How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 10 min read · Independent comparison
• TOSHIBA Inverter Countertop Microwave — best for replacing two countertop appliances at once; pick this if you want inverter evenness, a 425°F convection/air-fry mode and 27 cooking programs in one unit.
• Galanz GTWHG12S1SA10 — best for bigger families who want sensor-cooking convenience; pick this if you need 1.2 cu. ft. of room plus automatic sensor reheat that stops when food is ready.
• Commercial CHEF 5-in-1 — best for compact kitchens that still want high-heat air frying; pick this if you're working with tight counterspace and want air frying up to 450°F with presets and a child lock.
• Megachef Multipurpose Halogen Oven — best for roasting and BBQ-style cooking without a microwave; pick this if you want a large 13-quart glass bowl that broils, steams and grills with no preheat.
• West Bend 3-in-1 — best for feeding a crowd on a budget-minded countertop; pick this if you want the largest capacity here at 1.3 cu. ft. with dishwasher-safe air fry and roasting pans.
This is the pick I'd make if someone told me they could only keep one machine. Toshiba's MASTER Series unit is a 6-in-1: microwave, air fryer, convection oven, broiler, defroster and a "Speedy Combi" mode that blends microwave, convection and grill. That last one is the interesting part. It's the feature that actually answers the air fryer vs microwave question, because it does both jobs at the same time rather than making you choose.
What that means in daily use: a frozen burrito or a plate of leftovers gets the fast, even hit of inverter microwave heat, while a tray of chicken nuggets or fries goes in on the convection setting with the bake tray and wire racks and comes out crisp without added oil. Toshiba's inverter system distributes heat evenly in the cavity instead of pulsing on and off, which is why defrosting comes out tender rather than half-cooked at the edges. The 360° heat circulation is what does the frying job. Convection runs up to 425°F at 1800W, and the grill element runs at 1000W.
The program count is the quiet selling point. Eleven auto menus, ten air fry menus and six defrost presets mean you don't have to guess at times and temperatures. There's also a cookbook with 27 recipes included. If you're the kind of cook who wants guidance rather than a blank dial, this is set up for you.
Two things I'd flag honestly. First, the capacity is 0.9 cu. ft. with an 11.3-inch turntable — that's a small-to-mid interior, fine for a couple or a small family, tight for four adults eating at once. Second, Toshiba notes that for custom timing and temperature you should use convection mode, since that's the setting that functions as the air fryer. That's a small learning curve, not a flaw, but it's worth knowing before you start.
At 28.7 pounds it's also the lightest of the three combo ovens here, which matters if you're lifting it onto a shelf.
Galanz GTWHG12S1SA10
Galanz calls this the ToastWave, and the name tells you the philosophy: one box that toasts, bakes, broils, air fries and microwaves. It's a 4-in-1 with a 1.2 cu. ft. capacity and 1000W microwave power. That's meaningfully more interior room than the Toshiba or the Commercial CHEF, which is the main reason I'd point a family of four toward it.
Heating is handled by what Galanz calls TotalFry 360: heated air circulates while the food spins on the turntable, so there are no hot spots and the cooking is more even. It also uses patented inverter technology, which creates continuous heat rather than the pulse-on, pulse-off cycle of a traditional microwave. In practice, that means gentler reheating and better defrosting. You can broil and bake directly too — fish, chicken, fresh baked goods.
The trade-offs are real. It's the heaviest unit in this group at 40.2 pounds, so it's a two-hand lift and it wants a solid counter. It's also the widest here at 21 inches across and 21 inches deep, which is a genuine commitment on a small kitchen counter. And with 11 power levels and four main cooking modes, the interface asks a bit more of you than a simple preset machine.
For someone who wants one appliance to genuinely cover microwave duty and air fryer duty at family scale, I think this is the most capable all-rounder of the combo ovens.
This one exists for people with limited counter space who still want real air frying. It's a 0.9 cu. ft. microwave that also runs as an air fryer, convection oven, and bake/roast oven — five functions in a body that measures 19 inches wide, 16.8 inches deep and 11.1 inches high. That's the most compact footprint among the three combo ovens here.
The number that stands out is the air fry temperature: up to 450°F. That's the highest air-fry ceiling in this group, above the Toshiba's 425°F convection limit. Higher heat means faster crisping and better browning on things like wings, fries and nuggets. If crispy results are the whole reason you're shopping for an air fryer, that spec should get your attention.
Microwave power is 900W across 10 power levels, with convection running at 1450W. The interior is stainless steel, which wipes down easily and doesn't stain the way coated cavities can. The exterior is black, so it disappears into a dark kitchen rather than standing out.
Presets cover the everyday stuff: popcorn, potato, beverage, reheat and frozen dinner. There's also a pull-handle door with a two-step child lock, which I'd genuinely value in a house with small kids. The air fry kit and baking pan are included, and both sit on top of the 10.6-inch turntable.
The trade-off is straightforward: 0.9 cu. ft. is modest, and 900W of microwave power is the lowest of the three combos here, so reheating takes slightly longer than the 1000W options. At 34 pounds it's mid-pack for weight. If your priority is a small footprint with aggressive air frying rather than maximum interior room, this is my recommendation.
This is the odd one out, and that's the point. There's no microwave function here at all. The Megachef is a halogen oven: a 13-quart glass bowl with a halogen element and a built-in fan in the lid. It defrosts, broils, roasts, bakes, steams, grills and BBQs, with a maximum temperature setting of 400°F and touch controls.
Why would anyone choose a no-microwave appliance in a comparison about air fryers versus microwaves? Because if your actual question is "how do I cook crispy food without a microwave," this is a legitimate answer. The built-in fan circulates air at high temperature, which is the same principle an air fryer uses. The 13-quart capacity is dramatically larger than any of the combo ovens — big enough for a whole chicken, a rack of ribs, a tray of shrimp, or a serious batch of fries. That's a different class of cooking space.
The claim that matters most to me is that you don't need to preheat and you don't need to defrost frozen meat first. If that holds in practice, it's a real convenience win for weeknight cooking — straight from freezer to bowl. The glass bowl is also transparent, so you can watch browning without opening anything.
The honest downsides: the bowl is glass with a plastic outer housing, and it's hand wash only, which is more work than a stainless cavity you can wipe out. It's not a microwave, so reheating leftovers is a different, slower process. And it uses touch controls with a programmable feature set, but there's no turntable-style convenience here. Also, at 14.25 inches deep and 14 inches wide, it's compact for what it holds, but the bowl shape is a different countertop footprint than a boxy oven.
In my opinion, this is the pick for the roast-and-grill cook — someone who wants big-batch crispy food and doesn't care about microwave speed.
West Bend's take is the most straightforward of the group: air fryer, convection oven and microwave, 1000W of power, 10 power levels, 12 presets. The headline spec is capacity — 1.3 cu. ft., the largest here. That's a genuinely family-sized interior, and it's the reason I'd shortlist this for households feeding three or four people at dinner.
The 3-in-1 framing is easy to understand. Air fry mode handles onion rings, fries, chicken nuggets and wings. Oven mode bakes cookies or brownies. Roast mode does meats and potatoes. The one-touch programs cover popcorn, reheat, beverage, potato and frozen dinner, which is the practical shortlist of what most people actually make in a countertop oven.
Two details I like: the air fry and roasting pans are included and dishwasher safe, which is more convenient than hand-washing accessories, and the unit ships with a microwave rack for stacking. At 1000W with 10 power levels, microwave performance matches the Galanz and beats the Commercial CHEF on raw power.
The main trade-off is size. It measures 21.3 inches wide, 18.5 inches deep and 11.8 inches high — the widest unit in this guide. That's the physical price of a 1.3 cu. ft. cavity, and on a short counter it may be the deciding factor against it. The preset count is also the lowest of the group at five cooking programs, so if you want a deep menu of automatic settings, the Toshiba or Galanz give you more.
For a household that wants maximum interior room and simple, well-labeled cooking modes, this is a sensible, unfussy choice.
We compared published specifications and feature sets — capacity, wattage, power levels, cooking modes, temperature ceilings, presets, interior materials, dimensions and included accessories — and weighed them against realistic kitchen use cases. The ranking above is our independent editorial opinion; no brand paid for placement or reviewed this page before publication. Where a product has a clear limitation, we said so.
how to reheat burger air fryer or microwave
Both work, but they give different results. A microwave reheats a burger fast and keeps it soft, though the bun can go steamy. An air fryer or convection mode reheats it with circulating hot air, which keeps the outside of the patty and bun drier and crisper — the combo units here (Toshiba, Commercial CHEF, West Bend, Galanz) let you pick either mode in one appliance.
how to air fry microwave popcorn
You don't. Popcorn in these units is a microwave preset, not an air-fry job — the Commercial CHEF, West Bend and Toshiba all list popcorn as a microwave program. Air frying loose kernels in a basket won't pop them the way microwave heating does, so use the popcorn preset on microwave mode instead.
how to air fry microwave burritos
Use microwave mode first to heat the filling through, then switch to air fry or convection mode for a minute or two to crisp the tortilla. On the Toshiba, note that custom timing and temperature use convection mode, which functions as the air fryer. On the Commercial CHEF you can air fry up to 450°F for a faster crisp.
how to air fry microwave pizza
Reheat cold slices on microwave mode, then finish on air fry or convection to bring back a crisp crust. The Megachef halogen oven, with its 13-quart bowl and 400°F max, is well suited to finishing a whole pizza or several slices at once — though it has no microwave function, so the initial reheat happens elsewhere.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: AODPWEN 2 vs Onader Air Fryer Basket, HEISENLIN Air Fryer Replacement vs AKS Magnets Air Fryer Cheat, RAMLLY Air Fryer Replacement vs HEISENLIN Air Fryer Replacement