I bought a Kenmore Elite convection microwave. I wish I hadn't. I could have gotten a regular microwave that had more power and was bigger for much less money. I have used the convection feature once.

In my opinion there are better ways to grill then a convection microwave.

We'll be getting the Whirlpool Velos as part of our remodel. I'm doing this because I work very long days and the last thing I want to do is spend tons of time cooking. I also think that heaing up a huge oven to just cook two pieces of fish (or chicken or whatever) is terribly wasteful. That means that more often than not, we wind up either eating junk or going out to eat. Neither of these is very good for us.

I use our toaster oven quite a bit (or at least I used to when we had a functioning kitchen) as an alternative but it just isn't the same. Also, like you I have a tiny kitchen so don't like losing all that counter space. Toaster oven is going away once we get the Velos installed.

I may not use the grill feature that much as we have a nice outdoor grill and are actually planning on setting up a full outdoor kitchen (one of the benefits of California living). But I do intend to get full use of the speed cook and convection features.

While I don't have personal experience with one, my mom loves her George Foreman grill. She lives alone and doesn't want to fire up the oven (or use a gas grill) for the occasional burger. She stores it elsewhere when not in use.

grilling in a microwave? you're joking, right? please tell me you're joking.

pbrisjar... question on the Velos. Do they all have the hood (recirculating) as a feature? I"m torn between the Velos (less $$) and the Advantium as a 2nd oven. I want a speed oven/convection/MW. I plan on a hood above my cooktop an don't want one as part of the 2nd oven. Don't mean to hijack this thread... sorry.

AFAIK, the Velos is designed strictly for OTR use. So yes, it has a hood/exhaust fan setup. They did just recently come out with the latest models so that might have changed but I've not looked at them yet.

Ditto edlakin - I'd be very suspicious about whether it really performs anything like a real grill. Equally important, or possibly even more, how much of a mess does it make and how easy it it to clean? Try to get a test use on that puppy before you bring it into your home.

I have a Sharpe convec/micro and have broiled chicken breasts and fish. I won't do the fish again because I like broiling smelly things under the hood in my range. The chicken was very good, I believe it took a little longer. I have also used the feature for browning the top of a couple of things rather than firing up the range broiler. One feature that was an unexpected pleasant surprise is the defrost. It uses a combo of temps automatically and things defrost better than any other micro I have used.

I've had the Velos (Like the Whirlpool Gold but with added convection)for a couple years and really enjoy the grilling feature. I have grilled burgers, fish, chops and steaks - all with great results. It is more like broiling than grilling, however, since it doesn't have the smoked flavor of an outdoor grill. The insides of the Velos are coated with Teflon, so cleanup is very easy, and I really haven't had that much splatter from grilling. I'd miss my Velos if I didn't have it! There is a fan that automatically turns on to remove the heat from the grill, so I haven't noticed any fishy odors. The microwave is fast (I think 1200 watts), convection isn't any faster than my regular stove, but you can add microwave power to speed things up, and I really can find no fault with it. There are a few threads on the Velos which you might want to read.

Get yourself a good cast iron frying pan: there is nothing - and I mean NOTHING better for grilling indoors. Cast iron get hotter than anything else - once it is seasoned you need only wipe it out with water and a scrubbee - no soap. All you need is a little oil and steaks or fish or whatever else you want to cook will be fabulous.

My advice, get an OTR microwave and grill on your brand new wonderful range in your brand new wonderful kitchen in a cast iron pan.
R.

Edlakin, your message cracked me up.

I first became aware of microwaves with grill features when I spotted a Kenmore on Sears' website. It had great user reviews (and Sears users tend to trash everything!).

I've also read great things about the Velos, but it's kind of on the large - and expensive - side. The Whirlpool Gold I'm looking at isn't cheap, but if it would really do a great job, I'd stretch the budget.

I am nervous about how messy it would be, though, and it's not like you can take a microwave off the wall and put it in the dishwasher. ;-)

Rayna, grilling in a frying pan??? Is it still called grilling if it's in a frying pan? (I guess the same question holds for whether it's still called grilling if it's in a microwave! LOL)

I have the Velos too and LOVE it! It's a great appliance for the small family. And it does every type of cooking. It's really worth the extra money. We keep joking that we should have gotten two. Clean up is really easy. We got the OTR but put it over a counter and trimmed it out (or actually we'll soon finish trimming it out : )

I have a cast iron grill from Le Crueset, which you could try, but I wouldn't pick it over the Velos because there are so many great features of the Velos besides the grill/broil. Check out the threads and/or got to Sears to get a demo. Good luck. E-mail me if you have more questions.

Grilling means heat (usually intense) from below over a grate. What raynag is driving at is that a cast iron skillet provides excellent intense heat from below, but without a grate. It isn't technically called grilling - more likely pan-searing. However, if excellent carmelization indoors is the desired outcome, a cast iron skillet or grill gives superior results. It's the only choice I consider for an expensive steak if I can't grill on a real grill.

Thanks chefkev - exactly what I meant, but you explained it.
Pan searing - same thing. But you gotta have cast iron.
And I honestly think it's better than when I do it on my gas grill (which is the only "real" grill I have).

Have any of you Velos owners found any cookbooks available for them? I just got mine, (still in the box) and am somewhat clueless on how to get started on really using it. I sent away for the cookbook offer in the box, but I am assuming that is something small with just a few recipes. Let me know if you have any tips for me! Thanks!