How does a convection oven compare to a microwave as far as speed is concerned?

Question

I work at a cafe that uses a microwave to thaw foods. Is there a substitute for the microwave (the convection oven)

Answer 1

They actually make microwaves with convection oven technology installed inside. The convection elements help the food to cook more quickly and efficiently. Plus, the microwave can be used to do the same functions as an oven if you select "convection oven" on the controls. I know someone who has cooked an entire meal - with oven required recipies - out of their convection oven, and it came out great!

Answer 2

You could do a simple test and try to boil water in a container in both the microwave and convection oven (use the same container, one that won't break in either oven) to see how fast it goes. However, a standard convection oven would have to be larger than the microwave to heat quickly, since the larger oven would have greater area for more gas burners or more resistive heating elements.

Unless the convection oven is a forced convection oven (has some kind of blower fan) or is optimally designed for very good circulation, I would consider the microwave to work faster. Microwaves work by exciting molecules (mainly the water molecules) in substances, which is why they work best with wet items and therefore frozen items.

There are also convection microwave ovens, although I think they are more specialized and expensive.