A modern kitchen is impossible without a conscientiously working stove, a good hood and other devices that make life easier for the hostess. Household time is significantly reduced for those women who have a good microwave. What should she be like? They come in different sizes, colours – everyone can figure it out, but which functions should be preferred?
Selecting A Microwave Oven: Basic Parameters
To choose the best convection microwaves that will fit into the interior of your kitchen and harmoniously enter your life, think about what functions are most important to you before buying. As a rule, microwaves are placed on the kitchen table or a special shelf, so you need to know where you will put the purchase. If the kitchen is small, you should not buy a large microwave, as it will take over space, and will interfere, and not create comfort.
If you like the built-in appliances, you can choose a microwave that will be in perfect harmony with the furniture in the kitchen. If you buy a stationary one, keep in mind that there are special shelves for placing the stove on sale. Well, if there is a place on the kitchen cutting table. As for the volume of the chamber, it is determined by the number of products that you will cook in the microwave. If you need an oven only to make a hot sandwich, to warm up breakfast, lunch or dinner, and if your family consists of 1-2 people, a small chamber of 13-19 litters will be enough for you. If you like to take large groups of friends and relatives, you probably need a bigger microwave – 23 litters. 28 litter ovens and more are chosen by people who are going to not only heat and defrost in the oven, but also bake meat and vegetables, cook casseroles, soups and cereals for a large family, bake pies. Such an oven, as a rule, has several additional functions (for example, grill, double boiler).
Power
The speed of cooking and energy consumption depends on the power of the microwaves. Before you purchase a stove, find out what voltage the wiring in your apartment is designed for. Keep in mind that in multi-function (combined) microwave ovens, the power of all functions are added up, so the total power of such a microwave is very high.
The power of the microwave oven can and should be regulated. It is important to know what power is needed for the preparation of certain products. You will find such information in the recipe book, which is usually attached to the microwave. After all, if you turn on the oven without setting the power, it will automatically be maximum, and this is not always useful for products that are prepared and economical for your wallet.
The approximate power for cooking and heating dishes is as follows:
- defrosting – 150-300 watts;
- keeping the finished meal hot – 80-150 W;
- quick defrost – 400-500 W;
- slow warming up or slow cooking – 550-700 W;
- fast heating and cooking – 800-900 watts
Functions
Depending on the functional filling, microwave ovens are divided into three types: just microwave, microwave with grill, microwave with convection. If you plan to use the oven only for heating, an ordinary microwave is suitable. It is inexpensive, and heats up like any other oven is more expensive. But you should remember: the larger the volume of the furnace and the more functions it has, the more expensive it is and the more electricity will be required for its operation. And electricity is also money from your pocket. Therefore, if you have a good oven in which you cook everything perfectly, you probably do not need a microwave oven with a grill.
There are two types of the grill in microwave ovens – shade and quartz. A ten (spiral) is usually located above in the working chamber, but there are models in which it is located below. She can come back and move as needed, which allows you to evenly warm the food. Quartz grill is always located in the upper part, it is motionless. Quartz grill microwave ovens are more economical, they have less power, so frying is more sparing.
Microwaves with a grill can cook in one of five different ways: microwaves, convection, microwaves and convection, microwaves and grill, grill. In this oven, you can cook many culinary masterpieces. These microwaves have an annular heating element. Air is evenly distributed throughout the chamber with a built-in fan. In the combined microwave ovens, you can bake meat, bake pies. But if you decide to purchase such a multifunctional oven, do not forget that such models are expensive, energy-intensive, bulky and heavy.
Which control type is more convenient: mechanical, button or touch?
Mechanical control of the oven is the easiest type of control. Such microwaves are easily recognizable by the characteristic round handles. One of them sets the power, the other starts the timer. The positive side of such furnaces is a simple mechanism of operation, a relatively low price, less chance of breakdowns. The minus of mechanics is that time is not set there per second but per minute. A difference of 1-2 minutes can significantly overheat the dish. This is important when preparing meals for children. Button-operated microwaves have a dial (screen), the time at which is set using the buttons. Such furnaces have an attractive appearance. There is the possibility of programming this or that way of cooking.
Touch control is similar to push-button control. The difference is that the buttons are clearly not visible – the panel is completely flat. It is possible to program the cooking process. It is not very convenient to press such buttons, but the positive point is that they do not protrude above the surface, and this facilitates cleaning of this surface, while the protruding buttons constantly accumulate dirt. Another feature of touch-controlled microwave ovens is that they break more often. Elements burn out mainly during power surges.
Interior Surface Of Microwaves
The chamber of a microwave oven can be with various surfaces: enamel, steel, antibacterial coating (bioceramics).
Antibacterial coating
This is an invention by LG. It is a special compound that is baked at a high temperature. The inside of the microwave is completely smooth. A similar coating from Moulinex is called bioceramics. It has the following advantages over other surfaces:
- high strength and scratch resistance;
- perfect smoothness;
- high resistance to tan;
- preservation of nutrients and vitamins in foods;
- the conservation of a larger (compared to other surfaces) amount of heat, therefore, less power consumption;
- easy surface cleaning.
Of the negative aspects, only the high cost of this coating can be called.
Stainless steel
This coating is beautiful and durable, it can withstand high temperatures, which is especially important for microwave ovens with grill or convection. But such a surface is more difficult to care for than an antibacterial coating, but it can be cleaned using abrasive products.
Enamel painting
The cheapest but unstable microwave coating. It does not tolerate too long preparations.
Care Of A Microwave And Tableware For Her
After choosing a microwave, immediately purchase dishes for it. After all, not every bowl or saucepan can be put in the oven. Dishes should not be treated with gold rims since such a paint contains metal, but it is electrically conductive, which means it can cause weak electric charges (the dishes will spark).
Ideal for a microwave is heat-resistant glass (withstands up to +140 degrees) or refractory (withstands temperatures up to +300 degrees). Heat-resistant glass is the most types of ceramics, porcelain, table glass, thermoplastic. Such dishes are suitable for cooking in microwave mode. For grilling or convection, it is best to use fireproof cookware. By the way, it is suitable not only for combined microwave ovens but also for electric and gas stoves. This cookware is made of special refractory glass, ceramic or porcelain. It is subjected to more complex processing during manufacture and is not afraid of high temperatures. Do not forget that heat-resistant and fireproof dishes should not be subjected to a sharp change in temperature.
Conclusion
Care of the microwave oven consists of regular cleaning of its internal and external surfaces. A microwave oven (especially its inner surface) can only be washed with products that are specifically designed for microwave ovens or dishwashing liquid. To remove dried-on food debris, place a cup of water in the center of the turntable and heat at medium power for about 10-15 minutes. To remove the smell, add lemon juice to the water.
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