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A convection microwave oven is an appliance that combines the traditional cooking capabilities of a regular microwave with the browning and crispy textures of a convection oven. It is equipped with a fan that circulates heated air around the food, providing an even cooking experience. The fan also allows you to cook multiple dishes at once without any cross-contamination.
Generally, these ovens have similar features to traditional microwaves: they come with a range of power settings, defrost options, reheat options and timer functions. However, the convection feature makes them more versatile in terms of cooking capabilities.
To help you find the best convection microwave, we rounded up the best options based on actual customer reviews on sites like The Good Guys, Appliances Online, Harvey Norman and more. For each category, we carefully selected parameters based on our research and identified the convection microwaves with the highest review score within those parameters.
Read more detail on our methodology below. If you're interested in other types of microwaves, check out our complete guide to the best microwaves in Australia.
We picked the Panasonic 34L Convection Microwave Oven NN-CD87KSQPQ as the best overall convection microwave you can buy right now in Australia. It has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Myer and 4.2 on Amazon.
Featuring inverter microwave technology, this model offers precise cooking and defrosting control for easy and convenient meal preps during busy nights. It also has re-bake programs so you can refresh your favourite bread in the morning.
Additionally, it has a large interior with a 34L capacity suitable for medium-sized households. The exterior is made of high-quality steel that is easy to clean while looking sleek and modern. There are also 7 menu options and a genius sensor to prevent overcooking any meal you put inside the microwave.
How do Australians rate Panasonic's microwaves?
88% of surveyed Australians recommend Panasonic
4.3
Value for money
4.3
Overall
4.5
Performance
4.4
Ease of use
4.4
Cleaning and maintenance
4.2
Product features
How Panasonic compares
In the 2023 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 34,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 170 product categories and over 1,200 total brands.
For microwaves, Panasonic was ranked 8th for value for money, 4th for performance, 9th for ease of use, 6th for cleaning and maintenance and 9th for product features.
13 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
Breville BMO870BSS the Combi Wave 3-in-1 Microwave
Image: Supplied/Finder
Pros
One-touch settings
Soft-close door
Cons
Doesn’t heat food as quickly as traditional options
If you're searching for a convection microwave that can tackle everything from microwaving to air frying, there are lots of good reasons to check out Breville's The Combi Wave 3-in-1 Microwave. It has also earned a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from The Good Guys customers.
With a 32-litre capacity, this Breville number can be used to create everything from moist chocolate cake to crispy chips and even a family roast. But it really stands out in its ease of use and the wide variety of pre-set functions on offer.
Its Fast Combi function is designed to help you prepare your favourite dishes faster, while the Cook From Frozen function uses the convection oven, grill and microwave at different stages of the cooking process to ensure that your food is cooked to perfection. You'll also find handy settings for tasks like melting chocolate and softening butter, with 19 pre-set functions in total.
The brushed stainless-steel finish looks sleek and modern, while its soft-close door and quiet operation are big bonuses. It also has a child lock and the ability to mute all the beeps and chimes, giving you a promising and user-friendly appliance for any kitchen.
How do Australians rate Breville's microwaves?
82% of surveyed Australians recommend Breville
4.2
Value for money
4.3
Overall
4.4
Performance
4.4
Ease of use
4.4
Cleaning and maintenance
4.2
Product features
How Breville compares
In the 2023 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 34,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 170 product categories and over 1,200 total brands.
For microwaves, Breville was ranked 12th for value for money, 7th for performance, 9th for ease of use, 6th for cleaning and maintenance and 9th for product features.
13 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
For the best option with a grill function, we recommend the Whirlpool MWC25WH 25L Crisp & Grill Microwave Oven. This model has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Appliances Online.
Apart from letting you grill your favourite food to perfection, this convection microwave lets you steam, crisp and heat up food in no time. It features 3D microwave hearing and a quartz grill for golden and crispy results. According to the brand, these features also help the unit prepare food 3 times faster than a conventional infrared grill.
It has a 25L capacity, which may be too small for larger households, but its plenty of room for preparing smaller batches of meals for 1–2 people. For added convenience, there's an auto-clean function and a jet menu defrost for quick defrosting.
Several customers found its beeps and chimes quite annoying, but this doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker. And despite this little drawback, the MWC25WH remains a favourite among customers looking for a relatively affordable and versatile convection microwave.
Samsung's MC455THRCBB 45L Convection Microwave Oven 900W is our pick for the best large convection microwave. On The Good Guys, it has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
The MC455THRCBB features 6 different modes, including microwave, convection and grill + convection, so you can get your dinner ready in a jiffy. It has the brand's SmartSensor technology that promises to prevent overcooking or undercooking by monitoring the interior's humidity level for optimal cooking time.
Apart from a sleek black exterior, the interior is made of ceramic material that is scratch-free for easy cleaning. It also offers a 45L capacity to cater to a large household's requirements. Other notable features include fermentation mode, sensor cook, deodorisation, child lock and a sound on/off function.
How do Australians rate Samsung's microwaves?
91% of surveyed Australians recommend Samsung
4.5
Value for money
4.5
Overall
4.6
Performance
4.4
Ease of use
4.5
Cleaning and maintenance
4.4
Product features
How Samsung compares
In the 2023 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 34,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 170 product categories and over 1,200 total brands.
For microwaves, Samsung was ranked 3rd for value for money, 1st for performance, 9th for ease of use, 1st for cleaning and maintenance and 3rd for product features.
13 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
If you're in the market for the best cheap option, we recommend Kogan's Premium 28L Stainless Steel Convection Microwave Oven with Grill. This has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars from Kogan customers.
While it doesn't have the bells and whistles of more expensive options, this convection microwave offers basic yet reliable functions that can cater to any needs you may have. It has a convection and grill function as well as 10 preset cooking settings for heating, defrosting and cooking your favourite dishes. Additionally, it automatically determines the correct amount of time needed to prevent overcooking or undercooking your meal.
Customers were impressed by the microwave's sleek design, ease of use and sturdy build. Apart from a stainless-steel control panel, it has a push-button and turn-dial for controls. It also comes with a glass turntable and a wire grilling rack.
How do Australians rate Kogan's microwaves?
84% of surveyed Australians recommend Kogan
4.3
Value for money
4.1
Overall
4.2
Performance
4.2
Ease of use
3.9
Cleaning and maintenance
3.9
Product features
How Kogan compares
In the 2023 Finder Retail Awards, we surveyed over 34,000 Australians about their retail purchases to discover which were their favourite brands across 170 product categories and over 1,200 total brands.
For microwaves, Kogan was ranked 8th for value for money, 13th for performance, 13th for ease of use, 13th for cleaning and maintenance and 13th for product features.
13 brands were rated across these decision criteria.
If you're searching for the best built-in combination oven, we recommend checking out the Bosch CMG656RS1A 45cm Serie 8 Compact Combi-Microwave Oven. On Appliances Online, this model has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
The Bosch combination oven offers a total of 12 heating methods to suit a variety of cooking tasks, including everything from half- and full-width grilling to a pizza setting and one for preheating ovenware.
It also features a host of features to help make it as user-friendly as possible. For example, control is via a TFT touchscreen, while Bosch's PerfectRoast and PerfectBake features use sensor technology to let you prepare a large menu of dishes.
There is also a telescopic rail system that makes it easy to load and unload trays, while interior LED lighting allows you to check on your meal whenever you need. For ease of cleaning, the ceiling and rear and side walls of the oven are coated with EcoClean Direct, which is designed to absorb grime.
The NNCF770M 27L Convection Flatbed Microwave 1000W is our pick for the best Panasonic model. On eBay, it has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
Featuring flatbed technology and inverter technology, this convection microwave eliminates the need for a traditional turntable for ease of use. And with its 27L capacity, it offers plenty of reheating and cooking space for 1–2 people.
There is also a grill function and 15 auto-cook menus, including meat skewers, porridge and frozen veggies. For added convenience, you can also use the reheat option and 3-stage cooking setting. The recipe store feature allows you to store your favourite settings, too.
Amazon prices last updated on 1 December, 2023 at 01:01 pmeBay prices last updated on 1 December, 2023 at 05:21 am
How did we pick this list?
15+ Brands considered
84 Products compared
7 Best products chosen
Why you can trust our picks
We started our search for the best convection microwaves by finding the highest-rated products from customers at retailers like The Good Guys, Appliances Online and Harvey Norman. We then compared those top-rated convection microwaves against other popular options in the same category, considering factors such as capacity, ease of use and price to help us decide on our top picks.
In the "best cheap convection microwave" category, we considered models priced at less than $400. We considered convection microwaves from the following brands:
Artusi
Blanco
Bosch
Breville
DeLonghi
Electrolux
Esatto
Heller
Kmart
Kogan
LG
Morphy Richards
Omega
Panasonic
Samsung
Sharp
Smeg
Westinghouse
Whirlpool
We value our editorial independence, basing our comparison results, content and reviews on objective analysis without bias. However, Finder may receive compensation when you click some links on our site. Learn more about how we make money from our partners and why you can trust our guides.
Frequently asked questions
We picked Panasonic's 34L Convection Microwave Oven NN-CD87KSQPQ as the best convection microwave you can buy online.
In the 2021 Finder Retail Awards, Samsung was named the best overall microwave brand.
A convection microwave can cook similar meals to an air fryer but it has more space to fit more food.
A normal microwave lets you reheat and cook frozen meals. It heats inside the food so you can enjoy leftover or ready-to-cook meals in minutes. On the other hand, a convection oven does all this and more. It also browns, crisps and fully cooks food. It heats both the inside and outside of your food as well. This unit is great for making pies, cookies, roast dishes and reheating.
A convection microwave doesn't have to be vented as it uses a fan to circulate air inside the unit. This helps food to cook faster and evenly.
On average, convection microwaves use around 1,200 watts. For comparison, an oven uses 2,000–5,000 watts and a microwave uses 1,200 watts.
Metal utensils shouldn't be used when heating food in microwave mode. However, you can use metal and foil in convection mode. Always check for your utensils and dishware to be oven-safe before using them. Avoid using paper plates, plastic containers and styrofoam containers on both convection and microwave modes as these materials can melt from the heat.
To remove food stains and caked-on grease, place 1 cup of water in a bowl inside your unit. Cook the water for about 3 minutes and let the steam stay inside the microwave for 5 more minutes. Take out the bowl and wipe the interior with a damp cloth. Then, let it dry.
Using commercially available oven cleaners on a convection microwave is not recommended because this appliance works differently than an oven.
Ericka Pingol is a writer for Finder specialising in best guides. Using tested methodology, Ericka has been helping Australians choose the right product across hundreds of categories since 2020. Ericka has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of the East, Manila. As well as being passionate about helping people save money when shopping for their latest purchases, Ericka has a background in writing about property investment, personal finance and health. When not writing best guides, you can find her lost in the pages of a good book or experimenting with watercolour painting.
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