Whirlpool Velos Speedcook Oven Review

(pork grilling under the quartz and halogen bulbs...one uses infrared I think and doesn't produce visible light)

There are a handful of microwave ovens on the market that can not only microwave but conventionally bake. The Whirlpool Velos Speedcook Oven is one of them and happens to be a recent addition to my home. I cannot speak to the other advanced models out there but hope to offer a useful review for those in the Whirlpool market.

Specs:
The Velos is a 2 cubic foot microwave/oven that can cook a 15" frozen pizza without touching the sides! It might do a 16" pizza but may drag a bit as it turns. It has a touch screen and touch pad on the front, the G2Max Speedcook technology, 1200 Watts of microwave cooking power, 1500 Watts of grilling and convection power, and sensor cooking options. You read that correctly...grilling and convection. This unit has a heating element with fan as well as quartz and halogen bulbs for grilling. The Speedcook technology means that the bulbs and/or microwave and/or heating element work together to correctly and quickly grill/bake/cook your food. Also has TruCapture ventilation which has four fan speeds and can push up to 350 (I think) CFM of air. The lights below the unit have three settings as well as a nightlight feature. I think the nightlight feature is simple a single button push to go straight to the "low" setting. This unit also utilizes 3 true stages of microwave power. Most microwaves have two power settings: 100% on/100% off. Different power settings are simulated by increasing the delay between the off cycles. This unit actually has a three true power settings.

Accessories (yes, the unit comes with accessories):
The Velos comes with a few very handy accessories, all required to fully utilize the cooking options this unit provides. There is a short metal rack used for convection baking, a tall broiler rack for grilling, and a non-stick platter for baking cookies, brownies, or used to catch grease when grilling. Also included is a handy little grabber tool to lift the platter out of the microwave safely, and a Rubbermaid steaming tray, which is straightforward, yet very effective.


Installation:
The Velos is quite a large unit and is fairly heavy as well. I won't include the dimensions, but you can go to the whirlpool.com site or click the title above for the link. Installation is not for the light hearted. I chose to install mine with a vent behind the unit exhausting to the outside. It is also in the corner of the kitchen which gave us some room to lift the unit into place. It requires the typical installation (not my first microwave to install) of mounting a metal harness to the back wall with multiple screws. I strongly recommend finding multiple studs to mount this to or add VERY strong molybolts. You then drill two holes above the unit for the hanging screws and one for the cord. You lift the unit up and hang the back, botton corner onto the metal harness. Simply looking like this " |< " The unit should be at a 45 degree angle hanging from the wall. You should be able to see the front AND top of the unit. You then rotate the unit up slowly, while feeding the power cord up through it's hole, and then secure the two top bolts to complete the "hanging" of the unit. BTW, I took this for granted but it is necessary to do - make sure the front 3-4" of the unit protrude out from your cabinetry as the directions state. The two vents on the right and left are necessary for rotating air during the microwaving process.

Usage:
The touch screen/LCD is VERY simple to use and as the delivery man told us, "your neighbor will be able to read the time from their house". It is bright...but can be dimmed after two minutes. It defaults to showing a clock when not in use. There are options for "cook method", "food type", "favorites", "time/temp/power", "kids menu", and "settings". For example, if I push food type - vegetable - fresh vegetable - potato/sweet potato it will tell me to wrap my potato in a paper towel, poke it with a fork, and push start. The unit then senses how many potatoes there (which magic or something) and cooks until done. And I mean done. Perfectly. Takes about 12 minutes for two potatoes. I have never used the "kids menu" and cannot vouch for that option. I only use time/temp/power when heating a cup of water for tea or reheating something for a short period of time. The sensing option is very effective and has spoiled me. The reheat option is also very effective for full dinner plates.

I have cooked tuna steak, beef steak, salmon fillets, steamed all sorts of vegetables; baked bread, brownies, rolls; poached eggs; the list goes on and on. The steaming tray is probably used the most in our house since it is easy to use, quick to cook, and easy to clean. You can even stage cooking to cycle through various power cycles for different amounts of time to cook the perfect dish. Typically most cycles ask for a "keep warm" option when complete; letting you maintain a warm temperature until you are ready to eat.

Pros (in no particular order):

1. Comes in four color options, including stainless.
2. The ventilation system works very well as a vent hood and the light is also very effective for cooking over the stove or as a room light.
3. The unit has a non-stick surface on the interior which helps minimize clean up. The convection option helpfully bakes off any splatters the microwaving may have created.
4. Cooks 97% of all food perfectly when using the sensing function.
5. Easily acts as a smaller second oven for kitchens that do not have room for two full sized ovens. Bakes bread like a champ.
6. Cooks salmon almost better than I can on the grill.
7. Accessories are very useful.
   

Cons (in no particular order):

1. VERY PRICEY. Lists at $899 and $999 for all stainless.
2. Take almost 12 minutes to heat to 350 degrees for convection cooking. Not recommended for a straight one-to-one replacement of a toaster oven. Requires a 7 minute cool down period when the baking is complete and runs the fan during that time.
3. The "boost" fan speed is fairly loud (although I have always been sensitive to loud vent hood fans...probably just me).
4. The grilling process cooks beef just a little too long. It successfully cooks beef steaks "well". I cannot blame Whirlpool since they don't want someone getting sick on undercooked meat. I just prefer mine cooked medium and stop the unit a bit early.
5. The convection baking doesn't reduce cooking times like full size convection ovens.
6. Challenging to install.
7. Large and protrudes from cabinetry.
8. Comes with a lot of accessories you have to find space to store....although I guess you could just put them in the microwave to store.
9. When you are baking or grilling, the food can be fairly high from the ground. Mount as low as you possibly can to make it easier on the shorter family members to work with.
10. Will not toast bread...at least I haven't found out how yet.
    

I really do love this oven. It compliments my full size oven very well and performed best one time we had many friends over for a pot luck dinner. It ran for three hours cooking, heating, re-heating while the full sized oven was doing the same. It originally was to be a replacement for our toaster oven, because we used that to cook most of our meals, but doesn't offer the quick heat, bake, and eat cycle we were used to. The sensing function does take care of most of our cooking since it cooks food almost perfectly. Maybe I am just having a tough time accepting that fact that my microwave is now preparing most of my food for me.

All in all hope this review was helpful. Comment or ask questions as necessary.