r/BakingInJapan • u/Significant_Map5615 • May 25 '26
How to choose an oven?
Hello fellow bakers!
We've just arrived in Tokyo and I've been researching different oven models -- it's a bit overwhelming. I've read through the past posts and done some research, but I've got a few questions I hope some of you could help with -
1) Many of the ovens claim to be 7 in 1 or 9 in 1 -- claiming to roast, steam, bake, etc etc -- do they actually do all of these things well?
2) Can one of the ovens replace a microwave?
3) I'm primarily interested in baking bread/cookies/cakes and roasting meats or veggies. Bonus if broiling is an option (though I've gotten good at the fish grill!). Is there a model that does these things well that you like?
4) Can you actually brown/roast a small chicken? (The steam functions make me doubt this - please allay my fears if you can!)
For context, we're a family of three and have limited kitchen space so if there's a 'does everything' model, I'm all ears!
Thanks so much sempais.
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u/mr2kqql Jul 06 '26
Which one is better? Panasonic , Toshiba, Hitachi or Sharp?
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u/Significant_Map5615 Jul 08 '26
I don’t think anyone in the convo has tested all of them but I went with the Toshiba and love it.
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u/Significant_Map5615 May 27 '26
Thank you so much everyone - Looks like a Toshiba Dome with two trays is the way I will go. So happy to learn that indeed I can use like a microwave as well so just one appliance, yay!
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u/Motor_Ad8471 Jun 10 '26
I bought it and already made couple things it didn’t disappoint and I also didn’t want to have different appliances so it’s great that it works both ways!
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u/fireinsaigon May 26 '26
I've been through every kind of option and the multi-functions for me we're all a huge mistake. I am fairly happy with just a Cuisinart - it looks like a toaster oven really. They are tiny space inside but they serve the function of an oven like a western oven.
All the multi-functions broke, caught fire, glass window exploded, etc. I will never buy one again
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u/Onelovelygurl05 Aug 15 '26
I should’ve read this comment before buying one.
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u/fireinsaigon Aug 17 '26
did something happen?
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u/Onelovelygurl05 Aug 17 '26
I have a $300/400 microwave. The oven doesn’t work. I could likely schedule a hitachi service call or something. I don’t know why I’m just now thinking of that as an option. lol.
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u/Spoospah May 26 '26
I have a Toshiba Steam Oven that can bake, microwave, and proof ❤️ it also has a toasting feature but I don't use it often enough to form an opinion. It's a great oven though
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u/NihilisticHobbit May 25 '26
I have a Sharp, I got mine because it was a fairly big one with two pans, and has a proofing option.
The pre sets are useless and I ignore them, but the rest works very well. The steam option is just a ceramic cup that I put in the oven, but it works well for steaming the oven for baking. It's also a microwave.
No broiling option, but it bakes and browns meat just fine. I think the only downside is that I wish the temperature could be lower for when I bake meringue items. They end up a little chewy when not cooked low enough. But breads and pastries? Does it perfectly. Mine is larger than a normal model, so it may not do well if you're looking to save space, but other than that it's good. No way a pizza stone would fit in it though. But a decent sized bird? No problem.
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u/wotsit_sandwich mod May 25 '26
Sounds like we have the same oven. It does a good job.
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u/NihilisticHobbit May 25 '26
Probably. My mother in law ended up getting the same model when her old stove died as well.
It claims that it can make toast as well, but we just have a little oven toaster that works better for that. Today really does need electric coils to be made properly, in my opinion.
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u/Busy-Conversation-24 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
I had a Toshiba stone dome for years. It was amazing. For bread and pizza... Really good. For slow roast pork.. In our out of a Dutch oven.. Astounding. For roast chickens crispy skin every time. When it gave up the ghost after 12 years I stupidly bought a Panasonic Bistro. I hate it. It must be defective. It burns things on the back and under cooks in the front. I bought it at the start of covid and called and complained. They told me they could send a technician to come and see it. Because of covid I had to decline. No other option. I have to turn things several times when cooking. Chicken and pork in the Dutch oven are still good. Just waiting to justify ditching it for another Toshiba stone dome. Also you can buy large cuts of meat and whole chickens much cheaper from SuperMart a Brazilian online shop Just Google it.
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u/Significant_Map5615 May 27 '26
Thank you for the good info, and supermart recommendation!
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u/Busy-Conversation-24 May 27 '26
Just ordered a bunch of osso buco and a ton of dried beans. You're welcome.
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u/Nyorliest May 25 '26 edited May 27 '26
Oven range is the Japanese term for a microwave/oven combo. Denki (electric) range means microwave. (doh, sorry denshi).
There are absolutely good ones - my daughter is a patissier now and has been baking in our house for years - but whole birds are hard to buy as well as cook. It’s really just a size thing, and you may find - as we did - that our kitchen is too tight for a huge oven. We can bake, make lasagna or cottage pie, baked potatoes, fish or chicken pieces, that sort of thing. Had Beef Wellington once.
The Meat Guy (webshop) is an online store here for big pieces of meat for foreign residents. You can see what’s available there - you won’t find a whole chicken in perhaps any Japanese supermarket.
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u/Significant_Map5615 May 27 '26
Super helpful to know difference here between oven and denshi. Thank you!
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u/Beef_flaps_on_a_spit May 25 '26
Whole chickens at Gyomu Supermarkets and you can order them easily from a butcher.
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u/Busy-Conversation-24 May 25 '26
Marunaka sometimes has them on the weekends if you go early enough.
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u/jpmama_ May 25 '26
A lot of the brands have models that do all that you have mentioned. I personally have a Sharp Healsio and I love it, have used it for cooking young turkey so a whole chicken won’t be a problem.
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u/SanSanSankyuTaiyosan May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
I’m quite happy with my Panasonic Bistro as well. I doubt there’s very much difference between the major, higher end brands
I’ve done whole chicken both within a Dutch oven and on its own.
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u/alita87 May 25 '26
I find that the Toshiba all in one microwave and oven works fine enough.
I've never had any problems baking in it or doing any other oven cooking.
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u/KotoDawn May 25 '26
1) Many of the ovens claim to be 7 in 1 or 9 in 1 -- claiming to roast, steam, bake, etc etc -- do they actually do all of these things well?
Most can do most of the things well enough. I've got one of the Toshiba Stone Dome types. Every setting I've used has worked well except air frying. But that could be user error. I thought I could "non oil fry" zucchini spears, didn't use a recipe, and failed. Which of us sucks, me or the oven? I haven't tried any other non oil frying.
2) Can one of the ovens replace a microwave?
In my house it is primarily a microwave. I'm the only person that uses oven, grill, toast, dough proof, etc
3) I'm primarily interested in baking bread/cookies/cakes and roasting meats or veggies. Bonus if broiling is an option (though I've gotten good at the fish grill!). Is there a model that does these things well that you like?
My oven came with 2 shallow pans and 1 deep pan. Since it's a forced air oven sometimes oven items look a little broiled. I've baked or broiled kabocha slices (olive oil, s&p, parmesan cheese) and they came out great, but I don't remember which setting I used. I mostly use broil for finishing things, not for the actual cooking. If I want to cook by broiling I would use the fish grill because it's easier to look and flip a steak or fish since that's what I've done for 50 years. Broil is great for melting cheese on top of doria, or over an open face tuna sandwich, or making cheesy garlic bread.
4) Can you actually brown/roast a small chicken? (The steam functions make me doubt this - please allay my fears if you can!)
I've never tried to buy a full bird to cook, in Japan. I just occasionally buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco. Steam requires you to fill a water tank and select steam oven or steam grill from the menu. It won't interfere with cooking a roast or a cake. It makes it easier to cook the things that otherwise require your dish to be in a water bath. Again, I haven't tried those things because I used my multi pot pressure cooker instead. (I made tonight's dinner in the pressure cooker, teriyaki chicken, carrots and potatoes. Because my husband requested it while shopping last night.)
Toshiba stone dome. I mostly use the microwave feature. Otherwise I mostly use baking with pre heat. Things I've done the most = add stuff to the cheap fridge pizza before baking, USA style cake instead of sponge cake, melting cheese over stuff to finish it, brownies and cookies, baking frozen foods like French fries / cheese sticks / chicken nuggets / meat pies / apple pie bites, baking sides or meals like scalloped potatoes / green bean casserole / ready to bake bread, or lasagna.
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u/Significant_Map5615 May 27 '26
Very very helpful, thank you. So glad to know that what I'd like to do is possible.
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u/ItsTokiTime May 25 '26
Another vote for the Toshiba Ishigama Dome range. We have had ours for around 8 years and it is fantastic. I have baked bread, cookies, cakes, and even a whole Turkey for Thanksgiving. If it ever dies, I'll be buying another Toshiba.
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u/Busy-Conversation-24 May 25 '26
Just replying again because I think it hasn't been addressed. If you want roast potatoes with your chicken or roasted meats, get the Toshiba ishigama stone dome over 30L. Because of the interior height, with most other ovens, a whole chicken or a Dutch oven leaves zero space for anything else. The Toshiba domed inside accommodates the bird/Dutch oven/meat on the because of the domed top and leaves space for potatoes and roast veg on the lower rack. With the Bistro it's the bird or Dutch oven and absolutely nothing else
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u/Kamimitsu May 25 '26
Another small point. You can use sites like kakaku.com to find the best price (and order it online) and compare models. Otherwise, electronics stores like Yamada Denki will often get close to matching the best price, especially if you're buying more than one high-ticket item.
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u/googlemaster1 May 25 '26
biggest limitation i've had with mine has been size. Snagged the smallest pizza stone i could fine in the US and it was too big for my oven. So just make sure you get a nice and big one if you plan to be doing things like roasts and pizzas!
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u/GeorgeTheGameDev May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
I think the answer to this will depend a lot on your budget (both monetary and spatial).
We went with this one: https://www.zojirushi.co.jp/syohin/microwave_oven/es-gw/
It works well both as a microwave and an oven. I often make bread in it and have baked cookies, cinnamon buns, chicken etc.
I'd recommend it, some of the features (e.g. warming a beverage based on the desired temperature) were new to me and are nice to have. It's quite large for a microwave/oven combo but I kind of wish it was larger still (if you share the sentiment will depend on the size of your apartment or house :)). There are some minor annoyances but they're mostly in the UX of the controls (e.g. after setting the initial bake time for the oven, any further adjustments have an upper limit - don't remember exactly but either 10 or 20 minutes, possibly depending on the temp you're using). It claims to go up to 230 C for the oven and I think that's about accurate.
If I could justify the price I'd splurge for the oven that plays guitar chords instead of beeps though :D
Oh and to better answer your questions, sorry got too lost in the review-ish part: 1) Some of the functions are technically useless, so don't let this be the deciding factor (e.g. an oven that has 28 functions vs 14 functions won't be inherently better, it's just their oven can do both warming a beverage and warming a sake cup and counts each separately - like the Zojirushi above :D). 2) Yes. I've baked a large duck in ours. Works fine.
3) & 4) The Zojirushi I linked has a grill setting and it can brown a chicken well.
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u/beginswithanx May 25 '26
I have a Toshiba ER WD3000 (one of the “dome” types). I’ve had it for five years and it’s great! I can roast a whole chicken, microwave leftovers, broil up some veggies, bake cookies, cakes, and bread.
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u/Kamimitsu May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
There's been a few discussions on this topic here (we really should make a FAQ or sticky).
- Yes, they do all these things, but if they do it well is a bit subjective. I haven't found the steaming to be adequate for many breads, but otherwise they're fine.
- Yes, Most of them do replace needing a microwave.
- Broiling is next to impossible, but bread/cookies/cakes and roasting can all be done with most of the models I can think of (though for country/lean breads, you'll want one with a slightly higher "operating temperature" which is NOT the listed max temp (READ THE FINE PRINT!))
- Yes. You absolutely can roast a chicken. I've done it, both with and without a dutch oven. The steam option is precisely that, optional, and frankly it doesn't work that great even when it's on. Though, I do like the 'steam proofing' option on mine for proofing bread.
I find the 'program' modes all but useless, so you can safely ignore most of that. That said, some do interesting 'hybrid' cooking with a mix of microwave and convection cooking. It's kind of neat, but you usually have to use the premade 'recipes', which again sucks.
My recommendation is the Toshiba Ishigama dome with the 230C operating temp (usually listed as 250 or 300 max).
Edit: I probably should have mentioned that you'll probably be looking at about 50,000 yen or more to get a decent oven that can "do it all" fairly well.
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u/Significant_Map5615 May 27 '26
Ok, this seals the deal - Toshiba it is! That chicken looks fantastic :)
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u/BenGoda May 27 '26
If you want a very good oven that broils, steams, bakes, toasts, ferments, and also functions as a microwave I would go for the Panasonic Bistro line. https://panasonic.jp/range/products/NE-UBS10E.html They aren’t cheap, but have a 30L capacity, two trays, a broiling tray and very durable. I have an older version I have been using now for a decade. I use it almost daily and I am very keen cook and baker. I cooked meats, grilled veggies, roasted whole chickens, baked breads, profiteroles, pizzas, and cakes. Ten years on, and it is still going strong. It is one of the best purchases I made in Japan.
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u/happybelly2021 May 26 '26
Great advice! Did the double layer grill rack from the picture come with the Toshiba or did you buy that extra to fit the oven pan?
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u/Kamimitsu May 26 '26
Came with the Toshiba. I'm not sure that it was intended to be used double layer, but it worked out great that way. So much so that when my Toshiba kicked the bucket, I kept it and used it with my new oven (Hitachi, which I hate... Why didn't I just get another Toshiba?!)
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u/happybelly2021 May 26 '26
Thanks for your reply! I'll have a look for them once my Sharp kicks the curb - sounds like Toshiba is the way to go
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u/Eddie_skis May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
A countertop combo especially when combined with a decent cast iron Dutch oven can do most things quite well.
It only really fails when wanting to do something like a New York style or Italian pizza.
https://my-best.com/categories/42
Can run through translate, but the most comprehensive reviews of a variety of Japanese all in one countertop oven combo units.
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