I recently did a big search for the same as I didn't want an over the range microwave and just went with a microwave cubby. If you're looking for a very small one (under a cubic foot) I couldn't find any really attractive stainless ones in that size. Instead there are some with just stainless trim which I ended up going for like the Sharp R216LS.

Having not used a speed oven, I would like to think that the difference between a speed oven and a convection microwave is that the speed oven gives you more flexibility over how much microwave power is used during convection cooking. Also, I think the speed oven (like the Advantium) has a heating element in the top which aids in crisping and roasting. A convection microwave will not have this. I cannot in good faith recommend the GE convection microwave like I have. After just 6 months the door is beginning to stick. Also, it is very hot at the back during convection cooking. I'll go back to the Sharp if the door quits working completely.

Flwrs, Sorry, I almost missed your reply. I have two AEG Ovens. A half and a full. These are two separate ovens, not a combo. AEG is the european... friend? of electrolux. I am located in Oregon and had them shipped in from overseas via a company in Canada. I can give you references to that if you wanted to go to those lengths but I have to say, as much as I love my 1.5 I don't know if I would push the expense and stress of doing it that way onto somone else. Steam ovens ARE pricier. Just flat out. No holds barred. Lol. But they are the only ovens where people seeming to be aiming for smaller in size rather than larger. If you think you might be interested you should put in a new post asking about steam ovens in the name. You'll get a ton of responses. And, for that matter, tons of cool pictures!

I also heard that one of the Korean companies was making microwaves. Sharp and Panasonic for sure. All microwaves degrade from the jump. The magnetron (is that what it's called? Too early for me..) degrades with use. Search the forum, and you'll get good explanations from Kas about this. Investing a ton of money in a microwave, therefore, doesn't make a lot of sense. OTOH, that part will last a heck of a lot longer than a few years, if you get a kitchen grade microwave (as opposed to a desktop cutsiepoo unit for which I have no data at all). The thing that makes so many microwaves "disposable" is wear and tear. If you have family members who SLAM the door, PUNCH the buttons, etc., and constantly fiddle with it, starting and stopping and opening and closing, and just using it a lot for one mug of hot water, the box is going to wear out long before the magnetron. If you're nice to it, and use it a couple of times per day rather than all day long, it could last 20 years or more. One of the things you can get with a more expensive unit, along with looks and snooty badge, is potentially a sturdier housing. It is also potentially possible to have a built-in unit repaired (I can't imagine it being worthwhile to repair a freestanding unit). There are people who do microwave repairs and they do make replacement magnetrons. The only situation where that seems like a possible good idea, however, is when you have the beautiful built-in that matches your beautiful kitchen which still looks like new. Re convection: The initial convection microwaves didn't work well as ovens, and also didn't meet the expectations of the buyers. That was before convection ovens themselves were well understood in the US. In the time I've been researching appliances and hanging out here (coming up on ten years), the general tone from users of them has gone from not worth the money to acceptable second oven. Again, I don't know if that's a change in quality or in user expectations. Convection ovens cook with circulated hot air. They do a good job roasting. Great for "cooking" or "baking" a casserole. Even baking a loaf of bread. For small things, like cookies, a lot depends on the pan, the cookie and whether or not it really wanted bottom heat. For most, it'll do an acceptable job. Some outliers really do better with a proper baking mode. Egg rising things like angel cakes and soufflés really don't like being blown about. If you can arrange the angle of the pan to the blower just right, it's possible, but still iffy. The heated air can also bounce off the surfaces in unexpected ways leading to uneven cooking/browning, contravening the evenness that you otherwise get from the movement of the air. It's likely that there are still poor ones out there, especially at the lower end. There must also be good ones. Just familiarize yourself with the features and abilities of the unit, and use that to sift through the consumer reviews to know whether it was the oven or the user, and make your judgment from there.