"No Oven" Floorplans with convection microwave

I'm confused on this. Tried the search, but couldn't find anything.
Once again, appreciate your opinions / experience.
I love to cook - roasts, whole chickens, pies, you name it. I can't imagine getting the same results in a convection microwave. Never used one and don't know what to expect.
For you guys and gals that appreciate fine home cooking rather than fastfood burger sludge, what say you?
Should an "oven-less" MH (convection microwave with stove top burners) be a deal breaker for me? Or am I worrying too much?

My 2003 Bounder 38N came with both a regular oven and a microwave convection oven. Most of the Bounders I looked at had this setup. I don?t think not having a regular oven would be a deal breaker for me. I did see some brand X units with only a microwave oven.
Bill

To us it would be a deal breaker.  Unlike a lot of folks we actually do use our oven.  With a pizza stone in it cooking is far more uniform.  But to be honest about 95% of our cooking is done outside on the BBQ or gas stove.

    I really need the traditional oven. I don't do all that much cooking in it but use it as a warmer for cooked foods and dinner plates all the time. At cool places like the coast it is nice to have a heated area for side dishes while I finish the important task of grilling the steaks!

We had a convection oven in our last house and we loved it.  Gave much more even heat than a conventional oven and the only adjustment we had to make was to set the temperature lower to compensate for the better heat distribution.  And the oven did this automatically, setting it's temperature 25 degrees below what you entered.

I'm not an expert cook, but I'd have no hesitation in using a convection microwave.  Especially if you consider that most gas RV ovens are cheaply made with poor temperature control, limited insulation and lousy heat circulation.

When we ordered the Dutch Star, Pat wanted and got both the ovens.  There something's she prefers the gas oven for and others the convection one.  We have a convection in the house and have had one since 1994 and she insists on one.  That said she also wants and has the gas range too.  You would have to ask her which and why for each. 

IF the RV has the counter to burners, there is probably drawers under.  If so, they can be taken out and a RV "range" with burners and oven can usually be installed fairly easily as the gas is already there.

Many of the newer MH's have done away with the traditional gas oven in favor of the Convection Microwave.  The DW loves to cook as well, so I made a compromise.  She kept the Microwave and does most of here cooking on it, but when a oven is a must, I bought a small propane oven from CW that I carry in a bay outside. It cooks well, and actually is a good choice when she cooks something like fish that tends to "stay" in the MH long after the meal. 

Not a perfect solution, but it works well and gives us both options.

We haven't found any reason to prefer a gas oven over an electric (convection) oven, especially in an RV where the gas oven is mediocre at best. The RV gas ovens are small and heat unevenly, so not a very good cooking tool anyway. About their only real advantage is that they run on propane, which is handy if electric power is in short supply (e.g. in a 30A hook-up or when boondocking). For motorhomes with a generator, that LP advantage is not a very significant one.

Our GE Profile combo convection+microwave works quite well for traditional oven cooking or warming tasks. We bake breads in it, make roasts & casseroles, bake potatoes, and keep pre-prepared foods warm.

We have both, use convection a lot more than the gas, but in my folks case, Mom bakes bread and the gas oven does a much better job.  For roasts and that sort of meal the convection works fantastic.  Usually there is a small cook and use book with the oven, read it and adapt.  Very few items can't be cooked in convection, and bread seems to be one where the results are varied.

I'm not sure what you think the difference is between a gas oven and the "oven" part of a microwave convection oven.  An oven is basically just a hot box to put food into; the convection feature just add a fan to force the heated air through which improves the cooking.  When we replaced the microwave/convection oven we looked for one that had built-in oven racks so multiple dishes could be prepared.  We decided on a GE Profile which also has a larger oven cavity than what we had and is totally stainless steel lined for easy cleanup.  We use the oven every day, more for its oven capability than its microwave function.  We have used it for everything from roasting a 16 pound turducken in Louisiana last Thanksgiving to baking cookies.

In my stick and brick, I have a dual oven; one of which is convection. I'd never attempt bread in it.
What threw me is the "microwave" combination of this appliance.  If these truly work as a real convection oven and cook/brown as their supposed to, I'm OK.
Certainly opens up more purchasing possibilities!

BinaryBob said:

In my stick and brick, I have a dual oven; one of which is convection. I'd never attempt bread in it.
What threw me is the "microwave" combination of this appliance.  If these truly work as a real convection oven and cook/brown as their supposed to, I'm OK.
Certainly opens up more purchasing possibilities!

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I believe all of them can run as either microwave or convection ovens.  GE does offer the ability to use both at the same time, something we haven't bothered to try.  The beauty of being full-timer RVers is that we aren't in that big a hurry! 

What Gary said! Tara was really worried about not having a conventional oven in our new MH. I pointed out that adding one was a trivial task, so she went along. Today, she'd never give up the extra drawers for an oven that would not get used. Convection is superior to the usual RV oven by a significant margin.

Ernie

I have a regular (propane) oven in our motorhome and don't want to be without one. We boondocking a lot and I don't want to run the generator to cook. I want to be able to toss meatloaf and potatoes in the oven on a cold day. We have looked at a lot of motorhomes in the last year, some without the regular oven. With only one exception, they all said no problem swapping the drawers for a regular stove/oven (Allegro Breeze was the one that wouldn't, and they wouldn't change anything).

Wendy

Should an "oven-less" MH (convection microwave with stove top burners) be a deal breaker for me?

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It definitely was/is a deal breaker for us.  In several motorhomes we gave up the extra space under the range to have a propane oven added.  In each case it was installed by the factory because we didn't buy "off the lot."  I use the propane oven all the time, as well as the others.  I agree they do not bake as evenly as stick-and-brick ovens, but if you use double-thickness cookie sheets (sometimes called air bake) under your casserole dish, they cook more evenly.

I've tried using only the stovetop and microwave convection oven and don't like it at all.  It simply does not suit our needs.  We have a Sharp convection-microwave and I've attended many Sharp seminars to learn to use it.  Sometimes I have something in the propane oven, something in the microwave and/or convection, and something on the stovetop burner.  In other words I can and do use all three at the same time - just like I do at home.

We're not much for BBQing and don't even carry one anymore so that means we don't grilll outside.  That in turn means we have to do all our cooking inside - which we happen to prefer anyway.  We don't like meat cooked in the microwave alone, but the convection sensor cook does a wonderful job on things like a pork roast.

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages of each one.  When we're boondocking, the generator has to be turned on to use the convection/microwave so I tend to use the propane oven when we're boondocking.  In the winter when it's colder it's nice to use the propane oven for baking because it has the added bonus of getting some extra heat into motorhome.  On the other hand, during the summer when it's really hot I tend to use the convection oven more.  It puts out heat, but not as much as the propane oven. 

There's another aspect to this question.  I think the manufacturers believe (know?) that RVers like to eat out a lot so they figure they don't need more cooking facilities.  To some extent this may be true, but not for everyone.  We eat out a lot, but I cook equally as much in the motorhome, depending on where we are, who we're with, and what restaurants are nearby.

So, as you can see this is a very personal decision - just like everything else in RVing.  If you think you need a propane oven, then you probably do and you should either get an RV that has one already installed or one that is propane-oven-ready.

Binary Bob - By the way, I probably use the convection and microwave parts of our combo somewhat equally.  We use the microwave part for heating coffee and cooking some vegetables.  We use the convection part for baking.  I definitely would buy a combination unit and not just a plain microwave.  In fact we did just that for the house.  I got the same Sharp combo as in the motorhome so I could use them both in the same way.

ArdraF

Interesting and varied opinions. All helpful!
I did not realize RV ovens are not the greatest quality for even heat. While it would be very useful as a third cooking source for more complicated menus, I could use portable alternatives for the sides when needed. I think in our case, it's moved from the "deal breaker" column to "desirable."
One of the appeals of the RV is making really good, cheap(er) foor whenever we want. Restaurants are ok once in a while, but for me they're not good for the waistline or the budget.

Look at the quality of the convection and what it does.  I bought one for my home and after I learned how to use it, I love it.  The important thing about convections is portion size and sticking to it.  Mine came with a recipe book and if I deviated from the amounts the recipe called for things did not turn out good.  But after I figured it out, they are great!!  Alot of people think it is just a glorified micro but that is not true.  Do be sure it has a normal bake setting though.  Some convections do not have that one setting and it is very important as it allows you to turn the temp from 200 to 450 and pre heat just like an oven.  That way until you understand the convection heating porcess you can bake also.

BinaryBob said:

I'm confused on this. Tried the search, but couldn't find anything.
Once again, appreciate your opinions / experience.
I love to cook - roasts, whole chickens, pies, you name it. I can't imagine getting the same results in a convection microwave. Never used one and don't know what to expect.
For you guys and gals that appreciate fine home cooking rather than fastfood burger sludge, what say you?
Should an "oven-less" MH (convection microwave with stove top burners) be a deal breaker for me? Or am I worrying too much?

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It depends on how you cook and where you stay.

As an RVing lifestyle choice I don't have a generator.  As such in order for us to cook a roast while under way or while boondocking we need an oven that will run on propane.  A cooktop and convection microwave wouldn't do it for me.

It is also my understanding that "convection microwaves" typically do not have a "broil" feature, and I am unsure whether they reach the higher temperatures needed for things like souffles or popovers.

It is also my understanding that "convection microwaves" typically do not have a "broil" feature

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Some do have a broil feature.  I've seen steaks broiled during Sharp convection-microwave seminars.  My Sharp has a Compu-Broil feature that includes hamburgers and steaks.

ArdraF

I have successfully baked, bread, pizza, cookies, and pies. Roasted Chicken, and have broiled with the speedcook on my GE profile micro/convect. oven.

It's the only oven I have. With some experimentation and patience it has proven to be a great kitchen tool.