Generally speaking microwave is used 95% of times
Whether you use microwave or convention depends on whether you're into baking or not. I love to bake and I use convection mode far more often than Microwave (time wise at least, microwave gets used a lot on short bursts to heat stuff).
OTG is better than Microwave right,
As already pointed out, these are two different things and can't be compared. In Indian homes, baking is not that common, hence microwave gets used more and combo-ovens are preferred. But combo ovens are horrible if your primary purpose is baking.
I cannot stress this enough, if your primary purpose is baking cakes and pizza, do not buy a combination oven. Here are the two most common reasons for this:
- Combination ovens have a rotating plate. Hence, even if the capacity is same as an OTG, you can't put wide trays inside as they will get stuck while rotating.
- The electronics in a combination oven are not built to withstand the stress of baking. In one and half yes, I had to get my LG oven repaired twice. It just couldn't stand the heat of convection cooking for long times. Consequently I stopped baking in it altogether. I'm yet to get an OTG though since there's no space in my kitchen for 2 ovens.
Besides both these reasons, there are certain cooking methods which cannot be accomplished in a combo oven. For instance, putting 2 trays is really difficult, almost impossible. If you need to create steam and wish to place an additional dish for it, there's no space. There's hardly any space for an oven thermometer in case you want to use one. Since there is a glass plate at the bottom, you can't use a pizza stone or cast iron plate if you wanted to.
Also, convection mode drives heat around the oven using fans. While this increases the efficiency somewhat, it tends to dry out and burn the surface of the food more easily. You'll find it hard to achieve the same results in a convection oven as a regular oven because of this reason.
I don't have any brand recommendations since I haven't bought one. But look for the following features:
- Temperature range - higher the better
- Timer availability and length - at least 60 minutes is required, 90 would be better
- Accessories provided
- Convection mode, if available, would be useful as it's more efficient and can be used where you are cooking the dish covered.
I would say go to a store and take a look at the size. If the purpose is purely home cooking, 30-40 L should be good enough. Looking at the ovens will give you a better idea of the size.
I have zero knowledge here on the brands so please let me know what too look at.
