Microwave ovens have long won their place among household appliances. They quickly warm food and cook, thaw foods, and perform other operations.
What to consider when buying
When buying a microwave oven, you need to decide on:
- volume;
- coating the working chamber;
- type of management;
- the principle of work.
Microwave volume
Varies from 8.5 to 41 liters. For one person who, with her help, plans only to heat food or defrost food, a small microwave oven (10 liters) will be convenient. For a small family, a 15-18 liter microwave oven is needed. Microwaves of 20-27 liters will be appropriate in a large family. Professional stoves with a capacity of up to 41 liters are used in the kitchens of restaurants and cafes.
Camera coating
Inside the walls are covered with various materials.
- Enamel. This surface is smooth, easy to clean.
- Bioceramics. It is scratch resistant and easy to clean.
- Stainless steel. The surface is durable, beautiful, not scratched. But the products in it burn up.
- Heat resistant steel. It is well cleaned, resistant to high temperature. The disadvantage is that it is easily scratched.
Control Panel
May be:
- mechanical;
- sensory;
- push-button.
The mechanical is protected from accidental inclusion, easy to use. Touch makes it possible to program the cooking process. Push-button more reliable.
Microwave ovens have various functions. Simple only warm and thaw food. More complex ones have many programs and modes, many of which remain unclaimed. The price of these devices is much higher. Although the smallest microwave ovens are not always cheaper. After all, the cost is inversely proportional to the number of manufactured products.
Most modern medium and large stoves are equipped with a grill: quartz or tenov. The first quickly heat up, smaller in size, easier to care for. Tenovye cheaper, their position can be changed.
Three types of microwave ovens
- Traditional.
- Convection.
- Combined.
Traditional ones are cheaper, but the quality of the food cooked in them is lower. Convection ovens have a heater and fan to speed up cooking. The food cooked in such ovens is much tastier. And if you install a quartz lamp, then the food will taste like baked in the oven. Combined allow you to combine different modes and increase the range of prepared dishes.
New ideas and solutions are constantly appearing on the market, more and more interesting. Daewoo has developed a smart microwave that reads the barcode of the products you are about to cook. Upon learning the information, the oven contacts the manufacturing company and consults with him how best to cook the right dish.
Small microwave
The size of a conventional microwave does not always allow you to place it in the kitchen. Modern stoves have one more drawback. They are very heavy. The average weight of a conventional microwave oven is 15 kg. You can’t take this one not only on a camping trip, even on a car trip. It was for travel lovers that the first small microwave was invented. It will also be convenient for use in kitchens and offices, where there is little space. Contains the smallest microwave oven 8.5 liters. A miniature microwave for offices allows you to warm up a cup of tea or coffee.
Beanzawave is the smallest microwave oven with dimensions of 18.8 × 15.7 × 15.0 cm. It is connected to:
- USB port
- 220 V adapter;
- batteries.
It can be used on hikes and trains. Turquoise color, roundish. It has a protective screen and automatically turns off when you open the door. A specific level of microwave radiation is selected for a particular product. This contributes to better cooking.
Iwavecube Personal Microwaven is another small microwave oven. Dimensions 25 × 26 × 30 cm. The weight of this personal portable stove is about 5 kg. A cup of coffee or a sandwich is placed in it. Maybe you shouldn’t take such a trip, but it won’t hurt in the car.
A little larger, 38 × 27 × 25.5 cm, dimensions of a portable microwave SPUTNIK ART-M1. It operates at 12 V and 220 V. It has three cooking modes. The case is made of durable plastic, there is a carrying handle. Weight a little more than 7 kg.
The original shape has a small microwave oven, the dimensions of which are 30.5 × 51.3 × 42.5 cm. This is BRANDT SPOUTGF. From a distance it looks like a children's toy Yule.
Food placed in the oven is visible through a transparent dome. The product is quite roomy. The inner area is illuminated during operation. The diameter of the turntable is 28 cm. The microwave defrosts the products. There are three levels of microwave heating, equipped with a clock and timer (up to 60 minutes) to control cooking time.
Whirlpool MAX 25 ALU Mikrowelle has a capacity of 13 liters. Equipped with steaming mode. The diameter of the table is 28 cm. The control of the stove is electronic. There is a JetStart function - jet launch.
The small-sized microwave oven Samsung MC285TATCSQ is a convection type with a volume of 15 l and a weight of 18 kg. Dimensions - 51.7 × 31 × 46.7 cm. Has a grill, the power of which is 1250 W. It is possible to combine microwaves, convection and grill in various combinations. Defrosting is automatic, quick and customizable, there is the ability to "remember" your own exclusive dish. The oven is equipped with an accidental lock-out. Waves are evenly distributed throughout the volume.
Daewoo KOR-5A0BW has a capacity of 15 liters. Inside is enameled steel. There is a defrost. Touch switches allow you to select the desired operation.
A relatively small microwave oven, the dimensions of which is 59.4 × 31.7 × 36 cm, is Electrolux EMS170060X with a volume of 17 liters. It fits perfectly into the interior of the kitchen. An electronic display allows you to see all the information about the cooked dish. After defrosting, you can immediately continue cooking according to your favorite recipe or use one of the available auto programs. They will determine the appropriate power for each dish.
Advantages and disadvantages
The smallest microwave ovens are convenient in that they can be used as a portable device. They are small in size and significantly less weight. But they do not have the capabilities and useful functions that a larger oven is equipped with.