A Guide to Buy the Best Microwave Ovens
A microwave is indispensable in the kitchen. With a microwave oven, you can prepare meals, heat, and defrost food in no time. Currently, a vast range of microwave ovens is available at different prices. Choosing the best microwave ovens for your requirements is a simple process. However, if you only consider your edible goals and the full range of options available.
Table of Contents
Types of microwave ovens
The most important decision when choosing a microwave oven is what type to buy. There are three types of microwave ovens available in the market.
Solo microwave oven
The solo microwave oven is an entry-level model in the microwave category for basic cooking. It is best for reheating and easy cooking.
Grill microwave
Grill microwaves are equipped with additional grilling features. They are best for grilling vegetables, meat or fish.
Convection microwave
Convection microwave ovens utilize a fan and heating element to create airflow patterns within the microwave oven. Best for baking and grilling. For instance, the IFB 20SC2 convection microwave oven is the most sought-after convection microwave.
Capacity Guide for the Best Microwave Ovens
The capacity of the microwave oven measures in liters. It is the indicator of how much food you can cook at once. As mentioned above, microwave capacity depends on the size and usage of your family. Follow the above section on how to use microwave ovens and how to associate the microwave type accordingly. Below we list a table for calculating capacity.
| Family Members | Usability | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 2-4 members | Solo Microwave Oven | 15-20 Liters |
| 2-4 members | Grill or Convection Microwave Oven | 21-30 Liters |
| 4-6 members | Solo Microwave Oven | 25-30 Liters |
| 4-6 members | Grill or Convection Microwave Oven | 32 Liters |
For a small family, 15-20 liters is enough for a solo microwave oven. However, for the same small family, for a grill or convection type, 21-30 liters is enough. The huge family needs 25-30 liters for the solo type. For other types, it would be 32 liters and more.
Microwave Technology
Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation, the combination of magnetic and electric waves. Microwave wavelengths vary from one meter to one millimeter. These waves are produced within the furnace by an electron tube known as Magnetron. Therefore, magnetrons are a key component of a microwave oven. After turning on the microwave, this Magnetron produces microwaves in the cooking cavity.
Moreover, microwaves have the special property that water molecules in the food vibrate and produce heat. It is the principle of the microwave oven and the way food cooks in the microwave. For this reason, it is hard to cook completely dry food in the microwave.
Dangers and safety from microwaves
- Do not place metal objects or metal utensils in the microwave oven.
- Use only microwavable plastic dishes.
- Make sure glassware in the microwave is safe.
- Don’t put baby milk bottles in the microwave.
- When baking, use microwave gloves, as the convection microwave becomes hot from inside.
- The internet is full of rumors that microwaves contaminate food with radiation. Please note that the Food and Drug Association of America (FDA) has published that microwave ovens do not spoil food. There is no health risk from consuming microwaved food.
Functions of the Best Microwave Ovens
Here are some of the most common words and phrases used in microwave descriptions and user manuals. To learn the meaning of each word that describes microwaves, refer to the list below.
Child lock
If you have children at home, they might accidentally put their hands in the microwave oven. So these features offer parental controls. Generally, this parental control is facilitated with the help of a code that acts like an unlock password. The inside of convection microwave ovens gets very hot when baking, and you must set child safety locks in this case.
Automatic cooking
This option will fulfill the requirement when you want to simplify your cooking. Thrifty or low-end microwaves don’t offer this feature. There is no need to set power configuration or time. The only thing required is to specify the type of dishes, and that’s it.
Power consumption
Apart from that, there is a performance setting. The higher the voltage, the more efficient and faster. However, you must buy a more powerful microwave oven to cook heavy foods or large batches for a huge family. A less powerful microwave will do if you only cook for one or two individuals. The same feature is also referred to as “Power Levels.”
Defrost
It is a microwave function specialized in heating frozen food. Assuming you want to reheat yesterday’s curry from the fridge, then it is the right option.
Preheat
Before you begin cooking and follow the recipes, the oven must reach a certain temperature. So you have to turn on the microwave and wait for some time until it gets hot or reaches the required temperature. The above procedure is called preheating. Before buying, pay attention to the preheating time required for the microwave oven.
Auto Cook Menu
Auto Cook makes microwave cooking amazingly very simple and easy. The auto cook menu function is at the heart of “quick microwave oven recipes.” When cooking in a microwave oven, you have to set some settings like power and cooking time, which is difficult for a beginner. But with this auto-cooking menu feature, you only have to specify the type of dish you want to cook. Depending on the weight of the food, the microwave automatically adjusts the power and time. For instance, to make popcorn, you have to press the popcorn button; that’s all.
Timer
This feature enables you to configure the cooking time. You can set how long you want the microwave oven to operate from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Based on the panel type, you can specify the cooking time either with a rotary knob or with an LCD touch.
Panel Types
There are three-panel types: Tact Dial Type, Feather Touch, and Mechanical. Usually found in low-end models, the mechanical Tact Dial can handle rough utilization. Feather-touch panels add design to your microwave oven. It can recognize your fingers, such as a touchscreen phone. Feather Touch is typically available in high-end models.
Microwave Accessories
Online stores contain multiple microwave accessories such as microwave gloves, microwavable cookware, and utensils. Moreover, bowls, jars, and wall mount microwave stand if you don’t have enough kitchen dashboard space. The microwave cover is also helpful when you rarely use a microwave oven.
Rotisserie
Rotisserie accessories are special grill accessories. It is a steel base bar with a motor system to ensure ideal grilling. Generally, with the rotisserie rod, you can easily grill beef, mutton, chicken, or any other item. But you may have to pay extra to get rotisserie grill accessories. There are also two variants of the rotisserie – the vertical and horizontal rotisserie bar. A relatively horizontal rotisserie has better heat distribution than a vertical one. The IFB 30BRC2 microwave is the most famous rotisserie convection microwave.
Select the best microwave ovens for you
Microwave ovens are small appliances, but they are one of the most versatile appliances you will own. Check out user manuals of various microwave models at Ownermanual.co and select one that’s perfect for your kitchen.