Microwave Ovens
There are times when it seems like you can't live without your microwave 
. Found in most households, microwaves can be a handy kitchen appliance. Microwaves are great for heating up last night's leftovers or when you're looking to cook an individual meal in a matter of minutes. Who doesn't love the convenience of a microwave when it comes to eating in a matter of minutes or popping that bag or popcorn before sitting down to watch a movie.
| Microwave Types |
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Microwave Hood Combinations - Saves counter space.
- Acts as a ventilator for your oven range.
- Vented hood installations are those which send the exhaust outside, while non-vented installations will recirculate the exhaust back into the kitchen.
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Countertop Microwaves - Usually made for countertop use, but they many can be installed into a wall, with professional guidance.
- Less expensive than microwave hood combos.
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What to Look For
- Size
- Determine the size you need based on your estimated use and the space available in your kitchen.
- For a family, or if you tend to cook large dishes in the microwave, a large model about 2 cubic feet will be sufficient.
- Remember that even if a model says it has 2 cubic feet and the interior isn't a foot wide, it probably can't hold a casserole dish.
- Power
- Microwave ovens range in power from 600 watts (boils 8 ounces of water in 2 minutes) to more than 1200 Watts.
- Recipes usually require a power of at least 800 Watts.
- Many microwave ovens also have adjustable power settings, programmed settings, and defrost modes.
- Special Features
- Convection feature
- This allows you to do much more than just heat up food. It converts your microwave into a mini oven so that you can toast, roast, and bake without making food soggy. Perfect for cooking pizzas or other smaller items.
- It takes a lot less time to heat up a convection oven than a large oven.
- Extras
- Griddles, special pans, and grills may be included with some models to adapt your microwave to doing more than the ordinary.
- Turntable
- This will save you from having to rotate foods that are cooked for a long period of time.
- Helps food heat more evenly without having to turn the dish every minute.
- Timer
- Most microwave ovens today have digital timers.
- A few models have mechanical timers with a dial; these are hard to set for exact times and are not recommended.
- Special Programs and Settings
- Some high-end microwaves have cooking programs, such as "popcorn" and "auto-defrost." Look for well designed buttons for easy access to these pre-programmed functions, otherwise, chances are that you won't take advantage of them.
- Some models can also be used as a kitchen timer -- often quite helpful.
- Some have sensors that will automatically shut off once the food seems to be cooked.
- If you're buying a microwave-hood combination, test the lights to make sure they're bright enough and test the hood -- some hoods can be quite noisy!
- Other Things to Consider
- Noise level (some microwaves are quiet when they cook, others are loud).
- Child Safety Lock.
- How does the alarm sound?
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