Microwave ovens are the best option to heat drinks and food instantly, they work perfectly to defrost food and quickly prepare some food. Learn here what you should take into account when choosing an oven for your kitchen.
The microwave oven makes some tasks easier and helps you have your food hot instantly, CompuKitchen explains why and how to choose the best one for you with our tips.
What should you take into account when choosing a microwave oven?
The size, special features and power are some of the characteristics that determine what type of microwave can be best for you. There are two types of oven:
Traditional, with turntable
If you need a microwave oven for basic tasks like heating food and liquids quickly, a traditional oven is your best option. Most have the option to defrost, which saves you from having to wait long periods of time to cook foods like frozen meats or vegetables. They are perfect to start you in the world of microwave cooking or if you are not looking to cook directly with them. They do not have a grill.
With advanced features
Microwaves with more complex functions are perfect for cooking food comfortably, accurately and with excellent flavors. There are convection microwaves, which heat food using hot air, with Inverter technology, which lack a turntable, and several of them also include a series of advanced features such as grill, automatic defrost, steam, for frying or even for preparing dough and pastry.
How to choose a microwave?
Size or volume
The first thing to consider is the size and space available in your kitchen. Do not forget to take into account the size of your family, opt for a larger size if you have a large family. A smaller one will have less capacity but also uses less energy, making it efficient for small families or single people. It is essential that you allow the oven to ventilate around it, leave a 5 cm ventilation margin on the sides; 10 cm from the wall and 20 cm from the top.
Special functions
If you want a microwave just to comfortably heat your food, one with a simple design, lower power and without so many functionalities may be perfect for you. If you want to get started in microwave cooking, you can choose one that has a precise control panel and more complex features like temperature range and automatic defrosting. Most digital panel microwaves include a convenient clock, more precise time and temperature control, and also features such as Quick Start, which allows you to start heating food in timed intervals with the push of the power button. For defrosting, many traditional microwaves also include automatic functions that allow the optimal defrosting time to be set according to the weight of the food.
How to choose microwave with advanced functions?
Size or volume
Microwaves with advanced functions are ideal for large families or industrial uses since some have a large cooking volume and high power. For example, built-in microwaves have a large capacity, and at the same time, optimize the space in your kitchen.
Special functions
These ovens have a variety of practical and sophisticated functions for users who like gourmet cooking combined with the versatility and pragmatism of microwaves.
The microwave convection used for cooking food by hot air currents, combining convenient and fast action with homogeneous microwave cooking brings convection.
The grill function allows you to prepare food that is crisp on the outside and juicy and well-cooked on the inside. It is ideal if you want to cook recipes such as roasted vegetables, meats, cakes and much more. This type of microwave will also allow you to make complex recipes, with dishes prepared in a short time, healthy and at a low temperature.
There are other innovative functions, such as microwaves for low-oil frying, promoting a healthier cooking method. There are also microwaves that use steam to cook healthy, tender foods.
Microwave oven care
- Keep the inside of your microwave free from grease and don’t overload your home’s electrical system to avoid outages (which happens when you turn on the microwave at the same time as other energy-intensive devices).
- Do not use any container, only those that are exclusively made for this device.
- Never use metal or aluminum foil containers in the microwave, unless the manufacturer explicitly states otherwise. It can result in damage to the microwave or even the generation of sparks.
- Do not close the microwave door with excessive force, as you could damage its opening mechanism.
- If you are putting the microwave and electric oven together, and you plan to place them one on top of the other, leave the microwave on the bottom, as the heat from the electric oven dissipates upwards during operation and could cause damage to the microwave.
- Consider fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and ventilation systems in kitchen spaces.
- Do not run the microwave empty as it may damage the magnetron.
- Perform periodic reviews with authorized specialists.
- Be very careful when heating liquids in the microwave. Due to the high efficiency of these devices, the liquid becomes very hot even though it does not appear to be boiling, which can lead to possible accidents.
Energy saving
- Try to keep the oven lights off when not in use. Several of them have lights that turn on automatically when the door is opened.
- Check the standard label that explains the energy consumption and saving characteristics. The scale is from A to G, where A is for more efficient products that consume less energy and G for less efficient products that consume more.
- Microwave cooking is a great idea to prepare dishes with ease and efficiency. To ensure the best use of energy and the retention of humidity, you can find special lids for microwave-safe dishes that help retain the properties of food.
- The best microwave will be the one that offers you the best performance with the least consumption.