How do I use a Convection Microwave Oven Hybrid?

Question

I just moved to a small studio apartment, and it has a convection microwave/oven. The top half has a metal rack like you would find in an oven, while the bottom has a round glass rotating thing that you would find in a microwave. What kind of plates/pans are okay to use in something like this? Is microwave safe the same as oven safe in this scenario? If it's microwave mode does that mean microwave safe plates/bowls are allowed? Or should I only use what would be okay inside an oven?

I'm incredibly new(read:inept) to cooking and can barely handle frozen pizza in a normal oven, much less this cyborg hybrid monster. So ANY tips at how to use this at all would be greatly appreciated :D

It's GE if that helps. It has a rotating knob in the middle and some preset buttons as well.

Answer 1

It depends what mode of cooking you're doing. There are a few possibilities:

• convection: heating with a heating element (no microwave power), circulating with the fan
• microwave: heating with microwaves, no fan
• microwave+convection: heating with microwaves, also using the fan (and possibly a heating element, who knows)

If you're in convection mode, it's just a small oven, so everything needs to be oven-safe, but you don't have to worry about microwave safety. You likely need to use the rack, and it's possible you need to remove the turntable (check the manual).

If you're in microwave mode, it's just a microwave, so everything has to be microwave-safe, but you don't have to worry about oven safety. Note that this may mean you'll need to remove the rack (check the manual).

If your appliance has an actual combination microwave+convection mode, you'd need both oven safety and microwave safety.

In all cases, it'll be best to just check the manual to be sure - you need to know what the modes are (and what the buttons on your microwave do), and what the rack and turntable are okay with. In particular, you want to be very sure if you're expecting microwave-only or convection-only; if you accidentally end up with microwave+convection, it could be an unpleasant surprise.

Answer 2

There is some variability in these so do try to track down a user manual for your model or a similar one from the same manufacturer. The manual is likely to have recipes that will adapt.

In ours, for any use with the heater element on (convection, grill or combination) there's a metal baking sheet that must be put on top on the turntable. It should be taken out on microwave-only mode. From experience it seems like it can't handle the microwave on full power (it's an inverter model).

If you've used convection, grill, or combination mode, you won't be able to put plastic microwave dishes in until it's cooled down, so pyrex or ceramic containers are good all round. A few ceramic dishes don't work well in microwaves so check before buying.

You can generally just set convection mode and dial in a temperature, if you want to use it like a "normal" oven. The heat from the top can be a bit fierce for some things especially if they're tall, so be prepared to turn it down a little or switch off for few minutes at the end.