Best Combination Microwaves in the UK

Your cooking skills leave much to be desired, yet, you drastically want to be able to cook at home something more than hot sandwiches and fried eggs? If so, the Panasonic NN-CT54JWBPQ combination microwave will come to the rescue and bring your home cooking to the next level.

What makes this model a great choice for beginner cooks straight away is as many as 29 auto-cook options it's fitted with and a detailed user manual that contains not only helpful user recommendations and clear guidelines but also handy recipes including a choice of meat, fish, veg, and seafood dishes, snacks, quick meals, and desserts. It means no cooking times and temperatures. So, no guesswork engaged, you just need to choose the recipe, set the corresponding auto-cook programme and let the appliance do its magic. Add to this intuitive and comprehensible touch-screen controls and cooking with the Panasonic NN-CT54JWBPQ will be a piece of cake even for those who used a microwave only for reheating meals before.

With 1000 watts in a microwave and 1300 watts in a grill mode, the model is decently powered and will impress you with really fast cooking. Meanwhile, thanks to an inverter technology characteristic of all Panasonic microwaves paired with precise power controls (at 6 microwave and 3 grill power levels available), all foods will come out evenly cooked and browned to perfection without burned tops and edges or undercooked bottoms. And those who have picky little eaters in the family will highly appreciate the Junior Menu that will allow them to cook many healthy and yummy treats such as veg fries, pureed delicacies, and pasta bake for kids.

A highly reputed brand, Toshiba is well-known worldwide for exceptional quality and functionality of its appliances. And while some units are feature-packed smart gizmos, others truly shine in their simplicity. The Toshiba MW2-AG23PF combination microwave belongs to the latter category. So, if you are into solid straightforward functionality without fancy add-ons, this model is for you.

For starters, as a combi microwave, this model offers an efficient bundle of microwave and grill power allowing you to use those options separately or in a combo depending on the task you have at hand. This feature alone puts it beyond compare to any even premium solo microwaves. With 800 watts of power in the microwave mode and 1050 watts in grill, the appliance will cook really fast evenly heating all foods from within and lending a golden brown top to give your meals an appetising look. With that, you’ll have as many as 5 adjustable power level to maximise the heating performance for warming up, defrosting, slow cooking, roasting or boiling liquids and cook with precision.

To proceed, in an auto-cook menu, this Toshiba microwave doesn’t have an abundance of programmes. However, 8 pre-programmed settings include the most common options for a microwave. Thus, you’ll have pizza, pasta, meat, vegetable, fish, potato, popcorn, and beverage modes activated at a press of a button. Besides, an “Add 30 seconds” setting allows extending the cooking time if needed. On top of that, humble dial controls with menu abbreviations explained on the top of the unit along with clear concise instructions make the microwave very easy and convenient to operate.

If you have to cook for a bigger family on a daily basis, you know firsthand how much time and effort this job usually takes. Though modern kitchen appliances promise to make those cooking tasks easier and less of a chore, in practice, only a few of them live up to their promises. Luckily, the RHM3003B combination microwave from Russell Hobbs is one of them.

What makes this model a perfect match for family cooking is an oversized cooking chamber with an ample capacity of 30 L. As such, it can accommodate what smaller models often fail to handle. A 31.5 cm turntable is good for XXL pizzas and bigger trays you’d normally fit into a conventional oven. A whole chicken, bigger chunks of pork ribs, a pork knuckle, multi-serving stews and casseroles, and hearty shepherd pies and quiches will all fit into this oven. So, you’ll be able to use it either as an added cooker for parties and gatherings or as an alternative to your conventional oven for everyday family cooking.

It’s notable that at a higher capacity, this Russell Hobbs oven is not a power-beast but rather a power-wise unit. At 900 watts of power, it won’t consume more energy than any other average microwave while cooking family meals and reheating bigger plates impressively fast. And the inbuilt convection technology puts this combi oven functionality in full compliance with the functionality of a modern conventional oven. Meanwhile, the hygienic stainless steel interior is so easy to maintain that you’ll feel eager to use this oven every day without thinking of messy cleans.

Today, healthy eating is not just a modern trend but a conscious nutrition choice from millions of people. A multitude of healthy recipes proves that healthy treats are not necessarily boring and tasteless. So, if you want to diversify your family menu with fresh nutrient-rich meals without much fuss, this combination microwave oven from Samsung is definitely worth your attention.

First and foremost, with 28 litres of capacity, this microwave has a rather large cooking chamber both to toss off some single-serve treats or quick snacks and to whip up substantial family-size meals. Besides, a handy Turntable On/Off option allows disabling the rotating turntable to use every centimetre of the inner cavity and easily accommodate larger rectangle or square pans and trays, which are used for stewing, baking, and grilling in larger portions. Thus, no matter if you are a busy solo cook or have to regularly cook in multiple servings, the Samsung MC28H5013AS/EU is perfectly sized to meet different needs.

Yet, where this model really excels and outcompetes its rivals is an amazingly versatile functionality. With 900 watts in a microwave, 1500 watts in grill, and 2100 watts in a convection mode accordingly, the appliance fully lives up to its name and delivers the best of combination performance. It will cook much faster than any ordinary microwave or a conventional oven while ensuring consistently flawless cooking results and providing a variety of cooking options. Featuring 10 auto-cook programmes, this microwave will let you bake, grill, roast, or re-heat hearty delicious meals and try a number of all-loved traditional recipes while 6 power levels are there to help you customise the power settings to avoid undercooking and overcooking. And the Power Defrost is a valuable function when you need to quickly cook foods right from the freezer.

To continue, this combi cooker from Samsung also offers as many as 15 healthy cooking programmes that will let you replenish your healthy nutrition schemes with flavourful calorie-wise treats. Grilled salmon and shrimps, lean chicken breast, and baked broccoli will be cooked to perfection, remaining moist and juicy from the inside. On top of that, the appliance boasts a fermentation function, thus, allowing you to try your hand at baking homemade bread and making fresh yoghurt.

There are a few things we liked about the Igenix IG2590. First, with 51.3 x 49.8 x 30.6 centimetres in overall dimensions, it is one of the smallest and most compact convection ovens we've laid our eyes on. Now, it isn't that much smaller than your standard combination oven. But a centimetre here and a millimetre there will allow you to save some of that precious tabletop space and, sometimes, that's all that matters.

Naturally, the compact frame alone makes this model a good choice for people dwelling in some of the smaller places of residency. But we would also be remiss to mention its particularly silent operation. The appliance doesn't produce a whole lot of noise even when it reaches the highest power level. That makes it an absolutely great fit for individuals living in those studio flats where the living room and the kitchen are one and the same room. On the other hand, though, the cooking chamber you’ll get is not that small and has a capacity of 25 L. It means you’ll have a full-scale cooker capable of handling pretty much the same tasks as a conventional oven and ample enough to accommodate a whole chicken or a bigger pot. 

Smartly sized, the model also boasts a stylish design. The black housing and the mirror glass door make the appliance look modern and elegant enough to compliment just about any interior. It won’t stick out like a sore thumb but seamlessly blend with your kitchen settings, especially those of contemporary and high-tech homes.