compact-microwave-oven-panasonic-nn-e225Though once it was a luxury , Microwave Ovens have now become an indispensable part of a good kitchen. They are also the best friend of a bachelor with its ability to heat up food quickly and without hassle. This invaluable kitchen appliance is helping people to cut down the time spent for preparing their meals. Here is a guide for you to choose from a vast array of Microwave Ovens available in the market.

The Main Technology

The microwave oven cooks the foods through microwaves as the name implies. The input electrical energy is converted to electromagnetic radio waves of frequency range typically of the order of 2.5 GHz which make the dielectric water molecule vibrate to orient themselves along the alternating electric field of the microwaves. This process of heating is known as dielectric heating. Sugar and fat molecules are also heated but to a lesser extent as they have lesser molecular dipole moment. That’s why foods having a lot of water like the fruits and vegetables cook more quickly in a microwave oven.

Things to Consider :

1. Size

The microwave ovens are available in various size with small and compact units less than 0.8 cubic feet, the mid-size units have 0.8-1.0 cubic feets and full sized units have a capacity of 1.2 cubic feet or more. When determining the size, consider the factors like what are the sizes of you cookware that you will put into the microwave, how much space you have in your kitchen etc. Buy a microwave oven that can fit your cookware with rooms to spare.

2. Power

Decide what power of microwave oven you need to buy depending on the members of your family and how quickly you want to cook your food. Normally microwave ovens are available in power ranges from 600 Watts to 1200 Watts. The more power means the ability to cook more food in less time. If you’re going to use the microwave mainly for reheating the leftover foods, melting butter, defrosting foods or making popcorn - a low powered microwave is enough. But if you plan to cook food from scratch with your micro-oven, you may opt for the high powered ones. When cooking you must remember that most of the recipes are made for the 800Watt powered micro-ovens - you  have to adjust the timing if you buy high powered micro-ovens.

3. Features

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If you plan to cook complete meals with your micro-oven, you might need some additional features such as a combination of grilling/browning function. There are many amazing pre-programmed micro-ovens available. You just tell the appliance what you are cooking and press the start button after adding the food. It will cook the food for you with just one touch of a button. Also you can program your oven selecting power changes, timings etc. Other options include minute plus options, automatic one touch defrost, perfect popcorn features and more.
However, if you are going to use the microwave oven just for reheating purpose, you should buy a simple microwave. Why pay extra for the features that you won’t use?

4. Microwave Oven Type

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If you like the french fries or you bake pizzas quite often, consider buying a microwave oven. The conventional microwave ovens does not brown the foods much. The convection technology circulates the air through a fan whilst cooking to create a browning effect on the food.

5. Safety & Style

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Last but not the least, safety is a major concern when buying a microwave oven. Look for the safety certification/safety mark provided by the authorities. This is to make sure that the manufacturer follows the best safety precautions.
Also you don’t want a dumb piece of box in your kitchen. If have the space in you kitchen you may prefer the countertop models. But if you want a designer look and also want to save space you may need a built in microwave oven in your kitchen installed by professionals. The built-in micro-ovens are generally more powerful with more features.