Microwave Convection Ovens Offer the RV Chef Many Advantages

Baking in RVs gets a bad rap, especially when it comes to baking in the traditional propane ovens found in many RV models. Hot and cold spots in the oven can make for unevenly baked and burned goods, lighting the oven can often be tricky, and in some cases, a lot of propane can be used just to bake one item. Luckily, the kitchens of many newer rigs come equipped with microwave convection ovens, which present a ton of advantages to the serious RV chef. For example, with a microwave convection oven, you’ll:

• Get two appliances in one – Part microwave, part convection oven, the appliance offers the best of two worlds. The microwave setting allows for the fast and easy cooking and heating of meals, snacks, and beverages that you’re used when using your microwave at home, while the convection oven setting can handle the casseroles, cookies, and muffins you love to bake. Plus, because this appliance replaces the traditional oven, more usable storage space is available.
• Enjoy more even baking – Operating under the method of heat transfer known as convection, these ovens feature fans that circulate heat evenly throughout the unit and all around your food, which means your baked items will cook more evenly compared to a traditional oven.
• Experience faster cooking – Because of the heat circulation, food will typically cook faster than in a traditional oven. As such, you may even need to reduce the heat and times listed in recipes. But never fear! All it takes is a little fiddling with the temperature and cooking times to get a great-tasting, perfectly cooked end result.
• Get to use regular bakeware – You can use typical bakeware in a microwave convection oven – you won’t necessarily need special options. However, it can be beneficial to use bakeware that doesn’t have high sides or isn’t too deep. Shallow bakeware allows hot air to better circulate around the dish and promote even cooking.
• Save on propane – Microwave convection ovens use electricity, not propane, so as long as your RV is connected to shore power, you’re good to go. Of course, you’ll need to find adequate sources of electricity if you plan to boondock. For example, if you have a solar power system installed on your rig, be sure that it can properly supply power to the oven and still run lights and other appliances or electronics in your RV at the same time.

While using a microwave convection oven can take some getting used to, once you understand how your particular model operates and performs, you’ll be whipping up your favorite home-cooked meals on the road in no time. Have questions? Contact us today!