As our lifestyle is getting modernized day per day, our needs of appliances are also increasing in direct proportion. Talking of kitchen, now every 3rd person in kitchen wants to do something new in cooking and for doing anything new, we need resources, space and money. If money is not an issue, then space is the one we face it most. Also the comfort is ruined of working in kitchen if we are surrounded by so many appliances. We now these days requires smart appliances, appliances which are capable of doing multi-tasks. Gone are the days when we required different cutters for different purpose. Now for that, food processor as one appliance is available. Same case applies for microwave too. These days microwaves are capable of doing so many things, that you don’t need to purchase a separate OTG or Air Fryer or even grill as these tasks can be accomplished easily by a single microwave.

Features That Microwaves Have Today

Microwave itself

Microwave oven are popular mostly for reheating previously cooked food and even for cooking a variety of foods. They are also used for rapidly heating of slowly cooked items like hot, butter, fats or chocolates. Major benefit of using microwave is that it takes less time to cook. Also it enable us to set a timer required for cooking any particular food. There are so many things a microwave can cook, that if everyone gets aware of it, it can easily replace an induction plate. Lemme tell you some unusual uses which you can do in microwave mode like making Poached Eggs, Potato Chips, Creamy Polenta, Cheese, Frothed milk, Toasted Nuts, Popcorns or even drying of herbs.

Grill

In a Grill, food is exposed to high heat from below or above and food is meant to get cooked fast. Hence, in a microwave, feature of Grill has been incorporated long back. A microwave with a grill feature comes equipped with heating coils and can be used to grill, toast or roast food. Grill as a feature is available even in lower price range microwaves and it requires use of grilling plate or metal rack which brings the food closed to the grill installed on top of microwave. Grill can also be used as combination with convection to cook different kind of food as per recipe requirement.

Features of OTG

An Oven Toaster Griller (OTG) is usually used for reheating, keeping warm, grill, barbecue or most importantly for baking purpose. Grilling part i already explained above, and surprisingly, now can you can even bake too like, you can make a cake in a microwave. Barbecue feature is also being provided by many brands including LG and Samsung, but LG got an edge in it by providing a charcoal heater for it which roast food more evenly than other. However if your purpose is only baking, then i would recommend you getting an OTG only, but if baking is concessional, there is no point buying it as you would be requiring other features too frequently.

Convection

Convection is the feature, by which you can make pizzas, cookies or even bake a cake. Unlike a regular microwave, convection helps in cooking the food more crisper. It achieves this functionality by using a fan and a heating element, which circulates hot air uniformly in the microwave oven. Because of which, food takes less time to cook, even baking time is less and result is way better than you may could expect from an OTG.

Air Fryer

Air Fryer is an appliance which cooks food by circulating hot air around the food. Basically it has a fan which circulates the air at high speed, which cooks the food and produce a crispy layer around it. Usually an air fryer can circulate air up to 200 deg Celsius and you can make several food items like potato chips, chicken, fish or air pastries. But this same technology is already available in microwave as convection feature. Then why buying this as separate one.

OTG or Convection Microwave?

This is a common question many goes through once in their life. While i have explained already role of OTG in kitchen already, please be known that OTG also cannot heat/defreeze food and it’s also slower than than a convection microwave oven. As i said earlier, if your requirement is only baking & time is not a constraint, then you can consider buying an OTG, but you also want to heat and cook food in your oven, then you actually need a convection microwave oven.

Convection Microwave OvensOven Toaster & Griller (OTG)
Heating TimeHeats up very fastTakes time to heat
Electricity consumptionLessMore
Cooking timeCooks food fasterTakes more time
PriceMoreLess
Baking qualityIt bake as well as an OTG but is the next best alternativeBakes better and crisper food, with even browning
Auto cook optionsAvailableNot available
ContainersCan use glass, ceramic and silicone but not metalCan use glass, ceramic, silicone and metal
Ideal forAmateur bakers, those with busy lifestyle; people who want to use it for heating and defrosting as wellIdeal for professional bakers or people who are looking for a dedicated appliance only to bake, grill and toast

Recommended Product: LG

While LG and Samsung, both doing fine in Microwave section, LG provides many more features than what Samsung provides in any price range. While Samsung microwaves can Grill, Air Fry, convection, making tandoori rotis & curd, LG provides charcoal heater, Light wave technology, can pasteurized milk and also includes all features what Samsung is providing.

An optimist to the core, I always see the glass half full. I like to take life as it comes and not to become too serious on the harsher aspects of it. Apart from this, I am an Engineer, a Blogger & a Researcher....

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3 Comments

  1. Could you please let me know the model number for LG microwave with air fryer feature.

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