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Can a convection microwave along with an induction cooktop effectively replace a microwave, conventional electrical oven and cooktop? I'm creating a small kitchen for a guest suite. One approach has a small electric oven with a cooktop and a separate microwave/exhaust system mounted above. Another thought is to forego the oven entirely and simply use a convection microwave for any baking purposes along with an electric (induction?) cooktop for cooking food that requires cooktop cooking. A convection microwave requires less space and costs less than an individual oven range and individual microwave/exhaust, though there is an additional cost for a cooktop. My concern is that baking/roasting/etc. in a convection microwave will yield less desirable results than using a conventional oven.

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  • Are you going for enabling your guests to cook or merely survive? To me that changes the answer considerably.
    – J Crosby
    Jul 24, 2019 at 19:42
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    do you expect your guests to bake bread, pies, roast turkey etc while visiting you? Or more realistically to warm up leftover takeout and fry the occasional egg? Only when you know what is to be cooked will you know what appliances are needed.
    – Kate Gregory
    Jul 24, 2019 at 20:53

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IMO only a good convection microwave can replace a normal oven. They're not cheap, but I often use mine rather than heat up the big oven for something small *. The heat is a bit too much from the top for some baking, such as tall cakes, but it's OK for most things and there are workarounds like preheating with a pizza stone or covering a cake with foil.

I've actually got two convection microwaves (both Panasonic) because that's my main cooking option in the campervan when I've got electric hookup. I liked it so much I got one for home.

The biggest downside may be unfamiliarity - your guests may struggle to use the right combination of settings and accessories/dishes. They're also rather small so you won't be cooking a roast dinner in one.

* combination mode is also very good for some things but take a little getting used to

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  • I've had one for 10 years or more. When I got it I was "Oooh, I can do this... & that... & ... &" ...I think I used it twice. Since then it's back to being the standard can of beans re-heater.
    – Tetsujin
    Jul 25, 2019 at 6:32
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    @Tetsujin having little alternative in the van got me over the hurdle. Pasta bakes and jacket potatoes work very well on combi, for example, almost as quick as microwaving and as good as cooking in the oven. While I wouldn't bake a cake or loaf of bread in the one at home, I have used it for pie/pastry baking from scratch.
    – Chris H
    Jul 25, 2019 at 10:17

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