Best combination microwaves for 2025

Our guide to the best combination microwaves includes a round-up of our Best Buy recommendations, plus expert advice to help you buy the one for you.

Combi microwaves combine regular microwave cooking with a grill and convection oven functions – so they can heat, roast, crisp and brown, just like regular ovens.

From multi-step models to wide-door designs, Which? puts each one through our rigorous lab tests, to help you select the very best combination microwave for your budget.

Head to our microwave reviews to discover the best microwaves we've tested.

Best combination microwaves

These are the very best combi microwaves of all the models we've tested. 

Only logged-in members can see our full list of the best combi microwaves in our table below. Join Which? to get instant access to our Best Buys and expert reviews. 

Not sure it's a microwave you need? See our guides to the best mini ovens and the best air fryers.

Combination microwave reviews by type

• Built-in combination microwaves
• Freestanding combination microwaves

Combination microwaves by price

• Combination microwaves under £200
• Combination microwaves under £300
• Combination microwaves under £400
• Combination microwaves under £600

Why you can trust our combination microwave reviews

A not-for-profit organisation, Which? has tested products and called out rogue businesses for almost 70 years. We buy every product we test, which means brands can't buy their way into our testing or influence what we write.

We know that the average microwave is used for 53 hours a year, or just over an hour a week. That's a lot of heating, defrosting and beeping. That's why we assess every microwave on how well it heats a ready meal, defrosts mince and steams a meal of salmon, potatoes and broccoli. We also put them through their paces with additional grilling and baking tests. 

Those 53 hours equate to around 1,200 cycles a year. That's 1,200 times you open and close your microwave, program it and then have to listen to it hum. So we test how easy it is to open and close the door, load and unload the oven, use the power and time controls and read the display, as well as how quiet it is.

Read more about how we test microwaves.

Where to buy combination microwaves

While not as popular as solo microwaves, plenty of retailers sell combination microwaves. Here are some suggestions to help you get the most for your money.

• Amazon lists combination microwaves from AEG, Neff, Panasonic and more. You don't have to be an Amazon Prime member to get free delivery; standard delivery is free for non-members on eligible orders over £35. Same-day and overnight delivery costs £5.99 per delivery for non-Prime members on all eligible items. For Prime members, this is free for eligible orders over £20. 
• AO mostly stocks models from AEG, Panasonic and Samsung, but you can find options from other brands as well. AO Five Star members get free delivery, while non-members pay up to £6, although it depends on where you live in the UK. Members get free unpacking and removal, and recycling of their old appliances. Non-members need to pay an extra £5 for unpacking and £10 for taking away the old microwave.
• Boots Kitchen Appliances is powered by AO and stocks a combination of microwaves from Neff, Panasonic, Samsung and more. As with Boots stores, you collect three Boots Advantage Card points for every £1 you spend. Boots offers a price match promise, claims to deliver to 99% of UK mainland postcodes seven days a week and will remove and recycle your old appliance from an extra £10.
• Debenhams is no longer on the high street, but you can still shop via its online store.  Standard delivery costs £3.99 per order in most of the UK; customers in Northern Ireland pay £6.99. If you're a member of Debenhams Unlimited, all delivery options are free.
• John Lewis has stores in various parts of the country, so you can try out microwaves if there's one near you. John Lewis tends to stock higher-end models, with the majority available online costing more than £1,000. Thankfully, there are some less eye-watering options. Standard delivery is free on orders over £50, and if you don't like your purchase, returns are also free.

Whittle down your choices with our guide to the best microwaves.

How to buy the best combination microwave

If a combination microwave oven sounds like the right choice for you, these questions will help you choose a model.

• How much space do you have? Combi microwaves are usually larger and more bulky than solo microwaves, although you can fit more inside them. A built-in model will free up valuable counter space, but you'll pay a premium for the privilege.
• What features will you use? Combi microwaves tend to come with a range of auto-cook settings, including multi-stage cooking – so you can defrost, microwave and then grill a lasagne for example. Some even come with settings for making yoghurt, air frying or steam cooking. But it's not worth paying for fancy features unless you're going to use them. Consider our list of the best features below before you buy.
• How much are you willing to spend? All these bells and whistles mean that combi microwaves tend to be a lot more expensive than regular microwaves, costing anything from £100 to more than £1,000. You'll pay more if you choose a flatbed model over a turntable too, but you will get valuable extra cooking space.
• Is energy efficiency important to you? The oven-like cooking capabilities of combination microwaves mean that, generally, they use more energy than solo microwaves. If saving energy is your key consideration and you only plan to use your microwave for basic cooking tasks, a solo model might be a better choice. If you're still keen on a combi model, use our reviews to find an oven rated four or five stars for energy efficiency.

For advice on choosing and installing an integrated microwave, see our guide to the best built-in microwaves.

Best combi microwave features to consider

These are some of the most useful features to look out for when choosing a combination microwave:

Accessories

Some combis come with accessories, including vegetable and rice steamers, browning shelves, and ‘crisper plates’ to crisp the bottoms of pizzas and pies.

Auto-cook programs

These automatically cook food for the correct time and with the correct combination of microwave, convection and grill. Just enter the weight and type of food and it will do the rest. Most combis have at least a couple of auto programs, but we've seen some with more than 30 programs to cook anything from a croque monsieur to meringues.  

Auto sensor

Some combis have an auto sensor setting that will automatically cook or reheat your food without you even having to enter the weight. Instead, these combis monitor the steam coming out of your food to automatically calculate the time and power needed.

Multi-step programming

Enables you to program different cooking modes to begin one after the other. So you can set it to automatically defrost your cottage pie, then cook it, and even give the top a blast with the grill at the end – all without having to come back and reset it.

Wide door opening

Manufacturers often state the capacity in litres, but this doesn’t tell you what you’ll actually be able to fit inside. We measure the widest dish we can fit through the door without tilting, and found while some combis are only big enough for a 29cm dish, the largest have room for dishes up to 46cm wide.

Is it worth buying a combi microwave?

Combination microwaves can replace a separate oven and microwave, so they could be a good space-saving option for smaller kitchens. They can also serve as a second mini oven when cooking big roasts or more elaborate meals.

As the cavity is usually smaller than a full-sized oven, they can be quicker. And you can combine cooking functions to save time – for example, microwaving food then finishing off with the grill to crisp it up.

We'd even declare them a viable alternative to trendy air fryers because they can do everything air fryers do but can also have extra capabilities such as defrosting and steaming.

However, if you’re just looking for something to zap ready meals and leftovers or have limited space and already have a traditional oven, you’re probably better off with a basic solo microwave.

Choose a model you can depend on with our guide to microwave brands.

How much do I need to spend to get a good combination microwave?

• Prices range from approximately £120 to £700+
• We've found Best Buys for less than £200

Combination microwaves are generally more expensive than ordinary microwaves, as they come with a wider range of functions and cooking options.

Most of the microwaves cost between £100 and £250, and there's no need to spend more as long as you choose carefully – some of the combination microwaves we've tested cost less than £200.

More expensive models costing more than £500 tend to be extra-spacious, similar to having a second oven. They have fancy features like true steam cooking or are built-in appliances that fit into a wall cavity.

To see the best cheap microwaves we recommend, go to our microwave reviews and use the Great Value filter.