A microwave oven uses radio energy to generate heat in substances such as food.  Most of the microwave ovens which are used in homes have an electronic device called ‘Cavity Magnetron’ which generates microwave energy and a waveguide that guides the energy in the right direction. It has a metal enclosure, which traps that energy until absorbed by food. Early microwave ovens were quite larger than those that we have today. They were about the size of a refrigerator, which was sold in limited numbers to restaurants only. But, it was not until after about 1965, after Raytheon acquired ‘’Amana Refrigeration, Inc.’’, that they became not only smaller but less expensive too. By the mid-1970’s they were selling almost in the millions.

Types of Microwave

Microwave ovens are considered one of the great kitchen appliances to reheat, grill or even bake. They are pretty helpful in cooking a large range of recipes and food items for us including popcorn, chicken grills, kebabs, and pizza, muffins, and even reheat the frozen food. It cooks quickly, saving time and energy. There are many factors to consider before choosing the best microwave oven for your home, based on your family size, and food habits.  The most important decision during microwave oven selection is which microwave oven type to buy. There are three main types of microwave ovens are available in the market.

Solo Microwave

These are best for reheat and simple cooking. Solo microwave ovens are basic level models in the microwave oven category. The solo microwave has one magnetron to produce microwaves. They are better suited for bachelors or for at least a 2-member family. Such microwave ovens are cheaper compared to other microwave models like grill and convection.

Grill Microwave

These are best for reheat and grill. Grill Microwave is provided with additional grilling accessories. They are suitable to grill meat, or vegetables.  Both microwave and grill functions can run parallel and can make delicious grills in minutes. Such type of microwave has heating coils that help in grill, toast or roast.

Convection Microwave

These are best for reheat, grill, and bake. In technical terms, the convection microwave oven has a fan that spread heatwaves efficiently, consistently so that food can bake very well. A convection oven is a must and important for baking, cakes, pizzas, and muffins.

What to look for the best Microwave

A microwave oven is a kitchen essential. Buy the right one and you will be able to cook meals as well as reheat and defrost food in less or no time. There is currently a wide selection of microwave ovens on the marketplace with a variety of prices. So, choosing the perfect microwave to fit your needs can be a relatively simple process if you just take into account your culinary goals and consider the full spectrum of options accessible to you.  If you are thinking to buy a microwave, consider what type of cooking you do, and how you store your food.  If you use your freezer a lot, then a good defrosting feature may be very important. Other main features can include settings for jacket potatoes or pizza. Moreover, a good microwave must have a child lock to prevent accidents, automatic cooking, and defrosting settings. Smooth and easy control panels, multiple sequence cooking which automatically changes power during cooking and easy to understand instructions. The microwave must be feature catalytic or pyrolytic liners, which are very easy to clean. Last but not least its power, the higher the wattage, and the quicker your food will cook.

Benefits of Microwave

The advantages of the microwave are as followed:

Speedy Cooking:

The cooking through a microwave oven is a lot faster than that of other conventional cooking methods such as gas or other electric range cooking.

More Nutritious:

The food cooked by a microwave oven is more nutritious than that of other conventional cooking methods.

Cool:

Your kitchen will not be hot due to microwave cooking. No physical fire is needed for a microwave. It has a very little heating effect on the cooking utensils only.

Safe: 

Microwave cooking without fire so it is completely safe. So, in order to assure complete peace of mind, national microwave ovens have several safety systems installed.

Clean:

It takes less time to clean up the microwave oven because food spatters in the oven are not tough and permanent. All you need to do is to wipe up spills occasionally with a damp cloth.

Tips regarding the use of Microwave:

  • Do not use traditional metal cookware for your microwave. Microwaves cannot pass through metal, so you cannot cook with traditional metal cookware.
  • Do not try recipes that require plenty of water, for example, pasta, in a microwave.  Such foods, they don’t cook well in a microwave and will probably cook better and in less time on your stovetop.
  • Cover your dishes. A proper cover eliminates splattering, and it also cuts down on cooking time too.
  • Frequently stir and turn, and rotate foods. This ensures a balanced distribution of heat.
  • Cut foods into small pieces. This is because small pieces cook more quickly than large ones.
  • Before you cook, use a sharp fork to pierce foods that have skins, such as potatoes, hot dogs, etc. Piercing allows steam to escape which could otherwise lead to sudden popping and splattering.
  • Make sure to use the defrost power setting 30% to 40% of full power when thawing food. Doing this will ensure that the foods defrost in a slow, better and even manner.

Recommended readings

BEST OVER THE RANGE MICROWAVE FOR VENTING

The responses below are not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any financial entity or advertiser. It is not the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Comments0 comments

Your comment was sent and will soon be posted.