Showing posts with label convection microwave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label convection microwave. Show all posts

12/28/2011

Sharp SuperSteam Microwave Oven Review

Sharp SuperSteam Microwave Oven
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First off this is a VERY attractive appliance. The picture on the website does not do it justice, as weird as that may seem. It is substancial, well built, and looks and feels like something from a professional kitchen. Even though the measurements are documented, the oven just seems bigger. Personally, I think it's too big for a counter and would be best mounted into a unit. There could be some problems with mounting because you absolutely DO need the recommended space above, behind and to the sides - you can't get away with putting it up against anything if you plan on using the steam feature.
Good things:
The convention over works exactly as it should - I made a cake and it came out super-fluffy and perfectly cooked in and out, and very moist. Also made a sandwich and the bread was nice and crispy and the tomatoes inside were perfectly cooked. I made two chickens - one with the steam and one without. Both were good, but the one with the steam did get brown (lightly) and looked better, although they both tasted great and moist.
Microwave works fine. Downside is that there is no spinning wheel, so you have to stir and flip things around - AND - the microwave keeps stopping to tell you to do that. A bit annoying.
Although the job wheel feels very expensive and all the options are laid out well - I would prefer some buttons, espcially with the microwave. You can't just pop something in and start nuking. YOu have to press the microwave button and then use the wheel to go down one selection and then press enter and then use the wheel to spin to a time and then you can finally hit start. They should have moved that up one level to make it faster.
You get several well built pans and racks with this, which is very nice bonus.
The instructions are overwhelming, but when you actually go to use the oven, it makes sense.
Putting the water in for the steam function is very easy - a little box/cup thing comes out, you fill it and put it back in. done.
The auto sense microwave warming part works really well. I always want to doubt that it will work, but it actually does.
Overall it's a very intelligent unit, looks gorgeous and can completely replace your oven and microwave. Downside is that interface, which although it is slick, I don't much care for it and seems to require more thought than I care to put into microwaving something.
I would give it 4.5 stars because of that - but really it's a very nice oven.
One more thing - oddly enough, it does not put out excessive amounts of heat compared to your regular oven. You can open it during cooking and not get blasted by heat (although you should be careful). And cooking the chickens didn't heat up my whole kitchen or apartment like the oven usually does. The steam will kick up the humidity, but not that much.
Update - I wanted to add that I made a Flan recently and it came out perfectly. Usually I make it in a regular oven in a water bath. I skipped the water bath and just put it into the Sharp and chose convection oven - it came out perfectly cooked from edges to the middle! Anyone who has made a Flan will know how hard it is to get the center to cook correctly without overdoing the sides. I was pretty happy with this.

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Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, this all-in-one microwave oven allows for making healthier choices when cooking at home. The versatile appliance can be used for microwave cooking, traditional steaming, or as a convection oven with temperatures ranging from 100 to 450 degrees F for baking or roasting. It also provides a SuperSteam Convection option, which combines two types of cooking--superheated steam and convection heat--in order to brown and crisp while retaining moisture and natural flavors. The oven provides a spacious 1.1-cubic-foot interior, which measures 13-3/8 by 14-1/8 by 10-1/8 inches, and its user-friendly control panel with an LCD display ensures simple operation. Choose from a range of automatic cooking categories: in Microwave mode, it offers six Sensor Cook settings, reheat, and popcorn; in Steam mode it offers vegetables, fish/seafood, and poached eggs; and in SuperSteam/Convection mode, choose from balanced meals, poultry, meats, fish, vegetables, pizza, and convenience foods. The unit also provides reheat and defrost options, 11 variable power levels, a 24-hour clock, and sleep mode, as well as a pull-down door, an interior oven light, sound on/off, demonstration mode, a child lock, and a steam-clean cycle. Accessories include two porcelain-enamel baking trays, two nonstick racks (high and low), one steam basket, and a Touch Guide, as well as a SuperSteam Cookbook full of healthy recipes, cooking tips, and nutritional information. Sharp's RK-12S30 Kit (sold separately) allows the appliance to be built into a 30-inch wall oven cabinet, perfect when coordinating with other Sharp Insight and Insight Pro appliances like a lower microwave drawer or warming drawer. If built-in options are not possible, it can also be placed on the countertop or a cart. The UL-listed multi-purpose oven measures 20-1/4 by 21-3/4 by 17-1/4 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty. From the ManufacturerThe SuperSteam Oven's Many Facets

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8/22/2011

Sanyo EM-C6786V 1-Cubic-Foot Microwave Oven with Convection and Grill Review

Sanyo EM-C6786V 1-Cubic-Foot Microwave Oven with Convection and Grill
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
We have owned our Sanyo Microwave Oven with convection and grill for almost two months, and have attempted to test all functions in order to write a complete review. We rely heavily on reviews to help us decide what to buy, so we did our best to evaluate this oven. At almost $180.00 it is not a trivial purchase.
The design is sleek, and the controls easy to use -- but as other reviewers cautioned, keep the booklet handy!
The microwave functions -- cook, auto menu cooking (limited to microwave), auto reheat all work as well as our last microwave -- a G/E over the range.
However, the conbined functions -- micro plus grill, convection plus grill, leave much to be desired.
The roast chicken function -- a combination of micro and grilling is neat and works well -- but does not save time, although it probably saves energy and kitchen heat compared to cooking chicken in a standard oven. When the chicken was taste-tested our family concluded that it was pretty good chicken and assumed that the time to cook was materially reduced -- which it was not. It was agreed that in a "time-bind" they would eat this chicken, but preferred standard oven baked. Given that the chicken took about ten minutes longer than it would have in the oven, the saving was a hot kitchen in the summer, and probably many BTUs.
Combo 1(Micro and Convection) works well -- but it is not fast! Nor are there timing guides. (More on this later)
We have not used Combo 2 (Microwave and Grill) for anything but hot dogs. Too slow by half! Steak is a treat for us, so we cook it with much ceremony outside -- but my experience with grilling hot dogs fo lunch caused me to turn on the broiler in our "real"stove to finish them.
Combo 4 (grill and convection) is rather a joke. Today, in anticipation of putting our review on paper, I took two defrosted quarter pound hamburgs and put them on the grill rack. Dialed in 20 minutes on Combo 4 and walked away. At 20 minutes, the hamburgs registered about 100 degrees F. internal -- as in not cooked. I added another 5 minutes and temped them and got to 120 degrees. Another 6 minutes got them to an edible internal temperature of 140. Thirty minutes to "grill?" two hamburgers?
The convection function alone works well for small quantities of food. But, it is important to note that this is not a convection oven -- in other words an oven that cooks more rapidly than a "standard" oven.
So, what is this neat little oven good for? As a micro it's great. In the same space as a micro you can heat dinner rolls on convection when your main oven is tied up, or bake appetizers while the roast is roasting in the main oven.
What's missing? A recipe book would have helped. The first time I cooked hamburgs using Combo 4 I figured they would cook faster than the time to heat my T-Fal Compact Multi-Grill (rather a waste for two burgers!) and I was dead wrong! (The reason for today's test.) If there had been a booklet or time sheet that indicated 30 minutes to cook two thawed burgers -- well T-Fal would have had the whole job rather than finishing it up!
For people who live in dorm rooms (I was once one of those!) who want all the functions of an oven and a micro in one box -- I would have been glad to have this Sanyo. But -- a recipe book that might indicate time to cook various things -- would really help.
Are we glad we bought this oven? Well, yes. But, and this is important, it is not a Micro/Convection Oven -- nor does it claim to be one.
This oven is a great microwave -- we are very happy with the micro functions. It is also a nice "auxilliary" oven for entertaining -- as long as you can work out the times. It probably saves energy over heating up our main gas oven for small things and will likely keep heat out of our kitchen in the summer.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sanyo EM-C6786V 1-Cubic-Foot Microwave Oven with Convection and Grill

More than just a 1000-watt microwave oven, this versatile appliance also functions as a 1000-watt grill and a 1400-watt convection oven. With convection cooking, hot air circulates throughout the oven cavity to brown and crisp foods quickly and evenly--great for baking cakes, cookies, and muffins, or even for browning meats. The 10 convection temperature settings range from 285 to 400 degrees F. A grill rack comes included for during the grill function, which cooks and heats items such as fish, nachos, hot dogs, and sausages. When microwave cooking, choose from five power levels: 10 percent, 30 percent, 50 percent, 80 percent, or 100 percent. The unit also provides four combination settings: combination one (microwave and convection) for frozen entrees and casseroles, combination two (microwave and grill) for steaks, combination three (grill and microwave) for chicken, and combination four (grill and convection) for hamburgers.
For added convenience, nine direct-access push-button menu keys make it easy to cook popular items. Menu keys include popcorn, beverage, pizza, potato, frozen vegetable, meat, fish, and roast chicken, as well as auto reheat. Open the door to access the hidden keypad and to use the digital encoder for setting the time, power, and weight input. Other highlights include a 1-cubic-foot stainless-steel interior, a large 12-3/8-inch rotating glass turntable, multi-stage cooking options, a 95-minute cooking timer, defrost by weight or time, a child lock-out function, and an interior light. To clean, simply wipe the inside and outside with a soft cloth and mild detergent solution, then rinse and wipe dry. The stylish and contemporary-looking microwave/convection/grill oven measures 18-4/5 by 20-1/2 by 13-1/4 inches and carries a one-year parts-and-labor warranty.

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