Convection vs Solo Microwave: Which Should You Actually Buy?

This page compares solo, grill and convection microwaves from three brands, LG India, Samsung India and IFB, using their own product pages and owner’s manuals, all read 30 September 2026. Grill gets its own column because it sits between the other two. Every difference between figures below is our arithmetic. For how any microwave differs from a conventional oven, see difference between oven and microwave.

The short answer. A solo microwave heats with microwave energy only; LG says it does not brown or crisp food and offers no temperature control. A convection model adds a fan and a heating element and can bake. On the three same-brand sets in our table, the convection element is rated 1,950 to 2,200 W, while microwave mode sits no more than 300 W above the same brand’s solo model (our arithmetic).

• Choose solo if you mainly reheat, defrost and cook rice or pasta.
• Choose grill if you also want browning (Samsung names meat, vegetables and paneer) but not baking.
• Choose convection if you want cakes, bread or roasts, and accept the highest price band and the element’s rating.

Convection vs solo microwave, with grill: what each type can do

Sources: LG India’s FAQ “Which microwave type is right for you”, Samsung India’s microwave buying guide, the Samsung MC28A5013AK and MG23A3515AK manuals, the LG MC2846BG manual and IFB’s product pages. The descriptive rows are manufacturer copy, not test results.

LG sums it up in three lines: “Solo focuses on speed”, “Grill adds surface browning”, “Convection supports oven-style cooking”. Each of the three convection models in the table below also publishes a grill rating, so on these models convection covers the grill column too. Samsung’s manual adds that when microwave and convection run together, “No preheating is required as the microwave energy is immediately available.”

Convection vs solo microwave power draw: the same-brand table

Sources: each maker’s product page and, where named, its manual, read 30 September 2026. The LG MS2043DB and MC2846BG input figures come from their manuals.

What the table shows (our arithmetic).

• The element is the big number. The convection element is rated 1,950 W (LG MC2846BG), 2,100 W (Samsung MC28A5013AK) and 2,200 W (IFB 20SC2), about 1.8 to 2 times the same brand’s solo microwave input.
• Microwave mode is close. LG’s convection model is rated 1,350 W against its solo’s 1,050 W (300 W more); Samsung’s 1,400 W against 1,150 W (250 W more). IFB’s 20SC2 is rated 1,200 W, which is 50 W below its solo’s product-page figure or 100 W above its manual figure. The LG and Samsung convection models are also larger (28 L against 20 L and 23 L) with higher output.
• Samsung also publishes a maximum: 2,300 W for its grill model and 2,900 W for its convection model.

On these three sets, the higher draw sits in the convection element. In plain microwave mode, the gap is 300 W at most.

Two numbers per microwave. The 700, 800 or 900 W headline is microwave output; consumption is a separate, higher figure. IFB publishes two sets for the 20PM-MEC2: its product page lists 800 W output and 1,250 W consumption, and its manual lists 700 W and 1,100 W. Both are IFB documents, so check the rating label on the unit.

No energy label to compare. None of the microwave product pages or manuals we read carries a BEE star label or a kWh-per-year figure. Any electricity comparison can only be per mode, from rated watts, which are ratings, not measured use.

Honest downsides of each type

Solo. LG states that it “does not brown or crisp the surface and does not offer temperature control.”

Grill. “You cannot set the temperature of the grill,” say Samsung’s MG23A3515AK and MC28A5013AK manuals. LG: “Most grill models do not offer the same level of temperature control as a convection oven.” LG’s FAQ lists cakes, bread and baked dishes under convection, not grill. LG’s MH2044DB product page gives no microwave-mode input.

Convection. LG’s own FAQ says a convection microwave “does not fully replace a full-size oven in all cases. Capacity is typically smaller, and it may not be ideal for large-batch cooking or oversized dishes.” It has the highest element ratings in our table and the highest price band. The Samsung, LG and IFB convection manuals we read all describe preheating before convection cooking, and convection and combination modes restrict cookware (table below).

Price bands, as of 30 September 2026

Read on the makers’ own stores:

• Solo: ₹7,290 to ₹11,290 (four models; the top is LG’s 30 L MS3032BK)
• Grill: ₹8,650 to ₹10,490 (three models)
• Convection: ₹10,701 to ₹20,490 (six models)

The bottom of each band is a Samsung figure, and Samsung’s figures are promotional offer banners, not list prices; Samsung’s price service gave an error, so this page has no Samsung list price. The bands overlap: the lowest convection figure (Samsung’s offer banner) sits below the top solo figure (our reading). Prices move; treat these as dated.

Air fry is a model feature, not a convection feature

IFB’s 30BRC4, a 30 L convection model, lists an air-fry mode, and IFB’s copy says hot air and a fan “cooks and crisps for fried-like results with just a brush of oil. No need for a separate air-fryer.” That is IFB’s marketing claim. Samsung’s MC28A5013AK, also a convection model, lists “Air Fry” as “No” on its spec sheet. Samsung’s buying guide says some convection models “offer extras, such as air frying (called Slim Fry™ in Samsung models)”, so check the spec sheet for that exact line. For air fryers against microwaves, see air fryer vs microwave.

Which cookware works in which mode

Rows from IFB’s cookware selection guide (20SC2 manual):

Samsung’s MC28A5013AK manual agrees on the structure: for convection, “use only cookware that you would use in your normal oven”; for combined modes, “use only recipients that are microwave-safe and oven-proof.”

What we could not verify

• Panasonic. Its India product index and microwave pages gave us access errors, so no Panasonic figure appears here.
• Microwave-mode input for LG’s MH2044DB and 21 L MC2146BG. Not on their product pages; we did not read their manuals.
• Samsung list prices. Only offer banners.
• Electricity per year or per cook for any microwave. No BEE label or kWh figure in what we read.
• Which IFB figure is right for the 20PM-MEC2.

Where to Buy Two of the Models Named Above

Amazon India prices on 31 October 2026, rounded to the nearest ₹100 (prices change often). This section covers only the models listed; the other models named on this page are not in it. As an Amazon Associate, HomeVerdicts earns from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Choosing from scratch? See Best Microwave Oven in India (2026).