Earlier this year when our 7 year old GE microwave went out, we were thinking about getting the Advantim SCA1001KSS but didn't like the external look of the unit and the smaller inside. So we ended up buying the standard convection JVM1790SK as it was only $80 more than the non-convection PVM1870SMSS. In the 4 months we've been using the JVM1790 we use it mostly as a microwave, but about 30-40% with the convection. Mostly everything turns out OK with the convection, except for pizza didn't get crisp (still mushy). Only things I have noticed is that it gets up to 350 in about 7 min, but takes 10-15 min longer to get to 400 and higher. This is because of the lower wattage heating coil that it uses. (My 30" free-standing range get's to 400 on convection is under 8 min).
So overall it's about as good as combining a microwave with a counter-top convection/toaster oven.

I just wish I would have know the newer Advantium PSA1201RSS was coming out, as I would have waited for it, but would have cost about $350 more.

I have a Sharp. Had it for quite a while. I use it about %50/%50 micro/convection. I don't usually use the combination since I don't remember it is there. I don't use it for pizza since I don't want the loose toppings blowing around until the cheese melts.

I have a ceramic lasagna pan that fits. I think it's 13" long but I'm not sure. The carousel rotates for both convection and micro. I could put a full-size chicken or turkey breast in it, so it's more than a toaster oven (it does not toast).

120v, not 240v, so it takes longer to warm up but I don't notice anymore. I add 5 minutes if I start from cold. If I want, it has a PreHeat/Cook setting that will preheat then beep to add the dish.

fauguy......thanks for your input. I recently read (here on GW somewhere) that GE now DOES include their magnetron tube under their warranty. Apparently, they never used to, and people got honking mad when the thing went out because it cost so much to have repaired. So now I'm thinking about possibly get the Advantium again. Does everyone else vacillate like this when remodeling? :-)

Weedmeister......I actually read pretty good reviews about the Sharp. The thing is that I need it to be built in over my GE Profile single wall oven, and I'm not sure the 2 will look that great together. So I'm currently looking at either the Bosch (in which case I may also explore getting the Bosch single oven) or the GE convection/microwave because it matches the oven with its handle style.

I'd love to find someone who has either of the above mentioned convection/microwaves because I can't find many reviews on either one.

Thanks to you both for your help!

what do you know about the wolf convection microwave?

On the microwave that I had, it was 7 years old, and the parts warranty on the Magnetron was for 5 years....so it lasted 2 years more. On the new GE JVM1790 convection microwave, it has the same 5 years magnetron parts warranty. I also purchased the extended warranty from the dealer (BrandsMart) that covers all parts and labor for 5 years, and then you can buy another 2-year extension warranty (but costs more).

So you are looking for a built-in wall convection/microwave unit, not a over-the-range unit?
If so, I've heard very good things about the Miele Speed Ovens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele Speed Oven

feathers1.....I haven't checked into Wolf products at all because I know they're usually really upper price range. We're down-sizing to a modest little house because we plan to travel half of the year in our RV, so we don't want to get too extravagant with our purchases.....although we do want good quality, and I will be cooking a lot while we're living there.

fauguy.....that's good news about the warranty they offer, and we'll definitely buy extended warranties for every appliance we purchase. We need a built-in unit, and I had also looked at the GE convection/microwave, which I've enclosed a link for.

The thing is.....I've read so much about how hot conv/micro gets when you use the oven. I wonder about the Advantiums. I don't think they get very hot....perhaps they're better insulated??

I checked out the Miele link you gave me. It's a great looking unit, but I'm not so sure how good it would look above my GE Profile single oven, which is where I plan to put it. The Profile has a curved handle, and the Miele has quite a long European style handle (which I prefer actually), but I'd like for handles to at least not conflict too much. That may be another reason to go with the GE conv/micro or Advantium. hmmm...so many decisions. I'm still reading and researching. Thanks for your help along the way!

Here is a link that might be useful: GE convection microwave

fiddleddd - I know you are looking for convection microwave input but since speed ovens were mentioned there is also a Jenn Air version and Electrolux. The Miele does get great reviews here but it is pricey too. Also, there are different handle options with Miele so there might be one that would match your oven.

Our microwave is not convection - just the GE Profile spacemaker.

There's also the Panasonic. It looks pretty cool and has a lot of good reviews on Amazon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Panasonic convection microwave

Many years ago I had a Montgomery Ward Convection microwave. I found the convection feature to be nearly worthless because it ran on 120 volt power. It couldn't generate enough poser to get hot for about 40 minutes, and then was pretty cool for roasting meat. I wouldn't consider any combo that doesn't run on 220 volt power like regular ovens.

fiddle - I have the Bosch 800 series combo single oven/convection microwave. Have had them about a year. The oven was taking forever to preheat and just this summer the repairman replaced the board. It still takes a long time to preheat but I do think it cooks better now. For the price, I guess I am pleased with it. Haven't used self-clean because I understand in all new ovens the board tends to blow with the heat. Scared about that.

Not crazy about the touch panel. I probably would have been happier with dials but at the time I thought I needed all the bells and whistles. Not so sure anymore. Although - I finally used the "recipe" function for a whole chicken a few weeks ago and it came out wonderfully.

It really heats the kitchen up. I haven't had a wall oven in many decades so I don't know if that is a function of the oven itself, having a wall oven, or placement in my kitchen - which is not large.

But - you asked about the convection. I have used it on occasion. Probably not as much as I should but I will tell you that Bosch manuals are LESS than informative. I've done fish, rolls, casseroles. Actually anything I have put in there has been fine. I didn't think a 9 x 13 would work but I just tried it and it does.

I got a very good deal on my Bosch appliances at Lowe's with a salesman that discounted them. I think there are pretty good rebates on them now.

I wouldn't have gone up to the Miele, Gagg, Monogram, etc. I only question whether I should have stuck with either the Frigidaire or Whirlpool. One of those has been highly rated but I forget which one. Or - should have stuck with the 500 series Bosch.

I bought the oven/micro as one unit (the "double oven") and by doing that, one extended warranty is covering both.

hth

Well, I've finally gotten my husband into the act. I do most of the research because he does most of the hands-on work on the 'new' house. Well, he told me that at this point he really doesn't want to redo the wiring for a more powerful oven. (240 versus 120)

And we both did a bunch more reading and are now questioning the microwave/convection thing. It seems it takes forever to preheat, and the outsides of the unit get REALLY hot, from what we hear. The location of ours would make that a potential danger.

That means we're back to the Speedcook option, and since he doesn't want the more powerful 240 model, that leaves us with the 120, which is the one that has most of the problems. I must say the Advantium is nice looking and holds a 13 x 9 pan, and the people I know who have them swear by them (not withstanding all of the negative reviews). So I guess we can just buy the extended warranty and hope that the assembly line people were having a good day when they built our unit. :-)

cocaty....I've always heard that it's better to buy separate components when possibly, but your idea of only getting one extended warranty for the combined unit is pretty clever. We're committed to the 2 separate units because the cabinets have been ordered. And that's the other thing. We had the cabinets ordered based on the purchase of a GE Profile single wall oven and the 120 Advantium. Anything else we may select at this point would have to fit in there.

We have GE Profile double ovens in our current kitchen.....they've been fine. Also have the French door bottom freezer GE fridge....also fine. So I guess we could just go with GE again in our 'new' kitchen. It's just that I've read so many bad things about their customer service. But then that may just be a sign of the times, don't you think?

I appreciate all of your input! More knowledge is better than not enough. :-)

i have a sharp 9000 convection/mw.
we've had it for several years and have never used the convection feature. we just never seem to remember we have it, and the instructions are written by someone for whom english is a foreign language, so we kind of gave up trying to figure it all out.
i'm going to sell it (and the installation kit we've never unwrapped) and get a small, simple one for reheating and hot cocoa, which is all we ever use it for anyway.

fallingwaters.....thanks! This is precisely what I'm trying to avoid. It's so easy to buy into a new idea or technology, thinking it sounds really great.....but then when we actually have to use the thing and find out it isn't as user friendly as we were led to believe......well, then it just collects dust and doesn't get used. So I'm trying hard to figure out what I want so I don't make a costly mistake. Thanks for sharing your experience.

We have Sharp 930 micro/convec and use both functions all the time. About 7 minutes to preheat to 450F and outside doesn't seem to get very hot. Don't use micro/convec combo that much other than for defrosting and occasional reheats. Use the Sharp on convec much more than our main gas range oven. I believe it's on a dedicated 120 line. Can strongly recommend it for smaller baking and roasting tasks and it doesn't heat up the kitchen like our range oven can. Only negatives are the "broil" function, sort of a hoax: just high convec baking heat and that once or twice a year have to attack the inside with BFK to shine it back up.

teachmkt.....can you get a 13 x 9" pan in your Sharp? Thanks for the info. It's tempting to consider getting one of those instead of the Advantium.....I could save a lot of money. We're still trying to decide, and I'm trying to locate a place where I might be able to actually SEE the Sharp unit.

Does anyone happen to know where I could find one in a retail store? I'd rather buy it locally as opposed to ordering from the Internet.

I do popovers in a 10"x13" muffin tin. A little tight but works fine. Check Sears or Bestbuy for a visual, I've seen it at both. Ours is 7 years old and the styling has changed a bit, but otherwise looks the same and would assume the dimensions are the same. I've read there are only 3 or so actual manufacturers, the other brands are mostly rebadged Sharp or Panasonic.

Have you looked at Panasonic convection microwaves? They get fabulous reviews on Amazon--random example shown at link below. I think the model at that link was just discontinued, so here's a link to the current version of it:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Convection-Microwave-NN-CD989S-Fingerprint/dp/B003AM7UVC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1288647004&sr=8-5

Here is a link that might be useful: Panasonic convection microwave w great reviews

Yes, Panasonic and Sharp both sound really good. It's probably mostly a matter of which style we like best. I'll try to locate them in some local stores so I can see them. Thanks for the link!

I'm kind of thinking that we could start with a micro/convection oven, and if we don't like it for some reason, I could always take it out and use it down in the basement as an extra 'oven' at holiday times. Then I could put in the Advantium then.

I'm wondering how many people out there have actually used both an Advantium and a microwave/convection oven.....and how they would compare them. I think I'm going to post a new question to see if anyone has had that experience.

Thanks for everyone's help! It's greatly appreciated!

I would take the time to look at posts about speed ovens (alto it may be a mute point if husband doesnt wanna rewire for 220)---but those of us that have them, use them a lot for baking (some broiling) I broil outside.

Many of these folks use their speed ovens more than their regular ovens for baking chores. I gotta retrains my wife, last nite she says dinner be a few more minutes cause tater not done (She cooked it in the large oven), Had she cooked it in the speed oven it would have been done 4 times sooner and used a lot less power---just seems a waste to me to put a single tater or 2 in a large oven and bake them---but the oven was still hot from doing the brownies which (You guessed it), She did in the large oven too---Oh Well brownies were great so I guess they were worth the extra "Juice" (Electrically Speakin')?

Good luck with your choices!!!

Gary

Based on suggestions in this forum and all the reviews I could find, I also decided on the Panasonic, which for which you can also get a trim kit to make it a built in oven. I was originally looking at the Advantium, but the Panasonic has more features the smaller size works better for kitchen design.

Since I'm still waiting for my cabinets I haven't gotten a chance to use the oven. Mmm, maybe it's time for another call to my cabinet guy.

I just realized I lost my mind and forgot I'd already posted on this thread. So, I posted basically the same message twice. My apologies.

dodge59.....well, after a day of shopping for appliances and other house-related things, we're now back to the Advantium. The sales person, whom we really trust, says he doesn't know where all the bad reviews are coming from with the Advantiums (the 120 model though). I know maybe that's just 'sales-speak', but the people I know who have them really love them and haven't had any trouble with them. The sales person said he has yet to have one of his customers complain about the Advantium. He just got the 120 model himself and told me all the things he's cooking in it.

So.....my head is spinning from changing my mind so much. But I think we're back to the Advantium. However, I'm really grateful for the discussion about convection/microwaves. I didn't really know about them before, and it would be a wonderful thing to take with us in our RV when we hit the road for several months at a time.

wrighthouse.....we looked all over town for a Panasonic or Sharp. I wanted to see it in person. Couldn't find one. Anyway, it sounds like a wonderful appliance, and you'll have to report back after you've used yours for awhile. Thanks for your input!

ideagirl2..... You make me feel better. I do stuff like that all the time. :-) Thanks!

Just wondering if you bought the advantium 120 and how it was working out?? I am looking for a micro that can crisp and as a double oven. Any suggestions? I need a single oven too.

desperate housewife........I don't know if I can be much help. We did decide definitely on the Advantium 120. The kitchen cabinets and countertops are in, and there is now a cut-out for the Advantium, so there's no going back now! But we're doing much of this rehab ourselves, and it's taking a long time. (We live in another house) We won't actually buy the appliances until we're ready to move in, which could be mid-late summer. We did have to go ahead and buy the cooktop and dishwasher before they would template the countertop, but we'll wait on the rest of the appliances. If you want to check back with me later, feel free. I have a friend who loves hers and hasn't had any trouble with it. I'll just make sure we get an extended warranty on any appliance we buy. Appliances are just too fickle these days to take the gamble.

Fiddleddd, yours was the post I couldn't find, so I posted again this week ('what brand conv/mw should I buy???') YOU got great answers! So I am happy that you posted back to desperate housewife - it helped me a lot!

I am currently leaning toward the Sharp 930 convection/microwave above the single Bosch 500 oven. Will be purchasing in a week or so, but not able to use until late April or May.

I will let you know how it worked out. Kitchen gut/remodels aren't for sissies, are they? I am going to check with my cabinet guy today and see just how much leeway I have, size-wise.

capecod - be sure to come back and post how you like it and what/if you don't about it. It's one I'll be looking at for my new kitchen. the sharp or the panasonic...

I was considering the microwave convection combo to use mostly as a microwave but to have as a 3rd oven when we need it (large family). From a purely looks standpoint we were leaning toward an Electrolux icon with a drop down door. Anyone have an opinion on this oven? We are planning to install it under the counter.

This may be too late to the discussion to be of help, but we've had a Sharp mw/convection oven for 6 years. It replaced a GE that we had for 7 years before that. Both performed VERY WELL -- and the Sharp still does. We did not have room for double wall ovens + a microwave, so that's why we got the mw/c combo. We used both features about equally and are quite pleased. It's great not to have to heat up the larger oven to say, toast pecans, for cookies that aren't going to be baked until the next day.

The only problem I've had is that I tried baking rolls on two trays one Thanksgiving when the large wall oven was in use for other food. (The oven comes with stacking racks just for that purpose.) The rolls on the outside of the round trays cooked much faster than those in the center. I experimented a time or two again, with the same results. My conclusion is that the convection feature just isn't as good as that in the larger oven (which also is convection). So I just don't bake rolls any more in that oven. Other than that, we've been very pleased and it has served its purpose of providing a second baking/cooking oven when needed and a microwave the rest of the time.

Hi all,

Just posted in new thread, listing all of the appliances we ordered last week. We did go with the Sharp 930CS and Sharp trim kit.

Thanks to all!