Microwave Ovens Guide

A journey into a foreign land is often safer with a guide. The same applies to hi-tech home appliances. With that in mind, we offer this microwave ovens guide that explains the many facets of modern microwaves.

Microwave types

A microwave by any other name does not cook the same. A standard microwave will permit you to cook food, defrost, and reheat. For many people, that's enough. If you're a little more adventurous, you might consider buying a microwave oven with a grill. An internal grill fitting in your microwave will give you a greater range of cooking options (such as crisping and browning).

The pinnacle of all microwave types is the combination oven, also known as a microwave convection oven, which supplies you with a microwave, grill, and convection (hot air) oven. A combination microwave can roast and bake as well as defrost and reheat.

Power and capacity

Your microwave oven must match your size and capacity requirements. Countertop, built-in, and over-the-range microwave ovens are the design options you'll be faced with when considering microwave size.

Size affects both power and capacity. A compact microwave measures less than one cubic foot and will provide about 500 to 800 watts of power. A midsize microwave oven will range up to 1.2 cubic feet and up to 1,000 watts. Full-size microwaves are anything above those limits, with the largest microwaves providing about two cubic feet and 1,100 or 1,200 watts of cooking power.

Microwave features

Some microwave features can be extremely helpful if you know how to use them, but you should try to avoid paying for features that are too specialized for your needs.

A microwave turntable will provide more even cooking, and if it's removable it won't reduce the space available for larger dishes. One time-saving feature you might enjoy is multiple-sequence cooking. This microwave oven option will automatically change power levels for faster transition from defrost to cooking.

Some microwaves also feature humidity sensors that adjust power levels and cooking time according to the food moisture levels. This can be especially helpful with longer cooking meat dishes. Another option gaining in popularity is a chaos defrost or inverter defrost. It uses random low-energy microwave pulses to reduce defrosting time while providing a more even thaw.

But if all you want from your microwave oven is simple push-button features, look for microwaves with labeled buttons such aspopcorn that won't require a manual to understand.