The Combi Microwave Might Change the Way You Cook

It’s easy for someone like me to get caught up in new-kitchen-appliance hype because my line of work enables two of the most manic parts of my personality: a love of shopping and a love of cooking. Luckily, I’m also extremely skeptical of almost everything, or else I’d be broke and drowning in garbage appliances. So when the Combi Wave—Breville’s catchy name for a combined microwave and air fryer—crossed my path, I was intrigued.

So, what is this thing, and do we all need one in our kitchens? Here’s what I found out so that you can decide for yourself.

A sneak peek at the combi microwaves in this post:

What is a combi microwave?

At first I thought a Combi Wave was a type of steam-enabled combi oven, but it’s a bit different. "Combi Wave" is Breville’s term for a combined microwave and air fryer, also called a multioven microwave, or combi microwave. There are a few models out there at the moment, all seeming to claim that they do all of the things, which can be a little misleading. 

For example, Breville states that the Combi Wave is a three-in-one combination appliance: microwave, air fryer, and convection oven—but an air fryer is a convection oven (they can’t fool us). Similarly, the Toshiba Combo 8-in-1 (oh really) Countertop Microwave equates “broil” to “grill” in its description. Once again, it’s still just convection heating with a change in temperature and fan rate. Not the same as grilling burgers on, you know, a grill.

In other words, be aware that companies are stretching definitions a bit out here. Honestly, I don’t know why—a microwave that also air fries is a pretty damn cool concept on its own. That’s like making a flying car and saying, “Well it also glides and soars.” You had me at “flying car," you can stop there.

How do you use a combi wave?

I’d hazard a guess that a majority of folks interested in buying combi waves have grown up using microwaves, so there’s not much of a learning curve there. Operating the combi wave might feel new and yet familiar, especially since this gadget has the same size and look of a regular microwave. Luckily, combi waves come with many helpful presets. 

The Breville, for example, has presets that handle the heating power and time, so you don’t have to fuss too much. It has settings specific to melting chocolate and even softening butter. Click the “microwave” button and navigate the display for defrost, popcorn, or just set a time like any old microwave. Take care to use the correct glass rotating turntable that the combi wave came with, and don’t do anything you wouldn’t do with your average microwave (like heat crumpled up foil). 

Click the “air fryer” button (which might be called “convection,” or simply “oven”) to engage that system. Then, similarly to an air fryer you might have, the electric heating element will heat up the air and the fan will kick on to launch the hot winds around your food until crispy nuggets or perfectly baked cookies have been achieved. Again, take care to use appliance specific pans and appropriate dishware depending on your unit’s user guide.

Is a combi microwave worth buying?

Whether a combi wave is worth buying depends on your priorities, cooking style, and budget. Conceptually, I find a single appliance that microwaves and air fries to be very attractive indeed. If you use those two tools often, then combining them would make life easier and free up some much needed counter space (which is especially helpful for apartment dwellers like myself). However, the combi wave is still young, so unfortunately they’re rather pricey. Both the Panasonic Multioven Microwave and Breville Combi Wave hover at a steep $500, leaving the Toshiba Combo 8-in-1 and Toshiba 4-in-1 model as the “cheap” options at around $200. My guess is that we’ll all have them once they come down in price in a couple years. As for now, I’ll stick with my un-combied ‘wave.