6 factors you need to know before buying a microwave

Today, the number of models is so large that a reasonable question arises: “How to choose a microwave and not make a mistake?” Let's see what you need to pay attention to while standing in the store or choosing a microwave in the online store.

Are microwaves safe or harmful?

Microwave

The allegations that microwave ovens are dangerous are not true - its harm is noticeable only if you stand at a distance of 5 cm from a microwave oven every day for 8 hours. Each modern model has a special protective mesh on the window from the inside, as well as an electromagnetic "trap". Microwave radiation (microwave) cannot penetrate a tightly closed door. So the minuses of the microwave are more likely invented.

Factor One - Cost

microwaves

The decisive factor in the question of how to choose a microwave for the house will be the budget allocated for the purchase. The average cost of such a device is about $ 150. For this price, you can purchase a device with wide capabilities. The more expensive the stove, the more functions it has. But simple budget models are only suitable for defrosting / warming up and cooking simple dishes. They can cost 60-80 dollars. These models are most often purchased for offices to heat dinners.

The second factor is the volume of the working chamber

Microwave 17 l

To make your choice correctly, it is necessary to take into account the technical characteristics of the microwave. The most important parameter here is the internal volume of the chamber. The recommendations here are as follows:

  1. If the technique will be used by one person, then the volume may be in the range of 12-14 liters. Such stoves are also called "solo";
  2. For two family members, 17–20 liters of volume will suffice;
  3. For a family of 3-4 people, 20-25 liters will be enough. Perhaps, microwave ovens with such a volume can be called optimal in terms of price, functionality and capacity;
  4. Those who cook often and a lot should buy a model with a volume of more than 30 liters, then even a whole bird will fit inside. The same recommendations are valid if there are 5-6 people in a family.

The third factor - power

Characteristics such as microwave power are just as important. The advantages of powerful ovens are that dishes are cooked faster. The power range can vary between 450-1680 watts, but when choosing it is worth focusing on the energy costs for a particular culinary process:

Microwave power
  • To keep the food warm enough, 100-150 W is sufficient;
  • For the preparation of "gentle" products and slow defrosting - up to 300W;
  • For quick defrosting of a small amount of products - 400 ... 500W;
  • Slow cooking / warming up - 550 ... 700W;
  • Fast cooking / reheating - from 800 to 900 watts.

It should be borne in mind that the power should be proportional to the volume - the larger the inner chamber, the more powerful the device.

And do not forget that the power in the process of cooking different foods should be adjusted (by default, it is set to 100%). For example, for meat dishes recommend 50-70% power, then the product will not become tough.

The fourth factor - the material of the internal coating

Microwave oven with different types of coatings

The advantages of proven manufacturers of microwaves are that they guarantee the quality of the inner coating of the chamber. Today, models are often produced using innovative materials, but there are a few basic proven coatings:

  1. Heat resistant enamel. Practical and easy to clean, but not too durable. Although enamel is considered to be heat-resistant, it cannot withstand extremely high temperatures for a long time, and therefore the service life of such a furnace will be less than 7 years. In order not to aggravate the process of destruction of enamel, it is worth washing it without abrasive products and hard brushes, leaving micro-scratches.
  2. Stainless steel. This type of coating is better than the previous one in terms of durability, because it does not completely lose its properties and durability due to heat or temperature differences. However, the stainless steel quickly becomes covered with a thick coating, so this type of coating will require careful and time-consuming care.
  3. Among the new coatings worth highlighting bioceramics. It combines all the advantages - easy to clean, durable, durable and reliable, not covered with grease. The only drawback is the high price, which is about twice as expensive as the model with the same functionality, but with an enamelled finish. But the lifetime of the furnace will differ several times.

On the care of the internal coatings of the microwave oven

Factor Five - Type of Management

Microwave control

Mechanical control is familiar and reliable, providing two rotary knobs for power adjustment and time setting.

And the electronic control is a button or sensor. The touch surface is easier to maintain than a push button, and is also considered more modern.


The sixth and most important factor is the functional

Microwave functions

Of course, technical characteristics and appearance matter, but it is impossible to ignore the issue of functionality. Before you make a choice, it is necessary to decide for what purpose the microwave will be used at home - exclusively for heating or as a valuable decent alternative. cooking surface or oven?

To begin with, let's look at what microwaves can do:

  1. Defrost food. Here you can choose manual or automatic mode.

Functional microwave oven

  1. Cooking according to specified recipes. Food is loaded into the camera, and you just have to choose a recipe and specify the weight of the product. The adjustment of power and time of the furnace produces itself.
  2. Ability to program your own recipes. It is provided only in expensive models.
  3. Convection mode. Furnaces with convection heating ensure uniform baking of the product. Convection, in essence, is an oven mode - which means that a rosy baking will turn out in the microwave oven, and useful substances will be completely preserved in the products. The convection mode is considered energy consuming.
  4. Grill mode allows you to fry meat or fish with a ruddy crust. Grill can be quartz or standard heaters. Quartz works and more economical and faster. In addition, it does not require special care, because it is hidden in the ceiling, but the uniformity of roasting will be worse. Tenovy grill is a spiral with the ability to adjust the height and angle of inclination - the cooking turns out to be uniform, models with such a grill cost a little less, but they have high energy consumption.

Microwave oven with double grill

  1. Steam cleaning allows you to quickly and efficiently "wipe" the inner surface of food debris and fat.
  2. Odor removal. Provides a "ventilation" mode, eliminating the "flavors" of food from the inner chamber.

There are also models with built-in bread maker and steamer.

A few more important tips for choosing

Built-in microwave
  1. Installation method. You can purchase built-in or freestanding equipment. The recessed is placed inside the kitchen, allowing you to save space on the work surface, while freestanding saves mobility. At the same time embedded may be more expensive than usual.
  2. It turns out to be important and Colour. Choose it so that it matches the shade of the kitchen or decoration.
Microwave with Jumping Cap
  1. Right pick additional components. For example, it is very convenient to use a multi-level stand for plates, with which you can warm several dishes at once by placing them one above the other.
  2. Tacks and plastic hoods are attached to some microwaves so that fat does not splash onto the walls.

What not to do when using microwave ovens

How to use the microwave


To use the microwave safe, do not violate 9 simple prohibitions:

  • when the door is open, the equipment does not turn on;
  • no food in the chamber is not used;
  • dishes made of metal, porcelain gilded or silver plated are not placed in the microwave, otherwise there will be visible electrical discharges unsafe for the equipment;
  • frying in oil is not carried out - you can not control its temperature, and therefore there is a high risk of ignition;
  • eggs do not boil or warm in the shell, as they may explode;
  • products are not placed in hermetically sealed containers - canned food, jars, tied plastic bags;
  • products with natural shells (liver, corn, potatoes, etc.) are incised or punctured, otherwise micro-explosions will occur due to bursting shells;
  • Do not place red-hot objects on a cold turntable.

See also: Clean the microwave effortlessly - 5 proven ways.

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12 Comments

  1. Vladimir says

    Microwave today is not replaceable attribute of modern cuisine. The most interesting thing is that probably 95% of people use it only to heat food and the rest of the functionality remains unclaimed.

  2. Irina Vorobyova says

    If you are not a fan of culinary delights and methods of their preparation, it is better not to take expensive models. Most bought a microwave with a grill that grill used 1-2 times. All the bells and whistles are expensive, but in the end we use a 1-3-minute warm-up and that's it. I personally have a cheap hand-operated microwave, it costs a penny, and it has been serving for 6 years and it will still serve.

  3. Oleg Chernov says

    I would like to add that the grill is in the microwave not only quartz and Tenovy, but also combined. In such models of the microwave in the upper part there is a quartz grill, and in the lower part of the heater. Regarding the volume, I can say that it is better to take a microwave with a volume of at least 23 liters, it will have fewer problems with the placement of dishes of various capacities.

  4. Olya says

    Every day I use a microwave, and not only to heat food. I cook only all the cereals in it, including dairy ones, the carcass in it is everything - ideal: you can turn it on for a certain time and not stand at the stove. My model is the most usual, but there is a grill, but just this improvement I have is without work. I don’t think it’s worth overpaying for expensive models - it’s easier to buy a new low-priced model in 5-7 years. Moreover, as the appliance repairman told me, after about this time, the microwave door starts to let out a much larger percentage of radiation out.

  5. Igor says

    Buying a microwave check with the seller of its warranty period. If the warranty is less than a year, there is no point in contacting such a purchase. There are inexpensive functional microwaves.Warranty is a safety feature. Verified

  6. Sergey Dotsenko says

    What you can not do when using the microwave ovens “cut yourself on the nose”, remembered as Our Father!

  7. Artem Nikitenko says

    All the same, it is not necessary to be conducted on the cheapness of the microwave, the minimum cost is 150-200 dollars, cheaper samples do not meet the quality requirements.

  8. Yuliya says

    As for me - you should not buy a super-mic microwave. Last year we spent a lot of time and paid almost $ 200 for a microwave. I agree - it has both a grill, a defrost and the function of baking bread, etc. But we use only heating. So if they knew, they would have bought the simplest and cheapest.

  9. Natalia is simple says

    Hard to believe, but still not bought a microwave. But thanks to the article better understood its functionality, operation and maintenance.

  10. kitchen.htgetrid.com/en/ says

    not at all!)

  11. Alexandr Halepa says

    The microwave is designed to prepare various dishes from semi-finished products. Over time, it was perfected by various grills and other bells and whistles, but in real life it most often serves only to heat food.

  12. Svetlana says

    I use the microwave not only for heating and defrosting. Moreover, the device is multifunctional and greatly simplifies the entire kitchen. The company is unknown to me, so the surprise of the build quality and the level of functions was 5 times more. My husband bought a microwave for me, chose Caso MCG30 Ceramic chef. Said on Avito ordered. Already later, upon receipt, I found out. Examined with him. Said quality and marriage checked, I just need to check out the design. But I was numb right, because she is really very cool. In use - a fairy tale, not a microwave. Convenient, powerful performance at the highest level. Meals, especially meat, are megacities!

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