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Microwave ovens are standard in any kitchen because of their ability to heat up food much more quickly and efficiently than a standard oven. But their weakness has always been their inability to brown or crisp in the way that an oven does. Convection microwaves give you the best of both worlds the speed and convenience of a microwave, with the browning capability of a standard oven.
A microwave heats food by projection radio waves at a specific frequency that is absorbed by water, fats, and sugars and converted instantly into molecular motion, or heat. Other materials, like plastics, papers, and glass, are not affected by these waves, which allows food to be packaged specifically for heating in a microwave. The disadvantage is that, unlike in a conventional oven, the air in a microwave stays at room temperature and the food heats evenly, which means that the outside does not crisp up or brown. It merely gets hotter. This is why microwaves are generally best for re-heating rather than for cooking. In many cases this is not desirable.
A convection microwave, on the other hand, while able to function as a simple microwave, also heats the air around the food, which produces the browning or crisping action. This allows for crispy pizza crusts, browned meat, and so forth. They do not just heat up the food like a microwave, they actually cook it. Some also include quartz halogen bulbs that deliver enough infrared radiation to initiate caramelization on the surface of the food, producing a texture and taste much closer to that of food cooked in a conventional oven.
A convection microwave is a high-end kitchen appliance that cooks with the speed of a microwave, but gives the taste of a standard oven. Convection microwaves should be considered essential in well-stocked kitchens.
