Things to keep in mind while purchasing a Microwave

A microwave oven has now become an active member of the contemporary Indian kitchen. The gadget has quickly evolved to suit the Indian cooking techniques and styles. It is no more just a reheating device and it has now progressed to do a lot more for us and this is the reason why many people have started purchasing microwave ovens. We have prepared a small list of features to look at while you are buying a microwave oven.

1. Automatic sensors: An automatic sensor, also referred as humidity sensor, determines if the food is cooked by measuring the steam (or humidity) in the oven.

 

2. Power rating: Microwaves generally have a power rating between 600 and 1,500 watts. More watts means more heat generation, while lower power means longer cooking time. If you cook larger quantities of food, opt for a microwave with higher power.

3. Multi-stage cooking: This is a very useful feature, which enables you to cook at different power settings and stages of the cooking cycle.

4. Auto defrost & steam cooking: All microwaves can defrost food, but it's best to opt for one that has auto defrost, where you only need to select the type and weight of food. The gadget will automatically select the time and power levels to best defrost it. 

Additional features

Child safety lock: This is very essential if you have kids. An electric lock (as a code) prevents them from misusing or accidentally operating the oven.

Speed-cook/combination mode: This mode uses microwave energy in addition to other heating (convection or halogen bulbs) to cook food faster than it would take in a traditional oven or skillet.

Bi-level cooking: Most microwave ovens come with racks that enable two items, or more, to be cooked at the same time. A rack can also improve baking by allowing heat under the dish.

Grill: The devices with this feature offer microwave cooking, as well as grilling, toasting and broiling. Their size varies from 18-28 litres. At times, they are incorrectly labeled as microwave/convection ovens, but a true convection oven has a heating element and a fan to push the heated air into the cavity. 

Convection: These products offer both microwave energy and heat. They are the most versatile and can perform all cooking functions, including baking. This is why they are more expensive than the other two variants.