Replacing a Combination oven

[Clunkclick]

My current Panasonic combination oven  (About 6 years old) has just packed it in. No lights on the front panel, no nothing.

 

And course, this has conveniently sequenced itself to the time period when I have no main oven in the kitchen. That expired and went up the dump last week and I was planning to get a gas fitter in this week to move the gas hob pipe  so that I could fit in a new electric oven. That will have to be put on hold.

 

I've just had the lid-off the combimation oven, done a quick disassemble and assessed the feasibility for repair. The case  and internals in good condition, including the wiring and connectors, although there's a bit of dust and dirt round the main ventilation fan area, but the vent holes are substantially clear and the fan goes OK.

 

However, the 10 amp HV fuse is blown, the light is blown, the stirer belt is in need of replacement and there's a question mark over the door switches. But more importantly, the magnetron's top magnet is broken in two places  and the Fluke shows continuity between its power connections and the case i.e. a short. The oven had been making a buzzing noise for some time as well as  the microwave occasionally refusing to heat anything and testing it in full power draw yesterday i.e. oven tubes @ 220F and microwave on medium, finally did for it. Further, the ceramic holder for one of the oven tubes is broken and loose in its mounting. So, totting up parts cost for that little lot could come to over £100 if the tubes and holders are replaced and I can't find the latter on the web.

 

So it looks like I'm into a new one.

 

I just wanted to guage opinion as to which way to go now.

 

It seems that magnetrons don't like the heat of combination oven and that this is perhaps what caused the magnetron magnet to crack after such a short time - Is it generally the case that the microwave in a combination oven would give up the ghost so early or have I just been unlucky ? The magnetron in an earlier cheapo microwave  was still going strong at 17 years when it was scrapped because the chassis rusted through !

 

I doubt if the resilence of magnetrons in combination ovens has improved much in the last 6 years, so, 

I was thinking of perhaps just getting a stand alone microwave and a separate roaster oven. That said the latest equivalent panasonic combination oven, with a flat bed design, looks well designed  and would occupy less space and probably be about the same money as  a standalone microwave and separate roaster oven.

 

Or is there a third way ?

 

Any ideas.

 

 

Nick

 

 

[KenONeill]

I don't know how much use they get/got comparatively speaking, but my Mum's Panasonic combi is about twice the age of yours.

[Clunkclick]

Bit the bullet and bought a Panasonic Combination oven, flatbed, no turntable and a separate Sage mini oven/roaster. Paid a bit more for these models, but it seems you get what you pay for. A real step-up in quality over the previous items. And, with a bit of re-arrangement of the appliances in the Kitchen (Desktop freezer slotted into the old built-in Oven cavity very nicely) all now seems to be working well. 

 

With the mini oven being on-tap, at least I won't have to do all the  visible radiant cooking in the Panasonic Combination oven - hopefully that will extend its life. Also, both the new devices have higher specified maximum cooking tempertures (240-250C), so that I can turn back the heat setting back and still get a meal cooked in a timely way.

 

Also got myself some microwave fit steam cooking vessels, so that I can prepare meals more quickly and have a more varied and healthier diet - better than all the roasting, braising, grilling and frying I've been doing. 

 

Nick

 

 

[VWD]

I take it that this is a combination microwave oven? First thing to look out for with these is to get a microwave with a stainless interior, as what happens with the enamelled ones is that steam builds up in side and blisters the enamel , causing sparkle in the oven on the bare metal .

We've had this on last few microwave ovens, so few years ago we went for  LG stainless combination one ,and apart from the glass plate not liking a non microwave function ( so now on conventional cooking/grilling  we take it out) , and rotary time control being a bit iffy , we've had no problems. Bit pricier than your average microwave oven, but then , you get what you pay for.

But then ours mostly get used for microwave functions, and again , tip is to leave door open for a few minutes after use to let steam get out, as STEAM is the killer of enamelled microwaves.

[KenONeill]

Good point; for whatever reason we've always left the door open to allow the microwave to cool inside.

[VWD]

no real need with stainless ones, Ken, but I've got the habit and still leave the door pen for minutes after.