15 NuWave Oven Pros and Cons

The NuWave Oven is a multipurpose kitchen countertop appliance that provides cooking options which are similar to a microwave or traditional stove. As Lisa Kaplan Gordon describes the product for AOL, “My wall oven doesn’t take a 13-pound turkey from freezer to serving platter in less than 5 hours: the portable NuWave does.”

There are some unique benefits available to consumers who invest in this product. It will crisp up the crust of leftover pizza in ways that a microwave never could. You can hard-boil eggs with this product in 4-minutes.

Kaplan even tried cooking a frozen 5-pound rib roast using the NuWave Oven, creating a medium-rare result in under two hours. It delivers in many ways.

There are also some issues to consider when looking at this product. The NuWave Oven doesn’t cut cooking times on all foods, like bacon. It comes with a cooking guide which requires personal experimentation to get accurate results. Then there’s the fact that the plastic dome on the product is made from plastic (glass would be better), so it likes to crack.

Here are some more of the NuWave Oven pros and cons to take a look at if you’re thinking about purchasing this product or giving it as a gift this year.

List of the Pros of the NuWave Oven

1. Several cooking options are available with the NuWave Oven.
What is unique about the NuWave Oven is that it combines multiple cooking functions into one unit. You’ll be using infrared heat, convection, and conduction simultaneously when using this product. That means you can broil, grill, roast, bake, sear, steam, barbecue, or air-fry your foods with one device. It isn’t a microwave oven either, which means the nutrient profile stays the same when compared to cooking in a traditional oven.

2. It cooks your food much faster.
The NuWave Oven doesn’t require the same pre-heating cycle that a traditional oven requires to reach the appropriate temperature. That means you cook your meals up to 70% faster compared to the standard kitchen appliance. You’re also using up to 75% less energy when you use this device while reducing your overall cooking time.

If you were to use a standard oven to cook frozen chicken breasts, following a 10-minute pre-heat cycle, you would need to cook them for at least 30 minutes. Some ovens would require 45 minutes with this food product. When you use the NuWave Oven, the meal will be ready in just 13 minutes in total.

3. The NuWave Oven is very easy to clean.
If you’re tired of scrubbing the standard oven whenever a mess occurs, then you’ll love the NuWave Oven. You don’t need to worry about the heat or energy required in a self-cleaning cycle either. That’s because this product is dishwasher-safe. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions to clean up after cooking salmon, beef, or your favorite dessert, and you’ll find that healthy and fast meals are more accessible than ever before to make.

4. It comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
A 1-year manufacturer’s warranty covers the infrared cooking system and all the electrical components of the NuWave Oven against defects and workmanship. That includes the cooking rack, dome, liner pan, and base. To qualify for the warranty, consumers must follow the written instructions which come with the product. A failure to follow them does void the guarantee.

If you do have a valid claim, then the manufacturer will provide the parts and labor necessary to bring the unit back into working condition. A 90-day money-back guarantee is associated with the NuWave Oven as well, although shipping costs may not be included with that return.

5. You can cook multiple food items at the same time without an added time cost.
Because of the triple cooking feature offered by the NuWave Oven, you can cook multiple dishes or food items at the same time. The manufacturer provides the example of cooking a completely frozen Cornish game hen. Using this product will take you about 50 minutes to correctly cook it. If you have four Cornish game hens to cook instead of one, the food will still be finished in those 50 minutes. A traditional oven or a microwave cannot make the same claims.

6. The same cooking utensils used in a traditional oven are usable in the NuWave Oven.
Items made of Pyrex, metals, or foil are all safe to use when cooking with the NuWave Oven. You can use oven-safe cooking bags with this product as well. Any cooking utensils that would be used in your kitchen with the oven are safe to use with this protect. Even prepared frozen entrée trays are permitted. As long as the items you’re looking at say they are safe to go into a regular oven, you can use them with the NuWave Oven.

7. You can avoid the shipping charges by shopping with Amazon Prime.
If you search for the NuWave Oven on Amazon, you will find several listings which qualify for Amazon Prime at $119. That is for the Pro Plus oven which is a promised “upgrade” through the website. Although you won’t receive the buy one, get one offer (with additional shipping charges), you do avoid many of the extra costs that are the center of most consumer complaints with this product. You can also purchase all the accessories for less than $200, which is less than the product + shipping costs when purchased directly from the company.

Purchasing the NuWave Oven from Amazon Prime also means you receive your purchase in two business days, which is a shorter turn than a direct purchase from the manufacturer.

8. It is large enough to cook most meals.
The NuWave Oven offers an interior size which is 12 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches in depth. It is a lightweight product as well, weighing just nine pounds. The product is supposed to reach a maximum temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but some people report that it does not and that it takes almost an hour to cook two frozen pot pies. An included temperature conversion chart allows you to cook your favorite recipes faster.

9. The NuWave Oven cooks foods from the inside and outside simultaneously.
With the NuWave Oven, you get the convenience of speed without changes to the nutritional profile. The cooking process renders the fat out of the food products being cooked without creating food that is moist. You don’t lose the flavor profile of the food. Your favorite items don’t require added fat to cook correctly either. Some customers even report losing between 10 to 20 points off their cholesterol profile over a 60-day period by switching to this product and making no other lifestyle changes.

List of the Cons of the NuWave Oven

1. You must clean the NuWave Oven after each use.
Even with the multiple product options available with the NuWave Oven, you’ll find that most meals require you to clean the device after each use. Although you save time during the cooking process, you’ll be cleaning the device as if it were a countertop grill or frying pan. You do have the capability of swapping out various items for multiple uses, and can throw it right into the dishwasher, but if you forget to clean it, you won’t be using it.

2. The manufacturer’s warranty doesn’t cover all aspects of the unit.
When you purchase the NuWave Oven, there will be elements of a non-stick coating applied to individual components of the cooking system. The warranty does not cover any part which is covered by such a surface. Even the products which are covered by the limited warranty are not guaranteed if accidents, fluctuations in electrical power, or “acts of God” make the product unusable.

3. You must take into account the shipping costs for the product.
The easiest way to avoid this disadvantage with the NuWave Oven is to purchase it directly from a local retailer. It is available at Walmart, Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, and similar locations. It retails at these locations between $120 to $160 in most regions. If you purchase the NuWave Oven from the manufacturer through their website or the “As Seen on TV” toll-free number, you’ll pay three payments of $39.95 each.

An additional $29.95 shipping and handling charge applies to the order as well. If you choose to take advantage of the second NuWave Oven during your purchase, you’ll pay another $29.95 shipping fee (though you won’t pay any more than the 3 x $39.95). If you take advantage of each item offered through the number or website, the shipping and handling charge may be over $100, with some consumers complaining of charges up to $375.

If you order replacement parts for the NuWave Oven, they too come with additional shipping charges. Several consumers report that a dome replacement runs $35, with a $15 added shipping and handling cost. That puts the price of one component at 50% the cost of a new one.

4. The product offers a limited lifespan.
Assuming that everything works as it should with the NuWave Oven, there is no denying the fact that this is a countertop appliance more than an oven replacement. The wear-and-tear of daily use on this product creates lifespan issues which consumers have complained about since the product was first introduced. The dome typically cracks at two years of regular use, while the powerhead burns out or stops function after 5 years of use or less. If you were to use this unit every day for cooking, it might not make it through its first year.

5. Convenience requires you to shop for your own groceries.
If you’re used to eating out of having quick-service options at home, then the NuWave Oven requires a lifestyle change. You’ll need to shop for your own groceries with this system (or at least have them delivered to your home). That setup may have you eating healthier, but it won’t create a time savings that the marketing materials promise. Most of the benefits promoted by the manufacturer are for people who already cook most of their meals at home. If that is not you, then the cost of this system, and the groceries it requires, may be somewhat prohibitive.

6. The NuWave Oven struggles with baked goods.
You’ll find that when trying to make baked goods at home, the NuWave Oven struggles to compete with the traditional appliance. Your cakes don’t rise as much with this product as they do in the standard oven. They don’t look as good when they’re finished either. Cookies are another struggle, often losing their moisture to create crisps more than soft, gooey centers. You can always tinker with the cooking processes to create different results, but for the average home cook, the traditional oven will always make the baked goods better.

The pros and cons of the NuWave Oven make you focus on a price vs. convenience comparison. There are certainly benefits to cooking food in this product because of its ability to render more fat out of foods compared to other cooking methods. You also have the shipping charges, extras, and product cost to consider. It may be cheaper than a conventional oven, but it may not last as long either. If you’re thinking about occasional use, this product offers a lot of potential. It may not be suitable for some households with daily use.