
Using the microwave grill for meat can spatter fat all over the inside, and onto the element so it'll then need cleaning the way a normal oven does, though the grease won't be set so hard. I use mine mostly for cheese on toast, as I can't easily reach the cooker grill.
I've seen some recipes that use the grill to colour the food, and the microwave bit to cook it, though it's too much of a faff for me.
The OP is effectively asking us whether he will use the grill or not. How could we know? The only tip I can give is don't assume the grill will give a decent even spread of heat, and it does make cleaning worse.
NT
I've been thinking about this too - to grill or not to grill.
However, one thing I've noticed with my last 2 Microwaves (over the course of about 15 years) is that both were had enamelled interiors and both started to rust on the base where the 3-wheeled turnable support thingy goes round, so you get a ring of rust that eventually perforates. I suspect it's been to do with poor ventilation where we have our microwave, so lots of condensation inside which runs down to the lowers point... So the next one will have a stainelss steel interior... But that + the grill really pushes the price up from 50 ish to 250 ish... Will it last
5 times longer and will we make a lot use of the grill....Or shall we just spend 50 quid on another that'll last 5 years...
Gordon
I don't think a grill is particularly useful, but, depending on what else you have in your kitchen, a proper combi that can also work as an oven can be worth having. They are actually good enough to use as a second oven. I'd look for one with proper oven shelves rather that just a turntable - Panasonic do a few, eg
We had an all-singing-all-dancing combi microwave as part of our new kitchen a couple of years ago.
For 99% of the time, we just use it as a pure microwave. The grill element is occasionally useful when we want to brown the surface of something while cooking it by microwave.
We did once (and only once!) try to use it as a normal oven to cook a chicken. Disaster! Grease splacked everywhere. Took ages to clean up. Never again!
In message , andrew writes
We have a combi and yes, it is great as a small oven, and works perfectly. Much quicker to heat up than our main 'proper' oven, and ideal if Child just wants, say, fish fingers and chips. The big problem is that it will not function as a microwave oven immediately after use as an oven. It needs to cool down first, which can be a real pain.
It depends if you've got an easily reached grill on your cooker, IMO.
Using the microwave grill for meat can spatter fat all over the inside, and onto the element so it'll then need cleaning the way a normal oven does, though the grease won't be set so hard. I use mine mostly for cheese on toast, as I can't easily reach the cooker grill.
I've seen some recipes that use the grill to colour the food, and the microwave bit to cook it, though it's too much of a faff for me.
We had an all-singing-all-dancing combi microwave as part of our new kitchen a couple of years ago.
For 99% of the time, we just use it as a pure microwave. The grill element is occasionally useful when we want to brown the surface of something while cooking it by microwave.
We did once (and only once!) try to use it as a normal oven to cook a chicken. Disaster! Grease splacked everywhere. Took ages to clean up. Never again!
In message , DerbyBoy wrote
That's why you should find one with a stainless steel inner shell with the least number of (ventilation) holes. I found some of the no-name cheaper brands had better designed interiors than some found on the more expensive well known brands. It's also important to find one with a pressed single piece type interior as liquids can run down into the seams (cleaning chemicals/condensed steam etc.)
Grease/fat getting on to the element isn't too important as it burns off. Cleaning the grease from an interior with LOTS of ventilation holes is a PITA.
I have a microwave/grill/conventional oven combination and it works well, much better than a microwave alone for a lot of food.
One thing to watch is that they tend not to be well insulated and the out casing can become hot.
We've got a Panasonic grill/microwave combi - had it for a good ten years or more. Certainly we would go for this again though might be tempted to look at the oven combi. I use it fairly regularly for pies of one sort or another from the freezer -quick blast of microwave to thaw and then combination to heat and crispen up the pastry. We also do baked potatoes quite often and the grill is part of that.
Rob
We have a Panasonic Microwave/Grill/Oven of a similar age: it's brilliant. We use it as an oven regularly (for less splattery things) as it warms up very fast. Combo function good for some things- reheating naan bread especially as the grill function stops them from being soggy. As robgraham says the baked potato function is great- quick with good results. The keypad is a bit the worse for wear now but otherwise it's fine.
How quickly do these "microwave oven" grills take to heat up? I have a Bosch (electric) double oven - the upper (smaller) oven can act as a grill but it takes quite a few minutes to heat up properly, whereas ISTR from my mum's gas cooker the grill would be virtually instant, for such snacks as cheese on toast :-)
I'm considering replacing my white Panasonic "normal" microwave oven, mainly to get a SS-cased one to match most of the other kitchen gadgets.
I can then mount the old one on a rotator atop of a pole with the door interlocks shorted out and use it as part of a 2·45 Gc/s radio link (with a carbon microphone in the mains supply) ... ;-)
Baked potatoes are best done in a slow conventional or fan oven - about an hour and a half; brushed with oil and smothered in Maldon salt flakes. Yummy!
Yes, much more useful than a microwave alone. I wouldnt bother with a grill personally.
NT
Mine, which was a cheapie from Comet, will do the first side of two rounds of toast in about five minutes from cold, then another four or so to melt and toast the cheese on the other side. About two minutes quicker than the grill on the electric cooker, except that the coker will do three slices at a time.
Instant heat is why I want a gas cooker next time.
?
I find my fan oven & electric grill faster than the gas equivalents it replaced.
Tim
Never use the grill on mine, make of that what you will. However I do wish I'd forked out for a more powerful microwave. I mainly use it for (re)heating stuff so I should've bought an 1100W model like we have at work rather than the tiddly 750W model I actually bought.
Matt
1) I wish we'd got or been able to get one with a handle rather than a large button for opening the door. 2) Important - if you see a model you like in say Comet, then ask to see it plugged in and on (not microwaving, just on). The reason is that ours looks OK, but the display panel is poorly designed and is not really legible unless you bend your head down to the same level as the microwave. Didn't see that until we got it home (should have returned it really).
I find the grill handy to use with the microwave for baking potatoes and for anything that is supposed to have a dry or browned top. Just gives a bit of texture. Rarely used cos my other half is a really good cook and most is done from fresh.
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