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November 9, 2020

Microwave, OTG or Oven: What Is Best for Me?

by aanchal.jain
Microwave, OTG or Oven: What Is Best for Me?

One of the most common questions as a baker I get is, what should one use to bake, microwave, OTG or oven. What is best for me?

I have used four types of ovens to date so I’d like to share with you the pros and cons of all of them and help you make the best choice for your requirements. These are:

  1. Convection Microwave
  2. OTG
  3. Built-In Oven for Homes
  4. Commercial Oven

Below is a quick comparison of the four.

Quick SummaryConvection MicrowaveOTGBuilt-In or Free Standing OvenCommercial Ovens Suited for Homes
Best ForFirst-time enthusiasts OR rare usersOccasional bakers for non-commercial usePassionate cooks & bakers for both home and commercial bakingHome Bakers for commercial use
Best to BakeSmall cakes, pizza, mug cakes Small cakes, pizza, cookies A big batch of cakes, cupcakes, cookies and savoury items.A large batch of cakes, cupcakes, cookies and savoury items.
Brands I Have UsedLGMorphy RichardsFaberUnox
Capacity (litres)28 litres28 litres80 litres 100 litres
Capacity (No of 6” cakes at a time)1 cake1 cakeminimum 4 cakesminimum 6 cakes
Starting CostRs. 12,000/-RS. 7,000/-RS. 38,000/-Rs.50,000/-
ServicingEasily AvailableEasily AvailableEasily AvailableEasily Available
Buy Here

Let’s now deep dive into each one a little bit more.

LG Convection Microwave Oven

img-1

Can be used for baking along with grilling, reheating, defrosting and cooking hence why it is costlier than an OTG of the same capacity.

For baking purposes, this is only good for mug cakes, pizzas and other items which do not require too long in the oven. For some dishes, a combination of convection and then grilling can be used to achieve a golden brown top to the dish, for instance, browning cheese on a pizza or baking Dal Bhatti.

If you hardly bake, this is for you. If you are a more frequent baker read on and use a microwave mostly for reheating purposes only.

Morphy Richards OTG

OTG is Oven, Toaster and Griller. It has slightly different functions compared to a microwave. OTG has two heating coils, one at the bottom and one on the top. Both can be turned on or either one as per choice.

img-2

As per my experience, baking in OTG can be a bit tricky since I have not been able to get consistent results, but that may be because my OTG was extremely small, so conventional baking times mentioned in recipes did not work.

If you bake regularly at home for your family or entertain guests regularly, I would suggest going for an OTG with a larger capacity like 40 litres rather than 28 litres.

Faber’s Built-In Oven

This is the oven that I have used for nearly 15 years and have the most experience with. Built-In Ovens are elegant, fancy but as the name suggests need to be built into your kitchen cabinet. These can not be placed over a countertop.

img-3

A built-in oven has a large capacity and can bake up to three trays of cookies or four 6” inch cakes at a time approximately. These are great for home baking as well as for commercial purposes.

For most of my home bakery business, this oven was used. In 15 years the only issue I have ever had is the light bulb fusing out and nothing else! My oven was electric, so in case of a power cut, the oven would shut off. So you can instead go for a gas oven.

There the only drawback of buying a built-in oven is that you need to get a carpenter or your interior designer to help you fix the oven in the kitchen. This might be difficult in a rented home or a home that has a kitchen already designed and fixed.

The other option is to purchase a stand-alone oven which comes with a cooking range (hob) attached on its top. It’s like the size of a washing machine that you can place in the kitchen. This will require no carpentry.

Unox’s Commerical Oven

img-4

After I recently got married and shifted homes, the only thing I could not take with me was my Faber built-in oven. As per the kitchen in my new home, I knew I needed a countertop oven since this kitchen did not have space for a built-in one. After researching multiple brands, Unox seemed like the best option. They have big ovens which can be placed on the countertop, that look elegant and can help me continue running my home business.

In terms of capacity, this oven is BIG. It has four trays and a pretty powerful fan at the back which helps bake everything evenly.

I have compared various UNOX ovens and found what suited my needs and budget best. To know about the same, read here.

For now, my advice to home bakers and soon to be ones too, buy a built-in, stand-alone or commercial countertop oven. These bake well and in good volume too. To the rest of my readers, you can decide to buy yourself a convection microwave or an OTG as per your needs.

Please note, all these opinions are from my personal experience only. Also, I live in Delhi, India and hence why the servicing for all the four brands discussed above is easily available. Before buying anything, do check if the company is in service to your city as well.

Happy Shopping! 🙂

Aanchal

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4 comments

  • Buying A Commercial Oven for a Home Bakery - Oven Bytes
    December 26, 2020

    […] my earlier post, we discussed the various kinds of ovens I have used and my experience using them […]

  • Oven Bytes 2020 | Year-End-Review - Oven Bytes
    December 28, 2020

    […] Microwave vs OTG vs Oven: What to Buy? […]

  • 5 Essential Baking Tools Every Baker Needs - Oven Bytes
    August 16, 2021

    […] Microwave, OTG or Oven: What Is Best for Me? […]

  • Built-in vs Stand-Alone Oven: Which is better for you? - Oven Bytes
    January 11, 2022

    […] 1. Best for when you move into a new house where you are building the kitchen from scratch.2. This is a great way to save countertop space3. If building your kitchen, try to get this set up at eye level so as to avoid bending regularly to take out heavy items from the oven (not great for the back).4. Comes without a hob on top.5. Brand I have used and loved: Faber6. To know more about my Faber oven, read here. […]

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Hi I am Aanchal!

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