Thursday, March 7, 2013

How To Use A Convection Microwave For Baking / How To Bake In A Convection Microwave






How To Use A Convection Microwave For Baking / How To Bake In A Convection Microwave. Watch my video! Please follow my page on Facebook for updates on new videos for beginners in baking, every Monday! Click here to subscribe to my You Tube Channel. Click to subscribe now!


When I started writing the series for beginners, this post should probably have been the very first! Very naturally of course as buying an oven or knowing how to use your existing microwave (if suitable for baking) is the foremost step in getting one started with baking. Some of us have purchased microwaves when they first hit the market, been using it for heating and cooking a few things. Now you suddenly have the urge to see if you can bake in it too! If you are like me, most likely the manual is misplaced, if you have a hubby like mine, there is at least some hope of retrieving it. In any case, knowing the oven type, the accessories that came with it or trying to replace them is a good start. So shall we get started on this rather rather lengthy post on How To Use A Convection Microwave For Baking? Sorry, could not help it!

Please note, I use an LG  convection microwave (MC8040NSR), and the information I have given below is mostly with this one in mind, though I have included a bit about Samsung too. This again is just sharing my personal opinion from my experience in using a convection microwave for about 2 years.


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  • Basic microwave functions : There are three basic functions a microwave can perform - cook, bake, grill. 
  • Microwave function for regular cooking, de-frosting, re-heating and even some instant mug cakes (more below). 
  • Convection function to literally bake anything - from cakes, cookies, breads, pizzas - I mean everything!
  • Grill  for grilling vegetables, meat and the kind.
Microwave Accessories : You get these along with your oven depending on the type of the microwave you have (given below) : A glass turntable, a short metal rack for baking, a high metal rack for grilling.  You sometimes also get a non stick large round tin for baking pizzas.

Microwaves fall in 3 basic categories, a  basic microwave, microwave cum grill and then the convection microwave. There are more too, but to that later.

1. A solo microwave / a basic microwave - All of us know how to use this, but bear with me . One which comes with a microwave mode only. Allows you to set the time and the power level of cooking - high, medium, low power, defrosting food and some auto menus. Comes with a glass turntable on which you place your dish.

This kind of microwave can be used for re-heating, cooking and defrosting frozen food. Period. But no you can't bake anything in this, but can certainly cook some kinds nice instant microwave browniecinnamon crispsfat free potato wafers  and even some types of regular cakes and brownies. These get cooked really fast, as in a minute or two for single serve portions and around 8-10 minutes for other kinds of cakes and brownies, depending on the size of the pan and quantity of batter.


Be aware that  instant versions of brownies and mug cakes are good consumed immediately though some cakes and brownies may keep well.  But yes, you can very surely try these, I do quite often as they are life-savers! Am not crazy about using this mode for the regular cake kinds etc or maybe I haven't tried the right recipe. If I do, you will surely find it here !

What you could use : Any good quality microwave safe containers, your coffee mug, Borosil kinds of glassware, Tupperware. You can't use metal tins and pans as it will cause arching.

How to use : By default, your microwave will set on the highest power, you can see it as either HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW etc or 900 (watts), 700, etc. Set the time and power levels as needed. You will need to consider the 'standing time' i.e, the time after the microwave is turned off, but during which the food continues to cook with the internal microwave energy in the food. Useful to keep this in mind while cooking instant cakes and brownies. Overcooked food tends to burn ..sometimes along with your Tupperware!

2. Microwave cum grill : Apart from the basic microwave functions above, this type of microwave has a grill function also, allowing you to grill vegetables, cottage cheese and meat, sometimes with the combination of both modes working simultaneously. Apart from the glass turntable, this must come with a tall circular metal rack on which you place the food to be grilled. Has function knobs or buttons indicating Microwave and Grill, and a combination of both.

3. Convection or combination microwave: Now, we talk baking! Microwaves in this category come with it all! Microwave, grill and convection modes. It has function knobs indicating microwave, grill, convection, a timer, temperature setting buttons and power setting buttons for use in microwave mode. This microwave comes with the glass turntable, a low circular metal rack for baking, a taller one on which you grill food and a motorized rotisserie for cooking meat again. Irrespective of what mode you need to use, the turntable and the roller wheel beneath it need to remain in place at all times, except of course when you clean the microwave.


Microwave mode : So when you have this type of an oven, you normally keep the metal racks under the table till you need them for baking. Otherwise use the microwave for mundane but essential purposes. Using this mode in a convection oven is the same as given above.

Grill mode:  To use this, place the tall metal rack on the turn table and the food on the grill, press 'Grill' (you can’t set the temperature here, at least not in mine) and set the timer.  If you do not grill a lot, this rack can still be put to use as a cooling rack.

Convection mode : This is the mode used for baking where you need the low metal rack to place your baking tray on. 

In this mode your microwave works just as an OTG works. So you can use aluminum baking tins and pans, glassware,silicon and ceramic ware like ramekins and other oven safe bake-ware.


My oven sets at a minimum of 40 degrees C and a maximum of 250 degrees C. The temperature in your convection microwave sets in certain intervals say 10 degrees, eg, 180 C, 190 C, 200 C and so on as in LG microwaves or in intervals of 20 degrees eg, 180 C,  200 C, 220 C and so on as  in Samsung microwave ovens.

Pre-heating:  You need to pre-heat your oven just as you pre-heat an OTG. Pre-heating is getting your oven to the desired temperature before you put your cake pan with the batter / cookie sheet  in it. For example, the recipe says, pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C. Your microwave takes about 5 minutes or less to pre-heat as compared to the 20-25 minutes in an OTG. So you can pre-heat the microwave even when you are just 5 minutes away from getting your cookie dough/ cake batter ready.

  • Place the short metal rack inside the oven on the turntable, make sure its stably placed in the center (hold on, you will not place the cake tin inside right now), close the door, press ‘Convection’.  The display will show 180 degrees temperature by default. 
  • Your oven will have buttons to increase and decrease the temperature. So you now keep pressing ‘Increase’ till you see 200 degrees (in this example) in the display. Now press ‘Start’. The turntable will start rotating and your oven begins to heat, the display shows as “PRH’ meaning pre-heat. 
  • Once the oven reaches 200 degrees , it will sound a beep (a series actually) and the display shows 200 C. Now, do not press ‘stop’ or do anything other than just opening the door of the oven. Put your bake in, close the door. Set the timer as needed, say 30 minutes. Press ‘Start’. Now your bake cake is baking at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. 
  • I prefer to write down the time and the duration for which I have set my oven in my recipe book - just in case of power failure or re-setting the timer by mistake - when you lose track of how long the cake has been baking.

If you need to pre-heat the oven to a temperature less than 180 degrees C, then use the decrease button to set the temperature needed. In case you press “stop’ or leave the oven turned off for more than a minute,  start the pre-heating process all over again as given above.

In my friend's Samsung oven, you press Convection, then press the pre-heat button. The same pre-heat buttons allows you to move the temperature up and down, once you see the desired temperature in the display, press ‘Start’. Your oven starts pre-heating and sounds a series of beeps when heated.

Please note, the microwave once pre-heated will automatically turn off after a certain point of time if you do not proceed with baking. Microwaves don't like being ignored!


Changing the temperature while baking: Some recipes need you to change the temperature while baking, that is, bake say at 190 C for 20 minutes and then at 160 C for another 20 minutes. In this case, pre-heat the oven to 190 C and bake for 20 minutes, then press Stop. Immediately press the convection button, set temperature to 160 C , set the time for 20 minutes and press ‘Start’ again.

Always remember to take the cake /cookies / bread out from the oven once the baking is done.  Do not leave it inside the oven (though the oven turns off by itself, the heat still remains, over baking your cake) unless the recipe specifies you to do so.

After you bake, and the timer goes off, the oven switches off and then does 'cooling'. Wait for sometime if you wish to use it on microwave mode before you use it again.

Capacity of your microwave :  Your microwave, could be anywhere around 20 and 38 liters depending on the brand. Knowing this helps to have a rough idea about the sizes of tins that can fit in your oven and gift yourself a new bigger one if needed!


  • If you own neither an OTG nor a microwave and just begun baking, it makes sense to buy a convection microwave as you could use it for both cooking and baking. Helps economize on space too. Buy a big OTG too later (like me).
  •  Convection microwaves come with a fan for even circulation of hot air inside. My old 14 liters Morphy Richards OTG does not have a fan, but my new 40 liter one does.
  •  A microwave pre-heats in about 5 minutes as compared to an OTG which takes 15-20 minutes. Really useful for quick small batches of baking, seriously useful when you have your batter waiting and there is a power cut!
  • Microwaves also come with digital settings for the temperature and time, so more accuracy and less guess work here.
  • If you are an occasional, small batches only baker, this will work very well for you! When you turn an obsessed baker wanting to feed all you know, think about buying an OTG too!


  • Even microwaves with higher capacity,  say 38 liter ones can't fit in big trays and tins as the turntable needs to rotate as it bakes and the sides of the tin touching the walls of the microwave will cause a lot of disturbance or the turntable may not turn at all. But a 40 liter OTG will be more accommodative as the tray remains in place as it bakes.
  • Also you can use only one level of the microwave for baking whereas you can use both the top and bottom racks of an OTG simultaneously.  If you bake for commercial purposes, a microwave is not for you as you will not be able to bake in big batches at one go.
  •  When you place heavy pans its a little tricky as the light weight metal rack may tilt with the weight of the pan. Even worse when you place a pan with ramekins surrounded by hot water for baked custards and the kinds!
  •  My microwave sets at the lowest setting of 40 degrees and then next to 100 C. An OTG will be more lenient here.
  • The space inside a microwave will allow you little room to put your hands in and do anything like re-distributing your granola for example as your hands will touch the hot walls or the top element.
  • If you melt your chocolate in the microwave, then learn to melt it on the stove top too as you can't melt chocolate while your oven is pre-heating!


 Buying a microwave: Choosing a good brand first naturally -  I use an LG microwave and its worked really well for me, no complaints on the quality. IFB and Samsung (except for the temperature interval constraint) is supposed to be good too, though I have no idea about the after sales services. Check if your city has good after sales facilities for the brand you choose. A brand new in the market is not very likely to have great after sales services.

Check if the highest and lowest temperature you can set your oven to and the intervals its sets at, 10 degrees is fine, but 20 is a little hard to digest! Also most ovens here come with a maximum temperature setting of 250 degrees C which in itself is low for baking pizzas, so make sure the maximum temperature is at least 250 degrees C.

I would personally prefer microwaves with digital controls as compared to the manual ones for greater accuracy and consistent results.

Having used an OTG first when I started to bake, I had my own reservations about using a microwave for baking. But I must say, I have not found a great deal of difference between the bakes done in either. 


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Please do check this post here for lots more basics, tips and recipes

https://goo.gl/jRsHoR


132 comments:

Archana said...

This post is great, you have a ton of patience to write so much ! Very useful post, will send this link to a lot of my friends who have such questions.

Rajani said...

Superb, well analysed, well strucutred post. Trust you to comeout wiht such a brilliant piece.
My two bits about my Panasonic microwave. Just to add to the knowledge bank here -
1.32L capacity, has the widest turntable -350 mm. This helps to place larger trays or cake pans while baking.
2. Preheats in 7-8minutes.
Has minimum of 100 C with 10 C increase till max of 250 C.
Grill has 2 variants - grill 1 and 2 with different heating. Garlic bread, grilled SW at grill 1. Have not tried grill 2 so far.
3. MW - max power is 1000 W -I love that because veggies get cooked that much faster.A cup of peas cooks in 2 minutes.
Keep up the great work Suma, you rock.

Hasna said...

ths informative...going to share this in my page

Rafeeda AR said...

oh wow... that's a very information and exhaustive post... i also have a MW Convection oven but apart from my muffins and bundts, my normal cakes dun seem to get cooked in the centre bottom... even with lowered temperature, the top gets burnt and the inner is uncooked, please advise what should i do in this case...

Priya Kumar said...

This is a very comprehensive write-up Suma, very useful for beginners! I had doubts over my recent purchase of convection microwave. But I went ahead with it due to space constraint. Now your post reaffirms the same :)

Shubha said...

Thabks for the info suma...its very helpful...

divya said...

wonderful post..

Tummy Delites said...

Indeed a very helpful post for all the new bakers!!

Pawan Soni (Indian Food Freak) said...

One of the most useful post I have read in recent past. Very well written and equally informative.

Pawan Soni (Indian Food Freak) said...

Lovely post. Very informative and precise. Will keep coming back.

rozz said...

Appreciate you patience and effort

Small open question
I ahve an IFB conveection oven.It came only with a tall wirerack..Any idea where can i get a shorter wirerack for baking purposes?

rozz said...

Appreciate you patience and effort

Have a small open question

I have a IFB convection oven which came with a tall wire rack.Any Idea where can i procure a shorter wire rack as you mentioned?

Suma Rowjee said...

@ Rozz- Thank you! Yes, I think you must get a short rack for baking..

Suma Rowjee said...

@Rafeeda - Think your oven is fine. Are you sure you are using the pan size recommended in the recipe? Try again and let me know..

Suma Rowjee said...

@Rozz - Sorry, missed the question, check with IFB service center or try online..

shailaja said...

hi suma very interesting and informative post . iam also using lg convection oven, and is it necessery to put turn table while baking till now iam not keeping turntable while baking and iam just using only lower middle rack and my bakes r coming well

Suma Rowjee said...

@Shailaja - have never really tried without a turntable, does it rotate without it? :)

M D said...

Excellent writeup Suma. Love the extensive writeup. I read through it, admiring the honesty and patience with which you have written this post. Like you know, I too use my micro with convection a lot and have faced issues for larger bakes. Again, kudos for this detailed writeup.

Shopaholeo said...

Hi Suma,

Thank you for an Extremely useful write up(perfect timing too, as I was seriously considering buying a Morphy Richards OTG in addition to my LG Mw/Grill/Convec!)

I have a question though, Sometimes while baking only in the convec mode, when I open the door of the oven to check if the cake/cupcakes are done, it causes a Disaster and wrecks the entire rising of the cake. Can you help me sort out this issue please? Thank you.

T A

Suma Rowjee said...

@Shopaholeo - Am glad! The cakes could be sinking if you have tried opening the door much earlier than they are baked. Avoid opening the door too often. If you have just begun baking, stick to the recipe measures, recommended pan sizes and open the door only towards the end of the specified baking time range.

RashmiSethi said...

Thank you so much. A very informative post. I have used my Samsung convection oven only for microwaving and grilling pizzas!
I was planning to but a 30-40 lts OTG for baking - but looks like I do not need it!
Rashmi Sethi

nitya said...

Thank you for your effort.I recently bought an Lg microwave n as a beginner your blog was sum thing I was searching for.
I would appreciate if you would tell me if I can use a metal tray on a low rack to grill fish etc. While using low rack alone stains my glass turner inside.
Also can a silicone bake wear be used for grilling/ crisp mode?
Nitya

Unknown said...

excellent..thanks a lot..

Erika said...

Thanks for the information, but I was wondering how the microwaves combi with grilling uses the metal rack, has anyone tried it? I feel a bit nervous trying to grill and microwave at the same time as using the metal grill rack, even though the instruction say I can, I am confused though!

amu said...

Hi, this was a wonderful read for someone like me who has been wanting to bake, owns a convec microwave but doesnot know a single thing about microwave baking. One question that I would like help with is what kind of containers can we put in? I have a highwire rack that I got with my IFB so should I buy a tray?

Unknown said...

very informative post suma, i''ve got a whirlpool convection oven and whenever i bake cakes, it gets burnt, suppose if the recipe calls for bake at 175c for 30-35 minutes, but i do at 120c only for 10 minutes, then also it gets burn, can u let me know at what temp and timing shud v bake in convection ovens, thnx

Unknown said...

very informative post suma, i''ve got a whirlpool convection oven and whenever i bake cakes, it gets burnt, suppose if the recipe calls for bake at 175c for 30-35 minutes, but i do at 120c only for 10 minutes, then also it gets burn, can u let me know at what temp and timing shud v bake in convection ovens, thnx

Anu H said...

Thanks, as a beginner the information provided has been really helpful. I have rarely used the convection mode on my microwave. While baking, Is it necessary to put the baking tray on the low metal rack, Can the baking tray not be directly put on the glass bottom of the microwave in convection mode?

Unknown said...

i also have a MW Convection oven but apart , my normal cakes dun seem to get cooked in the centre bottom... even with lowered temperature, the top gets burnt and the inner is uncooked, please advise what should i do


sandeep2153@rediffmail.com

Suma Rowjee said...

Forgive me for the really late response.


@Nitya - Not sure if the food would get properly grilled as it would be away from the grill on top. Guess you can use silicon, have not used the grill mode much. Use the tall rack for grilling.

@ Erika - Not tried, but if your manual says you can use, try it!

@ Amu - Have mentioned the kinds suitable for baking, hope you find ur answers above!

@ Razina - Please get your microwave checked.

@ Roshan - Your oven seems to be setting at higher temperatures than it indicates. Have it checked, a good oven thermometer can tell you the exact temperature.

Unknown said...

your post is awesm. thnaks a lot for the post as i made my first cake in my LG microwave after geting proper guidence from the post. cud u pls tel me how to set the power level in difrnt mode i.e high, medium, low? n do i nid to set the power level in stead of timer , while normal heating???

Prabash R. Sahoo said...

Thanks for such a great article. Really I learned a lot from it. Thanks again.

Sexologist Coimbatore said...

Great tips for baking !
Thank you.

Unknown said...

Great information..thanx so much..I always scared to use microwave.

Unknown said...

Great information..thanx so much

Unknown said...

How can i use the microwave to bake cheese cake??

Pls advice

Azhar Mulla said...

g8 post !!!!!!
you explained it really well.

Cleared all confusions.. keep up the good work.

Happy cooking.

Suma Rowjee said...

@Apple Flower - Yes you could! All baking on Convection mode.

lavanya K said...

Hi I am having Whirlpool brand.It doesn't display any temperature and it not even having preheat option i am just a beginner in baking.Please help me

Suma Rowjee said...

@Lavanya - If its a basic microwave, there wont be options for pre-heat and temperature. Please make sure its a convection microwave.

Jamku said...

Very Nice Post.it's very nice blog and this is very useful for me thanks. I use to do online ifb microwave as its time saving.

VG said...

Hi Suma,

Thanks for the information I am going to buy my first MW so looking for information and came here. It solved all my queries and now I am going for LG MW, have a question, Is the auto-cook menu useful? should I go for more auto cook menus? also found some features like Indian Bread Basket, Healthy Fry etc. are they really useful?

Also what is Motorised Rotisserie is it useful? should I go for it?

Your suggestions will help me to buy a good product, I hope you will help me to buy a good MW so I can make delicious cakes like you :) waiting for your reply :) Thanks

Min said...

Hi, I have a National Microwave/convection.Dimension 4 "the Genius". It has a function called "convection bake" and
"2-level convection bake" I am always confused which to use for baking cakes and which for cookies and which for pizzas. Can you help me on this. Thank you.

Suma Rowjee said...

@Vidya - I do not use the auto functions, don't do much by way of cooking in the microwave. Motorized rotisserie is mostly for cooking meat.
@Min - Sorry, no idea about this.

Riya said...

This is exactly the kind of post I have been looking for after my purchase of Samsung microwave. Very informative post. Write more posts for beginners. Thanks.

Piyal said...

thank u...... this post is just what i needed..... i use samsung 21L convection microwave.... i am a beginner..... can u tell me how much temperature and time is needed to bake a medium sized cake after pre-heating for 5mins in 200C

Unknown said...

Thank you sooooo much, this post has been so helpful... I m a new baker with the constriction of having a micro-wave, was thinking I will have to bake only if I have an OTG but your post helped me a lot n saved my money too;) lolz

Suma Rowjee said...

@Piyal - The baking time depends entirely on the recipe, the pan size etc. So please pick a reliable recipe from a good source and bake as it instructs you to - give or take 5 minutes.

@Farzana - Am glad! :)

Unknown said...

Hi Suma,

Thanks for such nice post. I have tried baking white bread with my LG convection oven. The bread came out nice but the upper crust is not that brown as shown in videos I followed. Secondly it breaks while I cut it. Any suggestion will be helpful.

viji said...

hi suma...great post...have a few doubts...used to make pizza on an OTG with prebaked base..the base used to be crisp. Now i have bought a convection samsung microwave(28l) and when i make a pizza on it the base remains soft. i use the high rack and grill mode..is that where i am going wrong?

Unknown said...

Great information
thank you very much
i kinda have some question, I've just bought LG microwave/convection oven it came with the glass plate of course, low metal rack for convection, high metal rack for grill and a metal plate
the manual says put the metal plate between the glass plate and the rack during grill mode , i didn't try it yet
but it doesn't seem right to me to put the metal right over the glass then the rack over the metal
and in the convection mode should i do this also??

and what about the combination modes?? isn't it wrong to use metals during microwave so how can we put the metal rack

Suma Rowjee said...

@Viji - Try baking the base on convection mode. Better still bake your oven pizza from scratch!

Suma Rowjee said...

@ Heba- Sorry, haven't used the combination mode at all.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the excellent information.

Anushma said...

Thanks Suma for insights into the functioning of microwave ovens. I have a query.. What can be a roast-equivalent (as in roasted vegetables,etc) in such 3 mode microwave ovens. I tried the Grill mode (I have LG) but was not quite satisfied with the results.

Suma Rowjee said...

Anushma - I do not like grilling in the microwave either. Try baking them on convection mode.

The liked Pioneer Woman's potato parcels(here on the blog), try that way too.

Unknown said...

Awesome post thanks for sharing. Now i will follow these tips while baking food in my microwave oven.

jaya said...

i really worried about my microwave
.now i wll ur tips and share it

Jill's Comfort Zone said...

Great information!!! I've had my Half Time Oven for a few years and have yet to really use it. Thank you!

afifa said...

Information which I was realy lukin for.....thank u so mch

afifa said...

Thank u so mch....

Vidhya said...

Hi... this the kind of article i have been looking for a really loooooong time.. I knew that i can bake in my microwave apart from heating purpose.. but dint know how!!! and here comes ur post explaining in detail about how the same can be done..
Very useful post.. Thanks for taking time in writing this.. :)

Anonymous said...

Can I use the non stick tawa which came with starter kit as pizza pan?
What is the right temperature for the oven to be pre heated when the recipe does not indicate it?

anonymous1 said...

hi suma. great posts for beginners. just want to know if i can keep the baking tray directly on the turntable without using a rack as i do not have one. also can i use a silicon tray to bake cakes

Anonymous said...

Really helpful article thanks a lot it seriously helped :)

Suma Rowjee said...

Hi! Yes, you can use your pizza tray for baking cookies and breads, pizza on the inverted tin. If a recipe doesn't specify the temperature, better to look for another recipe :)

Suma Rowjee said...

I haven't tried placing the baking tin directly on the turntable. Get a rack from the service center. You can use silicon tray, but I find it too wobbly

Ashwini said...

Hi Suma,
Had this doubt...when we bake a cake,if we double the quantity of ingredients then is there any rule that you follow to determine the new baking time? Sorry if this question has be asked/answered earlier. Thank you.

Shwetha said...

Very informative.. thanks for putting it .

Anonymous said...

Hi suma,
Thanks for the wonderful info n here..Tried to bake a sponge cake n my IFB microwave/convection oven. Used a aluminium baking dish, on lower rack , preheated at 140°C..but within 2-3mins of baking the cake started to get burnt on the top but uncooked on the inside. Reduced the temp but the cake never got cooked on the inside.Can u plz suggest how to avoid this and would it help using aluminium foil in the initial part of baking..Thanks

Anonymous said...

I was directed to your blog by one of the members from home bakers guild. Very informative indeed. Thank you so much.

Unknown said...

superb & very informative

Priya shiva said...

I'm new to baking with microwave. Good and awesome explanation ! Thank you :-)

Kishore said...

amazing post. Thanks

Unknown said...

I cannot say how thankful I am. I ruined my initial cakes on the microwave. So witched to good old cooker. Now, your post gives me some moral support to try the oven once again!

Anonymous said...

hi suma, i m planning to gift my mom one of the MW oven, honestly i have zero knowledge about this. after reading your article i got some basic idea of MW's. The post was very detail and moreover it is very clear in every aspect.

Appreciation is a small token for your efforts. But thanks ultimately.

Natty Kipgen said...

I'm so glad I stumbled upon your blog. I always wondered about Convection Microwave Oven and what it's use was even though I own a LG one and have never once touched the Convection button. I've always been scared of that button not knowing what it could do. So thank you for taking the time out to teach us mere mortals of the use of the MW when baking!
Now I can let my poor, old OTG to rest and use my MW to start baking with confidence.
Thank you again :-)

Anonymous said...

I have bought Samsung oven before one year, but I used it only for reheating purpose.. I was looking for baking tips to make cake,your article sounds awesome yaar...thanks a lot..

Anonymous said...

Thanx now i can cook everything

Unknown said...

Hi.. I've a Samsung Convention oven, I tried to bake a cake with the steps mentioned above for 2 times, both the times the cake is not baked inside. The outer part is cooked, but not the inner, its not bulged..texture is soft..but not cooked.

In Samsung Oven, after Pre heat, we have to select the option for Baking Cake 5-1 which automatically sets the temperature. I feel that temp is not sufficient.

Please help me to bake cake perfectly.

priyanka said...

Thanku soo much for this post!! helips a lot!

Unknown said...

wonderful instructions. I will make an attempt again to bake it the convention way.

Anonymous said...

Thanks very nice post it help me alot.... i have a question in any bakeing recipe if i increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients then timer will change or remain same e.g i take 2 cup batter need 20 min to bake ... now i take 1 cup batter then it will take 10 min or 20 min . . Plz reply thanks in advance

Anonymous said...

Hi Suma , thanks for the informations on MW ..I bake cakes only
in Usha otg till now but never tried in my LG convention oven till date but today am gonna start it but I don't have my booklet ..can you pls tell me where to get my booklet of Lg . And also what tem I should bake a normal and chocolate cakes etc. pls help me.

Suma Rowjee said...

@Usha - Did you check with the service center? Or the website?

Anonymous said...

Tnx...I've Samsung convection.... but wanted to buy OTG as didn't know it's function.. but ur info is really helpful.. once again thanks a lot

Anonymous said...

Dear ma’m
I am new to your Blog & also in baking world. I am a mother of 7 month boy. I Recently I purchased LG Brand Microwave. My main purpose to purchase microwave is to prepare some healthy food for my dear son. I wish to bake some homemade whole wheat biscuits for him so he can chew it & slowly gradually learn how to eat himself. My question is that in many recipes it says pre heat the microwave for 10 min etc… . Can you please explain how to do it. My Microwave having convection & grill options also. Also can you suggest me any recipes for my 8 month old. You can revert me on my ID komalpersonal@gmail.com

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Very nicely explained.. I have convection oven since 4 yrs but never experimented convection mode.. Was baking only microwave cakes. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot...this post has cleared so many of my queries related to using my IFB microwave oven with combination modes...I tried and failed everytime i baked and come up with either too hard or not properly cooked cake...i hav almost gav up....hope this post will help me to come up with an excellent cake baked by myself.

Unknown said...

hi suma thank u so much for the article. i do hav an LG 28 ltr convection microwave and i do baking, i always thought i made a wrong choice picking up this microwave rather than buying a conventional OTG, cuz of the bakeware i had to use. i read in many articles people forbidding the use of aluminium in microwaves, so i had to buy only borosil dishes or silicon cake pans for baking. Also the guy who came to install my oven gave a strict no-no to metals in convection. Have u tried baking with aluminum pans. i am so much in dilemma cuz of abundants of misinformations i was given by many ppl in internet. Can i dare to use aluminium cake pans in my convection microwave ???

Meena said...

Hi, Suma, great post!! Helped a lot. I have a question though..I bought a LG convention oven recently and preheated the oven for the first time ( thx to your post :-)) but there was a faint burnt smell from the oven..is this normal?? I had placed the lower rack while pre-heating..pls advise..

Suma Rowjee said...

Thanks Meena! I have never experienced that problem, better get it checked once.

Suma Rowjee said...

@ Harika - Definitely you can use aluminum pans! Please go ahead and use them in convection mode.

Unknown said...

thank u so much for this information and now, i am going to enjoy baking even more. Will try with aluminium pans and let u know and i am a new visitor to ur blog and i am very glad that i found ur blog. thank u once again for ur time and all the wonderful posts and tips.

Unknown said...

hi sumaji...ive tried with aluminium pan and the cake came out good. thanks to u.


Can we use carbon steel pans in convection microwave too?? i mean something like this...
http://www.flipkart.com/alda-muffin-tray-6-bakeware-na-cup-mould/p/itmdxu4ac774xhup?pid=MLDDXU4ANFNCABND&srno=b_18&ref=b4fb6edc-87fd-43b1-bcdd-871e8cc1fd74

Meena said...

Thanks Suma. 1 more question; if I am making pizzas at home, do I have to preheat again after I make the first Pizza?

Suma Rowjee said...

Not necessary if you put the next one immediately. If you wait 2-3 minutes then, pre-heat again.

Kiran said...

Thank you Ma'am for this exhaustive and wonderful post. i just bought a samsung convection microwave. After i preheat by using the convection mode, the timer automatically starts for 10 mins as soon as the pre-heating is completed. is this the time for which the oven will remain heated or is something wrong? please guide. Thankyou for your help.

Suma Rowjee said...

Thank you Kiran! Once the oven is pre-heated, it should maintain the temperature for the time you set.Did you try setting the time?

Kiran said...

No Ma'am, as you showed in your video that after pressing the convection button we should press start. i did the same thing. Should i set the timer for pre-heating also because i thought timer is automatic for pre heating at required temperature.

Anonymous said...

Very informative. ..until now I thought aluminium and glass cannot be used for convection mode. ..and it needs special baking utensils. Thanks for sharing

Suma Rowjee said...

Kiran, no need to set the timer for pre-heating.

Jyothi said...

Very informative and well explained suma

Anonymous said...

hi sumaji

i hv godrej convection microwave.I don't hv any rack. can we place directly aluminum cake tin on the glass turntable?????? pls help.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this video! Our regular oven broke and it will take a couple of weeks to have it replaced. Your video saved the day! I didn't even realize my microwave was a convection oven, and your good instructions have shown me how to use it (I couldn't even figure out how to preheat it before I watched your video and was feeling pretty stupid). Thanks for taking the time to help!! Now I can make some cookies for my kids :)

Suma Rowjee said...

Please do get a rack from the Godrej service center and then place the tin on tin when you bake.

VK Vandana said...

Thanks for the concept of pre-heat. I have always been confused about how to use pre-heat in our Indian microwave, as most of the post are about foreign MWs.

Deepti said...

Very informative.. Searching for this kind of information

Anonymous said...

Great post .. hope it improves my baking in it now.. Thanks a million for the info.. very very useful :)

Swarna said...

Very useful post... U saved me from buying an OTG while I have a microwave oven.. Thanks a lot Suma. great job.

Unknown said...

Hello mam...iI wanna try baking your hyderabadi karachi biscuits in my 21litre giderej microwave convection. ..pls guide me the baking proceedure....pls request you to reply

Anonymous said...

Very very useful post...thanks fr sharing the tips. Really highly informative. Thanx

Unknown said...

great post... u have cleared all my doubts :) thanku very much

niranjani said...

I have an IFB convention oven. after seeing your post of basics for begineers i tried basic sponge cake. the cake was little soggy inside, but the outside texture and colour was good. i have tried 2 to 3 times all time the cake is soggy inside can you please help me to rectify this

Priya said...

hello suma ji...i am in big confusion..which oven is suitable for me as a beginner(melting chocolates,and baking cakes)..i am very much passionate about making cakes and planning to do small business also(chocolates and cakes)..please suggest me which oven is good for baking cakes and melting chocolates... OTG or Conventional microwave as a beginner...i thought to buy
IFB 20SC2 20-Litre 1200-Watt Convection Microwave Oven (Metallic Silver) ..it it ok

ferwin said...

Recently i bought a IFB convection oven and they've given me one metal rack to use only for grill options and one black colour plate like rack...now i've a confusion of which rack to use for baking cakes...please help...

Suma Rowjee said...

@Niranjani - Sorry, late in responding. You could be using the a smaller tin than needed? Please do choose a good recipe and follow the instructions. Am sure your cake will turn out great!

@Priya - You could go in for an OTG as you would be able to bake larger quantities. Do check out models in Morphy Richards, buy one with atleast 40 liters capacity. Do check reviews for the model you plan to buy. Good luck!

@Ferwin - The higher one is for grilling, use the shorter one for baking. Does the manual specify anything?

smitha bhandari said...

Great post... It was sooo helpful.. Thank u so much.. Keep up the good work..:)

Reshma said...

very interesting and informative post.Thanks for these good instructions of Microwave oven user.

Patsy Irene (Chillin' with Patsy) said...

Thank you Suma. I have an otg and microwave in my house but will soon be living in our rv full time and it only has a microwave/convection oven (no grill). This is a whole new learning experience for me so I really appreciate your informative video. My settings look quite a bit more involved than yours with lots of helpful buttons for melting and softening etc. It also has a Combination buttone which you don't touch on and I don't know when I'd ever use it. Thank you again!

Anonymous said...

Hello ji.. recently I bought a Samsung microwave oven which has both convection and grill but there is no separate preheat button in it.. could u pls tel me how to preheat my oven..

Suma Rowjee said...

Hi! Am sorry, you will need to check the manual for instructions on pre-heating your oven as it varies from brand to brand and the model too

Karthika said...

Its so useful and thank u so much..Mine is Godrej eon MW oven. And the baking mode is like Micro+Covention. I usually use Borosil vessel but I doubt is- Can I use Aluminium vessel in this mode...Please clear this...

Shyama said...

Awesome post, very informative thanks.
One question I have a springfom pan (the latch is of steel) can I use it in my microwave?

Suma Rowjee said...

Thank you Shyama! You can surely use it on convection mode when you bake.

Unknown said...

Hi Suma,
I have Morphy Richards MW Convection oven, when ever i bake a cake the upper part and the side become crispy however the batter remains the same in the lower middle part. Request yout o guide me on this please.

Anonymous said...

Awesome post...really thanks as this was the actual information i was looking for.applause for your patience and knowledge on microwave tips and functions. Good job

Anonymous said...

Great knowledge ....i have a doubt....there are articles that suggest not to use plastic in microwaves as they lead to cancer.is it true??if yes then wat to use?as glass is difficult to use and maintain.

Suma Rowjee said...

Yes, even good plastic can be harmful. Glass is difficult to maintain agreed, but the safest. Please use it.

Anonymous said...

Mam, thank you so much for this article. Its been a huge relief in helping me narrow down my choice to convection microwave. What I would like to know is that recipes mention oven temp and tume . is that for an otg or can the same temp and time be used in convection microwave?

Sharmila said...

Hi thank you so much for the info it was very useful and it is only in your blog did I learn to Preheat, it was very clear and easy for beginners like me

Alex Pabalate said...

Thanks for simplifying all the basic things about the operation of a convection microwave oven. It was very helpful to me.