Are you feeling confused about the best over the range microwave convection oven combo to buy?
Take a breath and calm down. You have come to the right place!
It’s true than over the range microwave (OTR) with convection oven will make a suitable replacement to your old unit. It will free up your counter space while extending the limits of what you can do with conventional units.
However, it can be totally overwhelming trying to choose a model from the hundreds of products out there.
And if you’re not careful, you might end up investing your money in the wrong product.
That’s why we have crafted this in-depth guide to help you choose the most suitable ORT microwave convection combo for your kitchen.
Our research team has evaluated different units based on their functionality, size, ease of installation and use, performance, useful features, and cost.
Below is our final list of top units:
Why you might need this?
As we have just stated above, an ORT microwave with convection combo makes an excellent choice for replacing or even upgrading your current microwave.
Becomes it comes as a combi, this unit will provide you with the convenience of an over the range microwave and the modern convection microwave oven.
The OTR microwave is designed to be installed over your stove, helping save counter space.
An OTR with convection oven is even better because it combines the traditional microwave technology with the power of convectional cooking for faster and quality cooking experience.
Let’s look at the TOP benefits you’ll enjoy from this combo:
- Enjoy more versatility: While your conventional microwave is limited to cooking, reheating, and defrosting a few types of foods, a convectional model can roast, grill, broil, brown, bake, crisp and steam multiple food types. Such an insane level of versatility enables the unit to perform the work of other kitchen appliances, helping you save kitchen space and money.
- Faster cooking time: The unit’s ability to cook food faster than the other models lies in the fact that it uses both microwave energy and convection cooking. Also, it lets you preheat it ahead of the cooking time, so your foods end up cooking faster.
- Save energy in your home: The act of this microwave efficiently using hot air inside it to cook food ensures faster cooking and less power consumption. The result is more savings in your utility bills.
- Save kitchen space: If you don’t have much counter space, you’ll also like how this unit makes things easier for you. It installs over your stove, which means it’ll help liberate the counter or cabinet space your previous unit was occupying.
- Enjoy better-tasting dishes: Because the convection uses convectional hot air and radio frequency energy to cook, heat, or bake your food, it (food) will cook evenly and retain moisture. The result is greater tasting meat, veggies, and other food items.
- Doubles as range hood: Yes, installing an OTR unit means you won’t need a range hood. The unit comes with its own integrated ventilation system, which does the work of a range hood, eliminating smoke, steam, and cooking odors out of your kitchen.
- Neat, streamlined kitchen look: Picture a microwave unit sitting right over your stove, with an exquisite finish that matches that of your stove or the kitchen interior. Isn’t that what you dream of your kitchen to look like?
Our best over the range microwave convection oven combo:
1. Sharp R1874T 850W Over-the-Range Convection Microwave
Opening our list of the top convection microwave over the range reviews is this popular unit from Sharp. The microwave features a stainless steel finish, so it’ll make the perfect look fantastic sitting over your stove and will blend easily with your entire kitchen interior.
It offers you up to 850 Watts worth of cooking power on top of the convection cooking technology. It comes equipped with a 4-way convectional system which enables you to prepare a wider variety of your dishes than your traditional model. It can roast toast, brown, bake, defrost, crisp, broil, cook, and steam your food.
You’ll love the 2-color, 7-digit interactive, user-friendly display which makes programming and controlling this machine easier. Even if it’s your first time operating a convection oven, you’ll figure out things pretty quickly and easily.
For even easier cooking experience, the microwave comes with built-in sensors. These let you cook your food right every time, eliminating the guesswork you usually do when microwaving.
The microwave unit has a smaller capacity (measures 1.1 cu. Ft.), but this shouldn’t be an issue since it’ll serve all the needs of your busy kitchen. Note that it has a bigger turntable (13-inch diameter) which holds even larger plates and facilitates even cooking of all your foods.
Similar to all the other top-rated convection units, this oven also presents you with a low and high rack to let you do multiple dishes at a go. The interior light, built-in exhaust system, and powerful fan add to the overall convenience of this microwave.
Highlighted Features:
- 850 Watts over the range microwave
- 4-way convection oven
- Built-in exhaust system
- 1.1 cu ft. stainless steel interior
- Features interior light
- 13-in turntable for even heating
- 2-color, 7-digit interactive display
- Easy sensor settings
2. Magic Chef 1.6 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave
If you have a limited budget, this Magic Chef OTR microwave is a viable option. This unit comes with a higher power rating of 1000 Watts, meaning it cooks your foods faster. It also offers you up to 10 different power levels to let you easily adjust it for optimal cooking of a variety of foods.
The affordably priced microwave has an internal cooking space of up to 1.6 cu. Ft. which is bigger than our previous model above. With such a generous space, this unit is sure to comfortably accommodate different sizes of cookware.
Even better, it comes with a built-in glass turntable which also holds larger cookware and facilitates uniform heating and cooking of your food.
Using this fridge is easy as pie! The auto cook/reheat/defrost functions make your kitchen life easy. And the 6 pre-programmed one-touch menus help eliminate guesswork when preparing popular foods.
The installation too is a breeze. It comes with the mounting hardware, and you can do the setup on your own. The unit weighs approx. 52.5 pounds, so it might feel a big heavier for some people. You can ask for someone to help you put it on the upper cabinet.
Additional features worth a mention include the hood light, add 30 seconds pad, charcoal odor filter to help get rid of cooking odors from your kitchen. The unit’s milk-white finish will make your kitchen look luxurious, no doubt!
Highlighted Features:
- 1.6 cubic ft. cooking space
- Up to 1000 Watts
- A total of 10 power levels
- 6 pre-programmed one-touch modes
- Recessed, built-in turntable
- External dimensions: 29.9 W X16.8 H X14.9 D (inch)
- Features a hood light
- Built-in 2-speed exhaust fan
3. Sharp R-1514 Over-the-Range Microwave
Another one from Sharp! When you set this microwave over your stove, its stainless steel finish will give your kitchen a million-dollar look. But it has more than looks; it comes packed with multiple convenient features on top of 1000-Watts cooking power for many different types of foods.
The unit doesn’t just cook your food; it does it with a maximum level of efficiency and evenness. This is made possible by the fact that it comes armed with, get ready for this, 19 Automatic cook settings which take away the guesswork from the foods you prepare.
What’s more, it presents you with one of the largest turntables you have ever seen. We’re talking about a 14 1/8-inch diameter carousel turntable that accommodates your largest dinner plate and rotates to ensure the foods get evenly heated or cooked.
You’ll also enjoy up to 11 smart and easy sensor settings for the most popular microwaved foods, which further makes cooking easy around your kitchen.
You don’t need any special skills to operate this OTR microwave, thanks to its convenient auto-touch control panel and a 2-color, 5-digit lighted LED display.
Highlighted Features:
- 1000 Watts of cooking power
- 1.5 cubic foot microwave
- Up to 19 automatic settings
- Large 14 1/8-inch carousel turntable
- Convenient auto-touch control panel
- 2-color, 5-digit lighted display
- Size: 29-15/16 x 16-1/4 x 15-9/16 inches
4. GE JNM3163DJBB Over-the-Range Microwave
If your old microwave just broke down, consider replacing it with this GE OTR microwave for better and faster cooking efficiency. This unit has a power rating that’s 50 Watts shy of 1000 Watts to let you cook your frozen foods in a snap, or heat leftovers, soup, and coffee in no time.
The microwave comes equipped with convenience cooking controls which make it easy and straightforward to operate. The defrost by weight or time function offer you versatility when it comes to thawing your frozen foods. A variety of cooking programs for popular foods like popcorn, pizza, express cook, etc., makes this over the range microwave even more convenient.
Like the previous microwave, this model also features a large (12.5 inch) turntable which helps keep your food turning as they get cooked to ensure even, thorough cook. As a result, you’ll enjoy tastier meals than what your previous oven gives you. The On/Off turntable control puts you in total control over its operation.
We also like that unit’s digital display which lets you read the status of your cooking foods. Other things that make this microwave a good deal include the light accessory and a 2-speed fan which acts in the place of range hood, taking way food odors from your kitchen.
Don’t forget that this microwave is pretty easy to install. If you’re a handy man, you’ll have no issues putting it in place. You might even be surprised it works with your old bracket, making things even easier. The gorgeous black finish will match most of the kitchen interiors.
Highlighted Features:
- 1.6 cu. Ft. capacity
- 950 Watts power rating
- 2-speed 300 cfm venting system
- Turntable on/off operation
- Auto and time defrost function
- Convenience cooking controls
- Dimensions: 29 7/8 W x 16 7/16 H x 15 7/8 D inches
5. Frigidaire FGMV176NTF 30″ Over the Range Microwave
If you’re looking for a replacement unit that matches your other stainless steel appliances, this Frigidaire will make an excellent choice. This microwave will look pretty good in your kitchen. The finish is also fingerprint-resistant to ensure it maintains its brand new, shiny looks!
This OTR from the manufacturer made it to our convection microwave over the range reviews because it has a fantastic cooking power of up to 1000 Watts so that you can prepare a wide variety of meals with the ultimate efficiency. Because you can adjust the power through 9 different levels, it becomes even easier to optimize this unit for cooking specific foods.
A couple of convenient features accompany this microwave to facilitate a smooth cooking experience. These include the sensor cooking which automatically adjusts the power level and cooking time for different meals, one-touch reheating, and cooktop LED lighting.
With an extra-large turntable (13-1/2″ diameter), you’ll have no problem fitting those big bowls and large casserole dishes into this unit. And as expected, the turntable will rotate to ensure you enjoy even and thoroughly cooked meals.
The Frigidaire was also designed to be easy to install on your upper cabinet, over your stove. If it’s your first OTR unit, you’ll just need to drill a few holes, set the included wall brackets into place, and then install the microwave. Easy as a breeze!
Additional features include space-wise rack which helps create room for cooking multiple dishes at once—saving you time and energy, effortless clean interior surface, and a built-in vent to help take away food odors from your kitchen.
Highlighted Features:
- 1000 Watts cooking power
- 9 power levels
- 1.7 cu. ft. cooking capacity
- Sensor cooking function
- 2-speed 105/300 cfm fan
- Dimensions (WHD): 30 X 16.4 X 15″
- Stainless steel finish
6. Samsung ME16K3000AS Over-The-Range Microwave
Still looking for a budget-friendly over the range microwave? If so, this Samsung also hangs at a lower price end without compromising its quality and performance.
The oven brings together style and performance, which is precisely what many homeowners desire in an ideal microwave oven. It provides you with 1000 Watts worth of cooking power and a cooking cavity as big as 1.6 cubic foot. Such a capacity can accommodate a wide variety of meals and snacks, extending the list of what you can cook with your new microwave.
Remember, this microwave grants you an option to disable the turntable so that you can utilize the entire interior space. Needless to mention, this will come in handy when using larger, square-shaped dishes.
With pre-set cook mode for every day, popular dishes, you’ll never break a sweat trying to figure the ideal time and optimal power settings for preparing that pizza, potato, popcorns, etc.
As expected of a top-rated OTR microwave from a top brand, this unit features a 300 CFM ventilation system that quietly and efficiently eliminates all the unwanted steam, odors, and fumes from your kitchen.
The microwave’s striking Blue LED display allows you to crystal-clearly view the time and cooking settings for various meals. This not only provides you with smoother cooking experience but also adds to the style of the oven.
Highlighted Features:
- 1.6 cubic foot capacity
- 1000 Watts of cooking power
- Stainless steel finish
- Energy saving Eco mode
- 300 CFM of turbo ventilation
- Easy-to-read Blue LED display
- Dimensions: (WHD): 29 7/8″ x 16 29/32″ x 15 5/32″
7. LG LMV2031ST Stainless Steel Over-the-Range Microwave
After many years of using your old microwave model, it has finally bowed down and sent you back to the stores for a replacement. This time, you’d want to dish the traditional models and get a modernized oven like this LG Over-the-Range Microwave.
At 2.0 cubic foot, this unit has a way bigger capacity than your previous model (probably?). Add this to the extra-larger (14.2 inches’ diameter) turntable, and you’ve got an oven that efficiently, evenly and thoroughly cooks and heats meals for larger families.
The interior is not only spacious but also has stain and build-up resistance, making cleaning your unit less a core.
If you have been battling the issue of undercooked or overcooked with your current microwave, this unit will change your story. It comes with sensor cook, humidity-sensing tech which easily determines when your food is fully cooked and turns off your microwave automatically.
Still at it, the no-fuss Auto Defrost function helps automatically defrost your frozen meat, veggies, etc., for a specific length of time. The unit also features add time controls, which let you add 30 seconds increments to your cook time, taking your meal prep flexibility to a whole new level.
If popcorns are part of your life, this microwave will offer you one-touch settings to make it easy for you to pop a bag of popcorns, or even a stick of butter, and other food varieties.
Shhh! You’ll definitely love the QuietPower Ventilation system that comes with this oven. It quietly and quickly removes exceed smoke, odors, and fumes from your cooktop to ensure your kitchen doesn’t get crowded with undesired smells.
If you have a little human in your house, then you’ll appreciate the child lockout function, which helps stop accidental starting.
Highlighted Features:
- 1000 cooking Watts
- Larger 2.0 cubic foot capacity
- 400 CFM ventilation system
- Sensor cooking function
- Child lockout safety feature
- Energy-saving function
- Anti-stain, easy-clean interior
8. Frigidaire FGMV176NTD Over-The-Range Microwave
We’re almost winding up our list of over the range convection microwave reviews. At this spot, we have another microwave from Frigidaire. This particular model comes in a shiny black, stainless steel finish that adds a sense of style to your kitchen.
The finish also offers resistant to fingerprints and smudging, so you can rest assured it’ll maintain its brand new looks for a really long period.
This microwave offers you more than looks. It boasts of up to 1000 watts of cooking power to let you efficiently prepare a wide variety of meals. It comes with a pretty spacious interior space of 1.7 cubic foot where you can hassle-freely prepare meals for your whole family.
For your own convenience, the unit presents you with awesome features like sensor cooking for automatically adjusting cooking time and power levels, easy to use touch buttons, and add 30 seconds with the touch of a button.
Don’t forget this microwave also uses the Frigidaire’s SpaceWise rack to help you prepare multiple dishes at a go!
Feeding big bowls or your large casserole dishes into this microwave has also been made possible by its extra-large 13.5-inch turntable. The turntable does what it does best—rotating so that your foods get evenly and efficiently cooked.
The cooktop LED lighting gives you a bright, unobstructed view of your cooktop while the interior LED light stays on through your cooking process. The over-the-range microwave has a 2-speed fan to act as a range hood for venting out kitchen odors.
Highlighted Features:
- 1000 Watts of cooking power
- 1.7 cubic feet capacity
- Black stainless steel finish
- Smudge-proof finish
- Cooktop LED lighting
- Effortless cleaning interior
- Convenient one-touch options
- Extra-large 13.5-in turntable
9. LG 30″ Stainless Over-The-Range Microwave
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LG is a leader in the world of microwaves and many other kitchen appliances. Their OTR microwave comes ready to help you free up your counter space and extend your cooking options. Whether you want to pop the popcorns, cook a healthy meal for your family, this LG can do it all.
When you turn it on, this oven will give you up to 1000 watts of cooking, which you can alter through 10 different levels— ideal for heating or cooking just any meal. It features automatic time defrost to make it easy to thaw your meat, veggies, and other frozen foods.
The microwave offers you one-touch settings to help you quickly prepare popular foods. It also lets you add 30 seconds or 1-minute increments cook time for a more flexible cooking experience. The turntable keeps rotating during the cooking to ensure your food gets thoroughly cooked or heated.
With LG’s EasyClean interior design, you can clean this microwave with simple wipe…no chemicals and scrubbing work required.
You don’t have to worry about this oven taking up the space of your range hood. This is because it comes with a 300 CFM exhaust fan, which plays the crucial role of venting away cooking odors from your kitchen.
This LG has got the looks too. It looks exactly as you see it in the photo. It has a shiny stainless steel finish with black trim running around the door. The keypad too is black. It looks quite fantastic and easily blends with most of your kitchen appliances. Installing the microwave is also super-easy, even for first-timers.
Highlighted Features:
- 1000 Watts; 10 power levels
- Easy clean interior
- Cooking capacity: 1.7 cu. Ft
- 300 CFM exhaust fan
- Auto defrost function
- Convenient one-touch settings
- Child lockout function
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10. Whirlpool WML75011HZ Over-the-Range Microwave
Lastly, in our over the range convection microwave reviews, we have the Whirlpool OTR microwave. This is a sleek-looking, low profile microwave with 100% finger-resistant stainless steel finish that matches most of your kitchen appliances for a more streamlined look.
The microwave has the same cooking power of 1000 Watts like most of the other units we’ve discussed above. This promotes optimal cooking of a variety of meals. It also offers you 1.1 cut ft. cooking space. This is undoubtedly a purposeful capacity that’ll easily fit most of your cookware—including tall glasses, big bowls, wide plates, and more.
With sensor cooking function, this microwave will track the cooking progress of your meals and even adjust the cooking time automatically — no more guesswork when cooking your meals.
The door of this microwave opens with a simple wrist/elbow tap to let you access the interior without putting down your dishes. The non-stick nature of the interior makes it incredibly easy to clean with a simple wipe of damp paper towel.
We also give a thumbs up to Whirlpool for how they designed the touch controls to stay hidden (behind the door) and out of the way to give this unit a modern look.
To keep your kitchen smelling like home, this over-the-range uses its built-in high-performance 400 cfm venting system to pull out moisture, odor, and smoke from the cooking food. The installation part is a breeze, and you don’t need to hire a professional for the job.
Highlighted Features:
- 1.1 cu ft. cooking space
- 1000 Watts cooking power
- Low-profile design
- Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel finish
- 400 cfm venting system
- Dimensions (WHD): 30″ x 10 1/4″ x 18″
What To Look For Before Buying?
There are more over the range microwaves on the market today than you can imagine. These models vary in performance, functionality, size, and microwave features.
For this reason, choosing the best over the range convection microwave might feel quite challenging.
But knowing precisely what you want in a microwave oven will help you narrow down your choices for easier selection.
Keep these things in mind when buying an over-the-range/convection oven microwave combo:
Size
You need to look at the size of a microwave oven in terms of the cooking space it offers and the amount of space available in your kitchen.
Let’s start with the interior cooking space…the average size for over the range microwave ovens is usually 1.5-1.7 cubic foot. This, according to previous users, is more than enough cooking space that will accommodate a typical dinner plate.
If you choose a model with a low profile design, however, you’d expect a reduction in height (and thus capacity). Such a unit usually offers you around 1.1 to 1.5 cu. ft. which will still accommodate a tall glass, wide plate, and most of your other cookware.
Regarding the available kitchen space, you should look at the external dimensions of the microwave to ensure it fits in the available space.
The size of OTR units can range from 24 to 30 inches. Remember, these units are intended for installation under the cabinet, above the stove.
If space is premium in your kitchen, be sure to narrow down your options to models that will help save space. If you have space and money to spend, then you can go for the larger units.
Wattage
Assuming you have used a microwave before, you already know that the wattage plays a crucial role in how the unit performs.
The number of wattages translates to the cooking power of a given over the range microwave. The higher the watts, the faster the cooking time.
With this in mind, we advise you to look for an oven that provides you with around 900 to 1000 watts as it offers a balance between cost and power.
This is a perfect wattage range given that a convection microwave combines both the microwave energy and convection cooking, so the cooking time will still be fast.
If you’re not limited by budget, then you can go for units with even higher wattage ratings for a more powerful cooking experience.
Control panel
If you want to have an easy time operating your new microwave, then you need to pay attention to how its control panel looks like.
First, you want to make sure the control panel is durable because you’ll be using it most of the time. If you go for a cheaply made panel, it’ll break quickly. After all, the control panel is one of the first things people break on microwaves.
Make sure the panel is also user-friendly. It should feature large icons, buttons, and easy to read digits. Dual-color displays are more common.
Some models design their control panels such that they’re hidden behind the door. This offers a sleek, modern look.
You’d also want to ensure the panel features lighting to help you easily read it in dim kitchen light or the dark.
Convenience features:
Before you spend your cash on that unit, you should assess it to see what types of extra features it comes with to help make it more convenient for you to use.
Some of the most common features in convection oven over the range microwaves include:
- Pre-programmed settings that help take off guesswork from your cooking.
- Sensor settings that use humidity detecting technology to automatically adjust the cooking power and time accordingly. This reduces the chances of overcooked or undercooked food.
- Common task buttons (like popcorn, add 30 seconds, melt, soften, and more).
- Automatic one-touch defrost for easy defrosting of your frozen foods.
- A turntable that with on/off operation will prove quite handy for cooking casseroles in convection ovens.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I still need a range hood with an OTR microwave in place?
You don’t need a range hood since an over the range microwave takes the place of one.
To compensate for this, this type of microwave comes fitted with its own venting system to help vent out all the cooking odors, fumes, and smokes, form your kitchen.
However, the OTR microwave exhaust system might not perform the job as excellent as a range hood does, so we suggest that you consider venting it using a ductless or fully-vented system.
2. How long does an over the range microwave last?
An over the range microwave should last for around the same period as the standard microwave of around 10 years.
Just like any other electric appliance, however, it’s normal for your unit to malfunction before its lifespan is over.
You might consider repairing the unit if the damage isn’t something serious to ensure it continues serving you for the remaining years.
Keep in mind that the most expensive after parts for a microwave include the magnetron and transformer (costs around $100 to $150), so you’d want to check if they’re covered in the manufacturer warranty.
This will save you from spending a lot of money in case they stop working well.
3. Can you bake in an over the range convection microwave?
Absolutely, yes! One of the main benefits of using an over the range microwave with convection oven is that it extends the limits of the types of recipes you can make with a microwave.
In addition to performing the basics of a traditional model of heating, cooking and defrosting, your new convection oven microwave will let you roast, grill, broil, brown, bake, crisp and steam multiple food types. Talk of versatility!
4. Can I put metal cookware in a convection oven?
As you’re already aware, it isn’t advisable to put metal cookware in a standard microwave. This is because the microwave can’t penetrate the metal. Thus, they might not cook or heat your food correctly.
For a convection oven, however, things are different because the convection cooking will easily go through the metal and deliver efficiently cooked meals.
So yes, you can safely use metal and foil in a convection oven.
Final Verdict
Replacing your old microwave with the best over the range microwave convection oven combo will let you experience a whole new world of modern microwaves.
The combo comes packed with many more benefits than the standard models, including the ability to cook your meals faster cooking time, cook it more evenly and thoroughly, and cook an extensive list of recipes.
Follow the buying tips we have shared with you in this post to help you easily choose the perfect microwave for your family needs.
The top microwaves featured on this guide meet our selecting criteria for the best OTR microwaves with convection oven. They’ve powerful performance, are easy to install and use, and come packed with multiple convenient features.
How do you broil in a convection microwave oven? Does it broil as well as a good toaster oven?