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.
