Suggest me an convection/otg oven

[Ssreek]

Looking to buy our first Oven, I don't have a great knowledge on ovens, so started exploring. Suggest me a convection/microwave/OTG based on my usage as explained below.

1. Heating food - Used daily. Must have feature.
2. Grilling non-veg items, paneer etc - Weekly twice.
3. Pizza - Occasionally like monthly once or twice.
4. Roasting seeds/nuts - Frequently
5. Baking - like cake/bread etc - monthly twice.

Should I buy an OTG or Convection microwave oven for this purpose?
Convection vs microwave vs otg seems little confusing.
I visited a couple of shops, but LG Charcoal and Samsung Oven, both convection type, are like the default ones suggested.

Budget - around Rs. 20k.
32L is what I feel better instead of 28L.
Kitchen has only one 16A connection, so anything that requires above this, is not possible in the present house.

 

[altair21]

if you have that kind of budget, you should save up a bit more and buy a cooking range/inbuilt ovens, those are the best for the usecase you have, but those ovens are expensive with a decent one costing around 30-40k, as for the those portable ones, convention/microwave combo ovens are ****ing crap, they are decent for baking something like a cake but a piece of shit for anything you need to grill or need extreme heat for like a Pizza or any tandoori stuff.

Get an otg oven, those are honestly the best and if you exactly know what you'll be baking in it that might the 32L, go for a smaller size around 22/24L. the issue is these portable ovens don't go that hot (only around 250c, you need somewhere around 270-280c for your tandoori/grilling needs) and are not able to maintain that temp at all specially during winters, with smaller sizes they'll be able to maintain temps more easily and give you an even grilling.

I am an avid pizza maker (I make everything from scratch from dough to my cheese), I use this Morphy Richard's OTG (https://amzn.eu/d/9rkXuyr), this is decent for my pizza needs but I need to do a lot of pre prep to make sure my pizza don't end a soggy mess (mostly pre baking the base before topping it and toasting it 250c), it maintains the temps fairly well but in winters struggles with it, if I were to buy it again I would have gone with the 22l version. in comparison my BIL has bought one of those inbuilt ones with a 60L capacity, and in comparison to mine it easily goes to a higher temp and maintains it too, we could directly pop in the pizza like you see on youtube videos and it came out fairly well without turning soggy

 

[singenaadam]

OTG is not for reheating food.

Best option: provided space is not a constraint: get a simple microwave for heating food and an OTG (I have Borosil which is great) for the rest of the use cases.

If space is a problem, get a convection microwave - this would do all that you want.

In any case for any oven get the largest you can afford (cost & space POV). You can't buy that extra space later.

 

[Ssreek]

if you have that kind of budget, you should save up a bit more and buy a cooking range/inbuilt ovens, those are the best for the usecase you have, but those ovens are expensive with a decent one costing around 30-40k, as for the those portable ones, convention/microwave combo ovens are ****ing crap, they are decent for baking something like a cake but a piece of shit for anything you need to grill or need extreme heat for like a Pizza or any tandoori stuff.

Not willing to spend 30K-40K on oven for now. Besides, we live in a rented house, so getting inbuilt or large ones is not suitable.
So convection or otgs are waste in comparison to inbuilt ones for pizza/tandoori?

Get an otg oven, those are honestly the best and if you exactly know what you'll be baking in it that might the 32L, go for a smaller size around 22/24L. the issue is these portable ovens don't go that hot (only around 250c, you need somewhere around 270-280c for your tandoori/grilling needs) and are not able to maintain that temp at all specially during winters, with smaller sizes they'll be able to maintain temps more easily and give you an even grilling.

If at all we need to put bigger food items, like a full bird, does the 24L model accommodate such items? I thought 32L with rotisserie function would be sufficient.

OTG is not for reheating food.

Best option: provided space is not a constraint: get a simple microwave for heating food and an OTG (I have Borosil which is great) for the rest of the use cases.

If space is a problem, get a convection microwave - this would do all that you want.

In any case for any oven get the largest you can afford (cost & space POV). You can't buy that extra space later.

I thought about the same, like 2 ovens solo + otg.
Space is definitely a constraint, for now. Getting a solo and otg costs almost around 16K on avg.
So where exactly does solo+otg (2 ovens) triumph over convection oven?

Agree with the space thing. My refrigerator purchase few years ago taught me the same.

 

[lockhrt999]

Simple, get a Microwave with grill and convection mode. 3 in 1 they are called.

Yes, these ovens are a bit less efficient at baking with grill and convection modes but 99% of people only use the microwave function. Other modes don't get that much attention. Microwave is the bare minimum for every house. It saves time, money, utensils, and marriage at a fraction of the cost. The rest of the modes are good to have.

 

[Ssreek]

Simple, get a Microwave with grill and convection mode. 3 in 1 they are called.

Is this an example of what you're suggesting?

Yes, these ovens are a bit less efficient at baking with grill and convection modes but 99% of people only use the microwave function. Other modes don't get that much attention. Microwave is the bare minimum for every house. It saves time, money, utensils, and marriage at a fraction of the cost. The rest of the modes are good to have.

If it saves marriage, then why not!!

 

[altair21]

So convection or otgs are waste in comparison to inbuilt ones for pizza/tandoori?

Convection ovens which operate as a microwave (i.e. they don't have dedicated heating elements on both sides) are absolutely ****ing trash for anything grilling like your paneer, chicken or pizza, I tried baking a pizza with mine and it came out as a soggy paratha and that's after I had preheated it for a good hour.

If at all we need to put bigger food items, like a full bird, does the 24L model accommodate such items? I thought 32L with rotisserie function would be sufficient.

I am not a non-veg guy so can't help you there, but if its something like a full chicken it should definitely be able to fit in there, In fact it would be even better since temps will be maintained more evenly and the space more constrained, so charring will go even faster.

P.S. I do agree with other comments, get a microwave atleast for your everyday needs, an OTG can warm up dishes, but it will take a lot more time than a microwave and at that point you might as well warm them up over the stove

 

[lockhrt999]

Is this an example of what you're suggesting?

That's correct.
Most of the microwave ovens above 10k are all in one. The listings don't mention it properly, but they all support convection and grill too. So better check the manual from the manufacturer's site before ordering.

 

[ssslayer]

Looking to buy our first Oven, I don't have a great knowledge on ovens, so started exploring. Suggest me a convection/microwave/OTG based on my usage as explained below.

1. Heating food - Used daily. Must have feature.
2. Grilling non-veg items, paneer etc - Weekly twice.
3. Pizza - Occasionally like monthly once or twice.
4. Roasting seeds/nuts - Frequently
5. Baking - like cake/bread etc - monthly twice.

Should I buy an OTG or Convection microwave oven for this purpose?
Convection vs microwave vs otg seems little confusing.
I visited a couple of shops, but LG Charcoal and Samsung Oven, both convection type, are like the default ones suggested.

Budget - around Rs. 20k.
32L is what I feel better instead of 28L.
Kitchen has only one 16A connection, so anything that requires above this, is not possible in the present house.

Best for each of the above that you have written:
1) microwave
2) OTG
3) if you want to make pizza from scratch (from flour, yeast, water, sugar, salt) then convection or OTG
4) gas tawa is best
5) convection or OTG

Now in the market are the following various categories available in increasing price:
a) OTG: provides a conventional oven like setting where you control the temperature. Great for baking and mild grilling but will usually burn the outer layers while heating/reheating.
b) air fryer / pure convection: better than OTG for baking/mild grilling (due to fan circulating hot air and thus cooking more evenly and faster) but are usually of smaller sizes compared to OTG. The high speed fan compensates for single heating element.
c) solo microwave: good for heating/reheating. May be able to cook elementary stuff which requires only boiling/steaming (but I reckon using gas will be cheaper & faster). Also microwave requires microwave friendly utensils (non metallic, non leaching plastic)
d) grill + microwave: has a small grill on top which can help you with mild grilling duties in addition to microwaving. Will give poor results with baking since the heating element is only at the top whereas OTGs have it at the top and bottom. Additionally, there is no temperature control available hence you will need to monitor constantly to avoid burning
e) convection+microwave+grill: has convection for baking, heating element for mild grilling, microwave for heating/reheating; allowing you the maximum flexibility. If you have the budget then go for this (usually available from 9K onwards).

You want my suggestion: first identify how large would be the food/plate that you want to heat/cook. Based on this you can select the turntable diameter and thus arrive at the size. Then look for all the alternatives available at that size.
If you are going in for convention+microwave+grill: you might as well checkout features like does it allow low temperature heating like for fermentation, does it allow thawing, does the oven allow temperatures from 100 to 250 in equal intervals, does the combination mode allow you to change the microwave power, etc

 

[skoka123]

I am an avid pizza maker (I make everything from scratch from dough to my cheese).

@altair21 What cheeses do you make and how?

 

[Ssreek]

Best for each of the above that you have written:
1) microwave
2) OTG
3) if you want to make pizza from scratch (from flour, yeast, water, sugar, salt) then convection or OTG
4) gas tawa is best
5) convection or OTG

Now in the market are the following various categories available in increasing price:
a) OTG: provides a conventional oven like setting where you control the temperature. Great for baking and mild grilling but will usually burn the outer layers while heating/reheating.
b) air fryer / pure convection: better than OTG for baking/mild grilling (due to fan circulating hot air and thus cooking more evenly and faster) but are usually of smaller sizes compared to OTG. The high speed fan compensates for single heating element.
c) solo microwave: good for heating/reheating. May be able to cook elementary stuff which requires only boiling/steaming (but I reckon using gas will be cheaper & faster). Also microwave requires microwave friendly utensils (non metallic, non leaching plastic)
d) grill + microwave: has a small grill on top which can help you with mild grilling duties in addition to microwaving. Will give poor results with baking since the heating element is only at the top whereas OTGs have it at the top and bottom. Additionally, there is no temperature control available hence you will need to monitor constantly to avoid burning
e) convection+microwave+grill: has convection for baking, heating element for mild grilling, microwave for heating/reheating; allowing you the maximum flexibility. If you have the budget then go for this (usually available from 9K onwards).

You want my suggestion: first identify how large would be the food/plate that you want to heat/cook. Based on this you can select the turntable diameter and thus arrive at the size. Then look for all the alternatives available at that size.
If you are going in for convention+microwave+grill: you might as well checkout features like does it allow low temperature heating like for fermentation, does it allow thawing, does the oven allow temperatures from 100 to 250 in equal intervals, does the combination mode allow you to change the microwave power, etc

Thanks for the explanation. Based on the "convention+microwave+grill" category, both Samsung and LG Charcoal models offer all these features, but as per what I've seen in few youtube videos, they go till 230C only. Have to check if latest models continue with same max temp. Is 250 must have or 230 is enough?

 

[lockhrt999]

they go till 230C only. Have to check if latest models continue with same max temp. Is 250 must have or 230 is enough?

Usually, combo models go up to 200C. Maybe newer ones go to 230.

I have been regularly cooking chicken kabab with combi mode (that's microwave and convection operating at the same time.)

And, about combo ovens, I dunno how they are measuring the temps but I did put my food thermometer inside. The temps measured were not even nearly close to what's shown on the display.

 

[Ssreek]

Usually, combo models go up to 200C. Maybe newer ones go to 230.

I have been regularly cooking chicken kabab with combi mode (that's microwave and convection operating at the same time.)

And, about combo ovens, I dunno how they are measuring the temps but I did put my food thermometer inside. The temps measured were not even nearly close to what's shown on the display.

I found this video - a woman is showing till what temp the oven is going in convection mode - 230C. This is LG model.
I too don't believe these would be full accurate, but on paper/specsheet, it could be so.

 

[lockhrt999]

I found this video - a woman is showing till what temp the oven is going in convection mode - 230C. This is LG model.
I too don't believe these would be full accurate, but on paper/specsheet, it could be so.

Right. These are probably newer models. Nevertheless, 230 is certainly more than 200.

Personally, if it could get 3/4th of the temp in real life, I'll be happy.

My current oven is certainly a budget model. Maybe that's why it doesn't get as hot as it's mentioned on the display. My last oven was from LG and that was expensive. Alas, its grill/convection mode all broke after a year without using them even once.

95% of all ovens are made in a single Chinese factory called Midea. So you can get whichever label you fancy on the front like LG, Samsung, Bajaj, etc. They are all made in the same place.

 

[skoka123]

I have a 8 to 10 years old LG microwave oven that goes up to 250C.

 

[altair21]

@altair21 What cheeses do you make and how?

I usually make Ricotta and Mozzarella for my pizzas, Ricotta is pretty easy, its just heating milk and using something acidic like lemon juice to curdle the milk and then hanging the curds in a cheese cloth for a couple hours and your creamy ricotta is ready.

Mozzarella on the other hand is a lot more pain in the ass, the "desi" way to make it is to use Cow's milk (this is important, buffalo milk never works), heat it up and then use white vinegar (the kind used in our kitchens), curdle the milk, using a spatula collect those milk curds and make a rough ball of them by squeezing them, now this is the most painful step, heat up the leftover whey (you can pour in some salt at this point if you want your cheese a little salty) and then drop in the ball of curds, move it around a little and then pick it up, squeeze it until no whey comes out while stretching/folding it and then drop it again in the whey (your hands will really feel like burning when you handle the curds after taking them out of the whey, let them, you won't get the cheese pull and the meltiness if you don't heat up the way, I have finally developed asbestos hands XD), repeat the process for at least 4-5 times minimum and then drop it in a ice cube bath, squeeze it one final time to wring out the moisture one final time and wrap it up in a cling foil and throw it in the fridge to let it settle, and you have your mozzarella,

The og way is to use rennet (I use vegetable rennet) and citric acid to curdle the milk and the rest of the process is the same.

WARNINGS: for ricotta, dont squeeze the curds at all, just hang them on something like a door handle for a while to let the moisture come out naturally, that's how you'll get that creamy texture. DON'T use buffalo milk or pasteurized milk, pasteurization changes the protein structure, and you'll end up with cottage cheese. ideally, get the cow's milk from a dairy and use it as is, best milk is the one from a cow who has just given birth, that colostrum in it will give a really creamy texture to both mozzarella and ricotta. I have tried making buffalo milk mozzarella a lot of times and it has never worked out even with rennet, it just won't stretch at all, and won't even melt much even if you blast it with a kitchen torch, I think the breed difference has an effect on the milk too.

 

[skoka123]

I usually make Ricotta and Mozzarella for my pizzas, Ricotta is pretty easy, its just heating milk and using something acidic like lemon juice to curdle the milk and then hanging the curds in a cheese cloth for a couple hours and your creamy ricotta is ready.

Mozzarella on the other hand is a lot more pain in the ass, the "desi" way to make it is to use Cow's milk (this is important, buffalo milk never works), heat it up and then use white vinegar (the kind used in our kitchens), curdle the milk, using a spatula collect those milk curds and make a rough ball of them by squeezing them, now this is the most painful step, heat up the leftover whey (you can pour in some salt at this point if you want your cheese a little salty) and then drop in the ball of curds, move it around a little and then pick it up, squeeze it until no whey comes out while stretching/folding it and then drop it again in the whey (your hands will really feel like burning when you handle the curds after taking them out of the whey, let them, you won't get the cheese pull and the meltiness if you don't heat up the way, I have finally developed asbestos hands XD), repeat the process for at least 4-5 times minimum and then drop it in a ice cube bath, squeeze it one final time to wring out the moisture one final time and wrap it up in a cling foil and throw it in the fridge to let it settle, and you have your mozzarella,

The og way is to use rennet (I use vegetable rennet) and citric acid to curdle the milk and the rest of the process is the same.

WARNINGS: for ricotta, dont squeeze the curds at all, just hang them on something like a door handle for a while to let the moisture come out naturally, that's how you'll get that creamy texture. DON'T use buffalo milk or pasteurized milk, pasteurization changes the protein structure, and you'll end up with cottage cheese. ideally, get the cow's milk from a dairy and use it as is, best milk is the one from a cow who has just given birth, that colostrum in it will give a really creamy texture to both mozzarella and ricotta. I have tried making buffalo milk mozzarella a lot of times and it has never worked out even with rennet, it just won't stretch at all, and won't even melt much even if you blast it with a kitchen torch, I think the breed difference has an effect on the milk too.

Where are you sourcing the rennet from, EssDee? Instead of using hands to stretch and fold can we use a stand mixer, the kind used for making dough?

 

[ssslayer]

Thanks for the explanation. Based on the "convention+microwave+grill" category, both Samsung and LG Charcoal models offer all these features, but as per what I've seen in few youtube videos, they go till 230C only. Have to check if latest models continue with same max temp. Is 250 must have or 230 is enough?

Samsung ovens go from 40 deg C to 200 deg C in 10 deg C intervals
LG ovens have 40 deg and then they jump to 100 deg C and go up to 230 deg C
Panasonic ovens go from 100 to 200 deg C
Whirlpool, Haier, Morphy Richards, Croma allow 100, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220.

In my opinion 200 deg C is more than enough for baking.
180-200 deg C is the smoke point of most oils for frying
190 deg C is the temperature at which sugar caramelizes.
160 deg C is the temperature at which proteins undergo maillard's reaction (browning)
Therefore most of your baking (cakes, meat etc.) happens between 150 and 200.
Of course the higher temperature will shorten your cooking time + offer more caramelization / browning but at the increased risk of burning your food.

If you want the pan seared / charcoal grill / wood fired look and feel then even 250 deg C is insufficient. You need to have at least 350 or 400 deg C: this you will get only by placing the food very near to the grill in your oven.

95% of all ovens are made in a single Chinese factory called Midea. So you can get whichever label you fancy on the front like LG, Samsung, Bajaj, etc. They are all made in the same place.

But the specs and features are different for each brand - same OEM doesn't mean same product.

***

By the way thread - a very simple way to check whether your oven's temperature control is working properly: load some table sugar on a shall plate and place in oven for 10-15 minutes and try with different temperatures (I have done this with my air fryer):
170 deg C: no melting but some slight yellowing
180 deg C: melting and yellowing
190 deg C: melting and browning

Making a Sugar Thermometer

A sweet science activity

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Abhi_Mahant]

From my experience I will say otg is better than microwave's convection mode for baking.
I have around 13 years old ifb microwave combi oven(micro, grill, convection)
Max temperature stated is 200 in pure convection, but I measured it to be around 180 using oven thermometer, reason for it should be the fan, so they are listing 200 instead of 180 because of fan, in recipes it is also listed decrease temperature when using fan, but this reduced temperature has clear effect on baking, I also used otg with temperature of 230(instead of 180) and it felt much better for baking, higher temperature also increases flavor at the risk of excessive charring.
Also the microwave has heating element on top only
Now about the grill mode..
This one on contrary has much higher temperature, huge disadvantage is that heating element is only one, so heating is mainly from top. This creates inconvenience due to uneven cooking, although usable for grilling purpose but not for thick stuff because inside will be undercooked due to very high temperature and outside will be charred.
So main use of microwave combi outside of microwave mode is grilling thin stuff and baking something like a cake which bakes at a low temperature.
Advantage of otg will be higher bake temperature and more even grilling so that thick stuff can also be grilled.
I will say it's better to use one small solo microwave and a decent size according to use case otg.

 

[Ssreek]

Samsung ovens go from 40 deg C to 200 deg C in 10 deg C intervals
LG ovens have 40 deg and then they jump to 100 deg C and go up to 230 deg C
Panasonic ovens go from 100 to 200 deg C
Whirlpool, Haier, Morphy Richards, Croma allow 100, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220.

In my opinion 200 deg C is more than enough for baking.
180-200 deg C is the smoke point of most oils for frying
190 deg C is the temperature at which sugar caramelizes.
160 deg C is the temperature at which proteins undergo maillard's reaction (browning)
Therefore most of your baking (cakes, meat etc.) happens between 150 and 200.
Of course the higher temperature will shorten your cooking time + offer more caramelization / browning but at the increased risk of burning your food.

That's really good info.
LG mentions "40C and 100-230C" as per their manual. As per a video here, it seems 10C increments.
Samsung, as per their manual, does the same thing you mentioned.
I would have to visit showrooms to see if newer models (if they exist at all), have any difference.
But these temp settings are mentioned for Convection mode only, but not grill. I don't understand why.

Also the microwave has heating element on top only
Now about the grill mode..
This one on contrary has much higher temperature, huge disadvantage is that heating element is only one, so heating is mainly from top. This creates inconvenience due to uneven cooking, although usable for grilling purpose but not for thick stuff because inside will be undercooked due to very high temperature and outside will be charred.

Which one? OTG or convection?

So main use of microwave combi outside of microwave mode is grilling thin stuff and baking something like a cake which bakes at a low temperature.
Advantage of otg will be higher bake temperature and more even grilling so that thick stuff can also be grilled.
I will say it's better to use one small solo microwave and a decent size according to use case otg.

So for heating = microwave oven, for grilling+baking = otg? Or, is otg good only for grilling?