10k miles with this one. So far so good. It does pull closer to 1400w, I only use convection while on good shore power.

I have it mounted up high, above my sink, so haven’t worried about heat.

I do have to remove the turn table before driving.

GE 3-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven | Complete With Air Fryer, Broiler & Convection Mode | 1.0 Cubic Feet Capacity, 1,050 Watts | Kitchen Essentials for the Countertop or Dorm Room | Stainless Steel Amazon.com

 

10k miles with this one. So far so good. It does pull closer to 1400w, I only use convection while on good shore power.

I have it mounted up high, above my sink, so haven’t worried about heat.

I do have to remove the turn table before driving.

GE 3-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven | Complete With Air Fryer, Broiler & Convection Mode | 1.0 Cubic Feet Capacity, 1,050 Watts | Kitchen Essentials for the Countertop or Dorm Room | Stainless Steel Amazon.com

Thanks for the great tip!!! I will look into it. Glad to see that it is an option after all.

 

i would recommend trying it out before using in the van, generally air fryer/microwave combo don't tend to have very powerful air frying. they are typically only 1000 watts output whereas a dedicated air fryer can go up to 1800 watts plus most combos don't have the air fryer element in the best location. this often results in foods not getting super crispy or taking a really long time. the only one i've seen, but not tested myself, that has a high powered air fryer is the Cuisinart AMW-60 3-in-1 but it is small, like really small

 

Thank you. I've never tried an air fryer before but have heard they are amazing. You are probably right about getting too many functions in one oven and getting a mediocre result.

 

Frying anything in a van leaves a smell that stays in there a long time, I would stick to ovens.

 

Good point. Thank you

 

I have one. The brand is Galanz. Air Fry, Microwave Oven.
This is the one I have
I didn't do the install. Looks like there is a plastic plate, then the microwave feet are mounted to this plastic plate. This way there is room around the unit and it is still secure.

 

Thank you. I was wondering about the Galanz. It looked really good but some of the reviews said they thought it was underpowered. I will look at it again. Great install....good ventilation.

 

HMM - air fryer vs convection vs both? What is the difference a ? Variations on a theme? Marketing?

Superficial research - Seem like air fryers have a fan in back of element on the top that blows the air faster than a convection, which does not necessarily have the setup on top. IIRC a true convection also has the fan in back of the element, but many that are marketed as convection(ish) just have fan to blow the air around that is not behind the fan.
Maybe some differences depending on brand.

Do the small inexpensive combo microwave that have both ai fry and convection just have multi-speed fans? I suppose there are times where one system would not be appropriate or as good. I wonder if in situations where either way would work good enough, is a difference in energy usage the get the job done?

So many questions.

 

I guess maybe I did not word it right, The air fryer will stink up the van. The one I tried is a air fryer only, When they cook it still smells like grease.

 

Not sure why it would smell like grease as the idea is to fry without grease and just use a hot oven. The most we use it when making French fries we use a sprayer to spray a little olive oil on the fries.

 

I've been using this in my house testing it out for future use on trips:

Amazon.com: CKOZESE 6-Slice Toaster Oven Air Fryer-Air Fry, Grill, Dehydrate, Roast, Broil, Bake, Pizza, 8-in-1 Convection Oven Countertop, Up-Down 6 Rapid Quartz Heaters, 450℉, Small Footprint, 45 Recipes… : Home & Kitchen

1250Watts so its not going to crazy cook stuff but at the same time isn't going to suck all the energy out of your batteries

Seems OK so far.

 

Wow, another great option to look into. Thank you so much. Great info!

 

I bought this one, but I haven't had a chance to even look at it yet. It does FOUR things! Do I win?

 

I bought this one, but I haven't had a chance to even look at it yet. It does FOUR things! Do I win?

 

Has anyone installed a Convection Microwave in a van conversion?
We are drawing up our plans for our transit conversion and would like a convection microwave installed.
Has anyone installed one and did you install heat shields and fans? We are afraid it may get too hot for an installation above our frig unless we use fans to dissipate the heat. Also, we were wondering how long the Conv/Micro would work after being subjected to vibrations and bumps in the roads and not being rated as an RV microwave.

Swapped out our propane oven/cooktop AND small, low-powered microwave for this same unit as @BadWolf after making a list of a dozen that looked like they might work. It's been a few thousand miles now. Works very well. Only cooks evenly with the turntable spinning - tried first pizza without the turntable and got raw outside edge with black at the back. LOL.

First priority for our setup was to fit into the existing galley. Here's the notes from selecting:

Considering changing to a microwave / oven combo instead.
21" width max
13" height max (room for burners above)
18" depth max (or sticks out front)
Inverter tech makes better? More consistent with less power?

And the search list:

And the before (propane unit):

and after:

It works well. I don't back down the duration for microwave from recommended - it seems to be "hot" enough. The max oven temp is 425F, but that has worked fine for pizzas that say 450F. It's faster to preheat than the propane; and cooks as smoothly and evenly as the propane with the turntable.

On the heat, we got lucky that it vents to the left side. Very little heat on the right side. Very little to the back. Not too much to the top, even with the drawer installed directly above it; bottom of the drawer is warm, but not hot and not dangerous. And the left side made it easy enough to add a couple vents to the cabinet (compare to first photo with no vents). Working great.

We remove the metal racks for trips. Remove the glass turntable if we're on a rough road. That's the only bummer: wish there was a way to keep them quiet while leaving them IN the oven. Tried some silicone sheets but it didn't quite cut it.

 

That Galanz looks like quite the find. I wish it would fit my cabinet.

 

The sizes ended up being the biggest factor in our search. Just glad the one that fit works decent, I guess. 🤷‍♀️

 

We got this one:

RV Convection Microwave Black 1.1 Cu. ft Replaces High Pointe and Greystone

Say goodbye to boring microwave meals with our versatile RV microwave! Why settle for a basic microwave when you can have one that grills, roasts, and uses convection cooking?

www.recpro.com

I can't remember the real brand (RecPro rebrands them). It's not installed, but I did try it out. After running in convection mode at 350 degrees for 30 minutes the outside was barely warm to the touch. It appears to have really effective cooling paths around it as it's meant to be built into a cabinet. It vents out the front, pulling air in below the door and venting it out above the door.

It sits on a shelf and has a venting faceplate connected to both the microwave and the face frame it's mounted in with 6 screws. I may also consider adding a sinch strap to hold it down to the shelf, though I'm not sure it's needed. It's how most RV's mount the microwave.

It is definitely built differently than a countertop version. I would heed the manufacturer's recommendations/warnings regarding building in a countertop version.

Ours will be mounted above the fridge. Not sure yet if that will require any extra venting/fan.

 

Thank you Tim... This is excellent info. You did a lot of research.

 

My $50 Walmart MW has been enduring road vibrations for 8 years.

 

Our experience as well in past rig and this one. But the heat stuff on the RecPro looks like it's set up for a built-in; that's something to account for if using a counter-top.

 

FWIW, bit of consumption data:

Induction cooktop for comparison:

And espresso machine for comparison:

 

@gregoryx I picked up the same microwave. I was wondering, is yours sitting on a shelf or is it wedged between the 80/20 cross members and then strapped down?

For your other compartments, did you inlay the shelves? What do the brackets look like that you used?

Thanks!

 

Set up the 8020 cross-bars to hit right where the oven feet are. Then strapped down around those cross-members. No other pressure anywhere - just pulling down against the cross-bars that meet the feet.

You can see the front strap in the photo above. Rear strap is same.

Not sure what you mean by, "inlay the shelves." ??

The panels are all flush with the fascia of the 8020 bars - fronts, and shelves. Is that what you mean? If so, it's done using "z-rail" that's cut into 1" pieces then the panels are held on to those tabs with dual-lock velcro.

In this photo, you can see the tabs that the panels mount to as well as the dual-lock on the back of a panel. Is that what you were asking?

 

Thanks for the details on the microwave. I just picked up some angle that I may try to use to provide a landing place for the feet, if not I'll give the cross members a try.

I was asking about how you attached shelves, and your method for the panels gives me enough to go on.

Thanks!

 

Looking forward to seeing how you secure it.

 

I've been using one of the Panasonic HomeChef 4 in 1 ovens for the last 50,000 miles. I've generally been very happy with it and got a second one to use at home. I picked up both on sales for around $300-$350 each. I also have an induction cooktop but since getting the oven haven't used it once. Instead I've been using the Panasonic "magic pot" which is a microwave absorbing pan that works great for stir-fry and grilling. The one issue I had with the one in the van was that the door latch broke and I couldn't open the door. I was able to repair it with a $7 part but it was annoying not having any cooking appliance and having to fix it during a trip. Mine is just sitting on top of the counter with 3" pieces of industrial velcro at the place where the feet used to be located. I saw that someone else noted that the oven is really deep, and I've had some concerns about where it will fit in a final overhead cabinet build-out. However, the back has an extra piece that is about an inch deep that can be removed. It is just an extra heat shield which wouldn't necessarily be necessary in a cabinet.

 

I've been using one of the Panasonic HomeChef 4 in 1 ovens for the last 50,000 miles. I've generally been very happy with it and got a second one to use at home. I picked up both on sales for around $300-$350 each. I also have an induction cooktop but since getting the oven haven't used it once. Instead I've been using the Panasonic "magic pot" which is a microwave absorbing pan that works great for stir-fry and grilling. The one issue I had with the one in the van was that the door latch broke and I couldn't open the door. I was able to repair it with a $7 part but it was annoying not having any cooking appliance and having to fix it during a trip. Mine is just sitting on top of the counter with 3" pieces of industrial velcro at the place where the feet used to be located. I saw that someone else noted that the oven is really deep, and I've had some concerns about where it will fit in a final overhead cabinet build-out. However, the back has an extra piece that is about an inch deep that can be removed. It is just an extra heat shield which wouldn't necessarily be necessary in a cabinet.

View attachment 185752

is this Panasonic "magic pot" substantially better than using plate or the items that came with microwave?

 

Has anyone installed a Convection Microwave in a van conversion?
We are drawing up our plans for our transit conversion and would like a convection microwave installed.
Has anyone installed one and did you install heat shields and fans? We are afraid it may get too hot for an installation above our frig unless we use fans to dissipate the heat. Also, we were wondering how long the Conv/Micro would work after being subjected to vibrations and bumps in the roads and not being rated as an RV microwave.

View attachment 185755 This is what we did

 

Oh yeah, and when I had the door break on the Panasonic, I ordered this Toshiba 4-in-1 as a replacement. I got one for only $200 on Cyber Monday, but I ended up sending it back because it was even deeper in size. I did like how much simpler the design and operation was on the unit and how it seemed to be better engineered.

The Panasonic model is really a display/control panel and then four independent appliances in one case. I figured this out when repairing mine and found that one of the door latch sensors wasn't working. The microwave wouldn't work but the convection, broil, and air-fry modes did work. That was when I noticed that there were separate door latch sensors for each one and that all the appliances really were independently designed and then controlled from a common board. Also the air-fry and convection modes use the same fan at different speeds. You just can't set the fan speed or oven temp when it is used as an air-fryer. At home I use a dedicated air-fryer which works much better at really getting things crisp.

One nice thing about the Panasonic is being able to program multiple steps using all the modes. For instance, I love making blueberry muffins on camping trips with the convection oven mode, and then switching to 3 minutes of air fry to crisp up the outside. Everyone raves about hot muffins with soft insides and crispy outsides. I also frequently put frozen food in with microwave mode, followed by either the broil or air-fry mode to finish the food off. I even had to get a larger freezer because I started eating almost exclusively frozen food with this setup and my trying to avoid grocery shopping during the pandemic (home delivery of frozen food instead).

 

It sits there free floating. I gave up on worrying about some things.

 

Mine is intalled in a floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet, one of the top shelves.
The cabinet is built from 80-20 framing with 1/2" bamboo panels, with lips on the front of the shelves, and zig-zag bungees to retain the contents while cornering.
I mounted the convection microwave by removing the plastic feet (m5 screws), and bolting it to the shelf, with m5 threaded rod using bolted through two rails of 1" steel box (1/8" gauge) between the plywood shelf and the screw mounts for the feet of the oven. to raise the oven above the shelf for ventilation, and so the door opens through the shelf opening.
For travel, I stuff the round glass tray into a padded plastic amazon shipping envelope that I happened to have, of exactly the right size, which tightly fits inside the enclosure without rattling.

 

what inverter size (watts?) are y'all running with such ovens? and what total battery Ah? or are you mostly using these on shore power like @BadWolf ?

 

3kw 12/3000 Victron inverter and 10kw of batteries. (2x 12v 400ah)

It works fine off battery power. Once the microwave is at temp its runs around 40% duty cycle, to stay at temp. The inverter fan will kick on for a little bit at the end of each of the microwaves duty cycle.

Most things i bake in it take 20-25 minutes. Even at high altitude, it only takes 2-3 minutes to get to temp.

When im done cooking it usually consumed ~400w from the battery.

 

Has anyone installed a Convection Microwave in a van conversion?
We are drawing up our plans for our transit conversion and would like a convection microwave installed.
Has anyone installed one and did you install heat shields and fans? We are afraid it may get too hot for an installation above our frig unless we use fans to dissipate the heat. Also, we were wondering how long the Conv/Micro would work after being subjected to vibrations and bumps in the roads and not being rated as an RV microwave.

It cost more than a standard Convection microwave, but it is intended for RV use. $339.95

RecPro RV Convection Microwave Stainless Steel 1.1 cu. ft. | 120V | Microwave | Appliances | Direct Replacement for High Pointe and Greystone

The convection feature is going to be a big drain on your batteries. The standard microwave functionality is also energy intensive, but this is typically not for extended time periods. The point being the convection feature may work well for cookies, but roasting a chicken could be an issue if you are not on shore power.

 

Our microwave was a total afterthought and it had to fit in a cabinet that I'd made months earlier. Luckily, the cabinet was a good fit for a dorm sized unit. I think it was Orton that pointed out the old school models with windup controls don't need electricity for LED displays so they use less energy if you forget and leave the inverter on. I found that we have pizza a lot on the road so the microwave was a must-have for leftovers. 🍕

Here's the power numbers while in use; ours is a low wattage unit at 600W delivered.

We have a cute little air fryer if we decide to go that route:

Bruce

 

Really appreciate finding this community! Been learning a lot.

Curious if folks run a dedicated branch circuit for their ovens?

 

Yes, certainly if the wattage is over 1,400. Many of the microwaves posted in this thread, even some which wave the text "1,000 watts" in their title, actually pull a lot more than that. For example,
https://www.amazon.com/Microwave-Technology-Convection-Defroster-Countertop/dp/B09HKPSRWW - which literally says "1,000 w" in the title,will actually pull 1,800 watts in Convection mode. So it's important to read the manual.

1,800 watts is 15 amps, so that should get a 20 amp circuit just for the microwave. Otherwise you may find yourself resetting breakers more often than you'd like. Or worse.

Same thing with Induction cooktops. Many of those can pull 1,800 watts.

Read the manual and confirm, and add 20% for breaker size .

 

Anyone considering an Anova Precision Oven?