At a Glance:
Speed Oven Features You’ll Want
The Difference Between a Speed Oven vs. Steam Oven
In the spirit of our product spotlight, we’ll make this quick. What is a speed oven, and what are the advantages of using one? Let us get you up to speed on everything you need to know about this type of oven, including the pros, the cons, and three recommended models from the top brands on the market.
Discover the Best Speed Oven Deals
Get ready for a more efficient cooking experience by upgrading to a speed oven from Albert Lee.
Shop Speed OvensWhat Are Speed Ovens?
The truth can be hard to accept, but for many avid home cooks, graduating from the faithful microwave is inevitable. Don’t get us wrong — being able to zap a quick meal in minutes is extremely convenient, and a microwave is still a great tool recommended for casual cooks. But at the cost of poorly cooked food (remember that burrito you bit into that was frozen?), many standard microwaves simply aren’t up to speed with the needs of advanced cooks.
But take the perks of a convection oven and fuse them with a built-in microwave, and you get a speed oven, a multifunctional cooking zone. Depending on the brand and model, these appliances are capable of even more functions than microwaving, including convection baking, broiling, steaming, and even roasting.
Speed ovens are available in 24-inch, 27-inch, and 30-inch oven widths, but they vary from their full-size counterparts when it comes to height. As always, it’s a good idea to measure your kitchen space to determine if a speed oven is a good fit.
What Are the Benefits of a Speed Oven?
If your motive for upgrading to a built-in microwave is to gain countertop space, you can add speed ovens to your list of considerations. The compact design of a speed oven won’t take up a lot of vertical cabinet space, plus the following speed oven advantages give the addition more function than a built-in microwave oven, which means more bang for your buck.
✅ Fast preheating
✅ Quicker cooking than a microwave, even when foods are frozen
✅ Better food results (not leathery or dry)
✅ Metal cookware is OK (when using the convection mode)
✅ Speed ovens are a handy sidekick to your main oven
What Are the Disadvantages of a Speed Oven?
There are a few drawbacks to speed ovens, including:
❌They cost more than a microwave
❌ Speed ovens aren’t the same size as a full-size oven
❌ You can’t use the oven and microwave together
Recommended Speed Oven Buyers
If your kitchen checklist checks off the following boxes, it might be a sign you’re ready to upgrade to a speed oven.
First, make sure you prepare for the cost of a speed oven. Speed ovens from our catalog start at $1,250, but models from affordable luxury brands like Café can value up to $3,443. Have some extra spending money? Splurge on a premium speed oven from high-end brands like Wolf for some of the best oven cooking performances in their class.
Speed ovens are also popular in designer kitchens. They have small profiles that don’t take up a lot of cabinet space but offer multiple cooking methods from a single cooking zone. That’s also why speed ovens are also recommended for busy kitchens, especially ones with limited space that would like a second oven option but don’t have room for a full-size unit.
Top Speed Oven Reviews
Three premium brands — Wolf, Miele, and Monogram — deliver some of the best speed ovens currently available. See what our appliance experts have to say!
Wolf Speed Oven Review: Wolf® E Series Transitional 24" Stainless Steel Electric Speed Oven (SPO24TE/S/TH)
As a leading name in luxury appliances, you can expect a lot from this Wolf 24-inch speed oven. We appreciate its signature Transitional series design, including a sleek drop-down door for easier access to items inside that also doubles as a holding zone to place larger platters before loading. At 900 watts of power, this speed oven is the lowest performer in terms of microwaving, but you still get the functionality of convection baking and broiling, which are a big plus. But when it comes to durability, no other speed oven on this list outperforms this Wolf speed oven that’s engineered to work for a minimum of 20 years.
Features:
- 900-watt microwave
- 3-in-1 appliance (convection, microwave, broil)
- 10 microwave levels
- Micro Bake/Micro Roast
- Designed to last at least 20 years
Miele 30" Clean Touch Steel Electric Speed Oven
For the most microwave power, this Miele speed oven is our top recommendation. Combine its high output along complementary operating modes to cut up to 30 percent of cooking time and adjust as you go with a simple Minute Plus selection for extended cooking at the press of a button. At the cost of fewer cooking modes (nine versus 10 on our Wolf suggestion), this Miele microwave oven with convection is still a multipurpose powerhouse with one of the more modern presentations in our roundup.
Features:
- 1,000 watt power
- 9 cooking modes
- PerfectClean interior with a linen finish
- Rapid preheat technology
Monogram Speed Oven Review: Monogram Statement 30" Stainless Steel Electric Built In Wall Oven and Microwave with Advantium® Speedcook Technology (ZSB9132NSS)
At 30 inches, this Monogram Advantium Speedcook oven is the closest thing to a full-size oven and has the most cooking capacity of our three recommended models with 1.7 cubic feet of volume. You also get more ways to prepare foods with a total of five cooking methods, including convection, proofing, and microwaving. Add that to a steam-cleaning setting, Wi-Fi controls, and over 175 cooking settings for popular foods selection, plus up to 30 built-in recipes, and you have the reason why this top-rated speed oven is recommended by nearly 9/10 buyers.
Features:
- 975-watt microwave power
- 5-in-1 oven with Advantium Technology
- Convection baking
- Speedcook technology
- 175+ pre-programmed cooking selections
- Steam clean setting
- Wi-Fi compatible
⭐Featured Monogram ZSB9132NSSReview:
“We were told at one point that this microwave combo could easily replace oven, stoves, and other toaster ovens combined. At first, we thought that was a rather aggressive claim until we started using it! This is nothing sort of remarkable! ”
Speed Oven Features You’ll Want
We’re willing to bet you enjoy cooking with the latest gadgets. Fortunately, speed ovens are loaded with nifty functions and features, so we decided to compare them. In the end, the following features proved to be handy add-ons that give speed ovens even more value.
➕Cooking Modes
The biggest benefit of having a speed oven in your kitchen is convection baking. This is what the pros use, and you might be familiar with it if you’ve ever enjoyed a crispy croissant or caramelized veggies from your favorite bakery or restaurant. But there’s room for more, including broil settings for indoor BBQ sessions and steam microwave modes for healthy side dishes on select models. Together with rapid preheat technology, speed ovens are a versatile cooking appliance that streamlines meal prep and allows you to explore uncharted culinary horizons.
➕Guided Cooking
You know how to use an oven, and you surely know how to use a microwave, but knowing when to use which setting on a speed convection oven isn’t always so clear. Experimentation is always part of the fun of getting familiar with new technology, but for nights when you want to pop in a meal, press a button, and have dinner ready in no time, guided cooking is a huge plus. This upgrade improves the user experience by guiding you on when to use the microwave mode versus the convection setting. Models with this feature typically come with a rolodex of pre-selected cook settings for popular foods. All you have to do is choose the appropriate entrée, press a button, and intelligent sensors cook items to the recommended doneness.
➕Self-Clean Setting
Dual duty inside a speed oven means twice the chance for messes to happen. Fortunately, many electric speed ovens offer a line of defense with specialty interiors that are easy to maintain, often with just the wipe of a towel and some water. Others, like our best Miele speed oven choice, even go as far as to use a textured surface, which makes upkeep all the simpler.
Speed Oven vs. Steam Oven
Home cooks are more conscious of what they eat than ever, and as a result, healthier cooking options have become a growing niche on the market. While currently marketed to buyers with bigger budgets, one of the biggest innovations to come out of the movement are steam ovens. So, what is a steam oven, and is it the same as a speed oven?
Not always, but sometimes, as is the case for luxury brands like Miele and Wolf, which both manufacture combination steam convection ovens that can use both functions simultaneously. But for most brands, a steam oven uses thermal heating (the kind used in traditional ovens), along with a water supply (either connected to a kitchen’s plumbing or from a reservoir user manually fill), so cooks can steam cook items like fish, vegetables, and even rice.
Most often, a speed oven will not feature a steam setting. Instead, standard cooking modes will be convection and microwaving, but they cannot be used in tandem like steam convection ovens.
Why Trust Us?
Since 1939, Albert Lee Appliance, a three-generation, family-owned business, continues to grow and serve the greater Pacific Northwest with quality you can count on and service you can trust. We are proud to have served this community for so long and wouldn’t be here without our loyal customers. There is a reason why we are Washington’s largest independent appliance dealer, and it’s not a secret. Simply put: We have the experience. We are the original appliance experts for over eight decades (and counting).
Shop Speed Ovens at Albert Lee Appliance
At Albert Lee Appliance, we provide quality name-brand appliances for great prices. Still wondering what is a speed oven? Get a better idea by shopping online to find out what a speed oven is or visit us today at one of our locations in the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, browse our website to shop Albert Lee appliance sales and check out Albert Lee appliance reviews online to ensure every purchase is an informed one. More available than ever, our experts at Albert Lee Appliance are always happy to help you get up to pace on speed ovens, whether you call us or use our online chat feature. Contact us today!
Learn More: An Exploration of Wall Ovens