Is Convection microwave better than OTG?

Answer 1

When microwaves came to the scene, it seemed like it would get too hot for the oven, yet somehow, at least as far as India is concerned, until lately, the microwave was confined to reheating, heating and/or cooking supplementary dishes. So, is that all it is useful for? Is the OTG (Oven Toaster & Griller) still the only choice for baking those delicious home cakes and cookies or can the microwave do the same?

Now, most of us would know that microwave comes in three basic types - basic microwave (which is mostly useful for very basic cooking and reheating), microwave with grill (this, as the name suggests, offers basic cooking plus grilling features) and microwave with grill and convection (this is a complete cooking platform, you can cook any type of dish on this one).

Of the three types mentioned above, the microwave with convection and grill comes closest to the OTG and can pretty much do everything an OTG can do, so you can bake cookies, cakes, pizzas and a host of other delicacies which taste pretty much like dishes baked fresh from your oven. Not just that a convection microwave oven is your ticket to becoming a master chef, that too quick and easy.

What's the difference

OTG has heating elements both on the ceiling and the roof of the oven. You have the choice of either one or both coils to heat your oven. For grilling, you need to heat the top coil and for normal baking, you need both coils to be heated. An OTG can reheat, keep warm, grill; barbecue and most importantly bake food items. An OTG is basically, a baker's delight. You can bake crisp cookies, spongy brown muffins and homemade birthday cakes to perfection. You just need to have some time on hand, because Ovens are known for the tasteful food they produce and not the speed of cooking.

However, an OTG makes up for its lack of speed in its price. You can get a basic OTG for as low as Rs 2,000.

A microwave on the other hand, uses micro waves that pass through the food. These waves use the water molecules in the food to heat up, thereby cooking/baking or grilling the food item. A convection microwave has a heating element and a fan that distributes heat evenly. This provides a baking or browning effect that you would achieve in a conventional oven. And as mentioned above, a convection microwave offers baking, grilling and so much more. You can cook a whole meal in a convection microwave. Plus, a microwave also has the advantage of speed. So for those busy working women, a convection microwave is a ticket to speedy yet delicious cooking.

The downside, (if you can call it that) is that a convection microwave is not exactly a budget buy. You could buy one for as low as Rs 10,000, but if you're looking for higher capacity and more features, you'll need to keep your budget flexible.

Bottomline, a convection microwave cannot offer the same effect and taste of an OTG, but it is the quickest and closest alternative to one. Similarly, an OTG cannot replicate the variety of cooking or the speed of cooking of a convection microwave.

Answer 2

For baking and cooking needs, yes, the convection oven is better than the OTG. It cooks at a much faster rate and will warm up any dish much faster.