The microwave oven is a relatively small kitchen appliance. It can fit on top of your kitchen counter or above your standard stove and requires very little room. The microwave ovens built today are faster than ovens built even 5 years ago.
Microwave ovens are energy efficient and speedy when it comes to roasting even the largest cut of meat. A microwave uses almost half of the electricity that a standard oven uses, making your electric bill smaller every time you switch from the oven to the microwave. All of these benefits make it easy to see why every household should have a microwave oven.
If you are like most of the world, you are a busy person. Working outside of your home makes it difficult to spend time defrosting, cooking and serving a healthy meal each day of the week. Many of us spend more and more of our money eating out during the week because we just do not have the time to cook a healthy meal.
A microwave oven can drastically reduce the time required to defrost and cook a complete dinner. Rather than having to remember to remove a roast from the freezer to defrost at 6 o’clock in the morning, you can wait until you get home from work to defrost the roast. Having this freedom also makes it easier to pick a meal that your whole family will enjoy. You do not have to spend as much time planning your dinner because whatever you have in your freezer will be ready to go when you need it.
Microwaves are also perfect for reheating leftover meals. You can cook several dinners on one day and freeze them for use later in the week. Many people choose to cook several casseroles on Sunday, freeze them and then serve them Monday through Friday. This makes the worry over what to cook for dinner a thing of the past.
Your microwave can defrost the casserole and reheat it in less time that it takes to initially prepare the casserole. This makes preparing a quick meal almost effortless. It also saves you the exhausting decision of what to make for dinner. If your dinners are already prepped, just microwave them and they are ready to go.
Every household should have a microwave oven because they are extremely energy efficient. Microwaves use almost half of the energy required to run your standard oven. They are also great at keeping the heat inside the microwave rather than heating your entire kitchen like a normal oven would. This means you will save money while using the microwave and save money because your air conditioner will not have to make up for that hot kitchen air.
Microwave Ovens and Energy Efficiency
While almost every home in the United States has a microwave oven, many people still use their standard stove for the majority of cooking and baking. These days, with the push for more energy efficient appliances and home improvements, a microwave oven can be your best friend in the kitchen. Most modern microwave ovens cost 50 to 60% less to operate than a standard oven. This energy savings can add up to a nice cost savings when your next electric bill shows up in the mailbox.
Microwave ovens have a few advantages over standard ovens and other kitchen appliances. The magnetron tube that emits microwaves in your oven is pretty energy efficient all on its own. Microwave ovens that have been built in the last several years are also extremely well insulated. This means that the oven retains almost all of the heat that it produces. This is in stark contrast with a standard oven that can actually heat a whole kitchen during its use.
Minimal oven use in the summer months always helps to keep your cooling bill down. While a standard oven heats your kitchen, remember that your air conditioning system is working hard to keep your entire house cool. A microwave does not emit heat, so your air conditioner will not even notice that you are cooking.
Microwave ovens also take a minimal amount of space in the kitchen, adding to their efficiency by not stealing a large chunk of your kitchen real estate. A regular sized oven can be almost thirty inches wide and almost that deep. Standard ovens weigh 200 pounds or more and cannot be moved easily.
A microwave oven, on the other hand, is light enough for you to place under the counter when not in use. Most microwave ovens are designed to be placed on the counter top so you most likely will not have to move them, but it is nice to know that you can.
As far as operating cost, a microwave oven makes a standard oven or even a toaster oven look expensive. A medium power microwave oven will cost about 0.4 cents to operate for 15 minutes on high power.
Remember that your food cooks so much faster in a microwave oven than a standard oven that most meals will be finished in that short period of time. For example, cook a casserole in the standard oven and you will be in your kitchen for at least an hour. Cook that same casserole in the microwave and the cooking time is much shorter.
When it comes to power, a microwave oven uses less electricity to create heat than any other kitchen appliance and is considered to be one of the most energy efficient appliances that you can purchase for your home.
What is The Foods that Shouldn’t Be Microwaved
In today’s amazingly fast-paced world, the microwave oven is a huge time saver. Imagine that you head off to work in the morning and remember that you have not taken anything out of the freezer to cook for dinner. Thanks to your handy microwave oven you can remove the frozen food from the freezer, pop it into the microwave oven, hit the defrost button and you are well on your way to a home-cooked meal. The microwave is even perfect for cooking that meal. From a whole pot roast to a tray of steamed vegetables, it seems as if there is nothing that you cannot cook in your microwave oven.
Although there are an endless variety of foods that can be cooked in a microwave, there are also several that you should avoid placing in that handy little oven. Foods that are dangerous when heated unevenly are best to keep out of the microwave oven. Avoid placing baby food jars or baby formula in the microwave oven to heat them. Because a microwave does not heat all foods evenly, hot spots can occur in the baby food or formula. These hot spots can cause severe burns to the inside of the mouth and hands when they go unnoticed. It is always best to warm your baby food or formula by soaking the bottle in hot water or by using a warmer rather than heating them in a microwave oven.
Breast milk and other milk products are also foods that you should avoid heating in the microwave. Studies have shown that using the microwave oven to heat these products causes small changes in the structure of the milk. Scientists believe that these changes may not be dangerous to your health, but they might cause the milk to lose some of its natural vitamin or mineral content. Using the microwave to reheat breast milk or heat milk in a baby bottle should always be avoided because steam can build up within the sealed bottle. The steam can cause an explosion when the bottle is removed from the oven and exposed to cold air.
There are several foods that can be cooked in a microwave oven but will not have the optimal flavor if a microwave is used for the recipe. Foods like bread and biscuits or rolls should not be microwaved for any extended period of time. Bread, rolls and biscuits tend to become overheated very quickly and will harden when reheated in the microwave. If you must warm a roll in the microwave oven, use the shortest time period and lowest power option available. This will ensure that your roll comes out nice and hot but does turn as hard as a rock!
Top 5 best Microwave oven Buying guide
1. IFB 23 L Convection Microwave Oven (23BC4, Black+Floral Design)
Let Fermentation feature in IFB 23BC4 Convection Microwave Oven take care of yoghurt preparation. With deodorise/steam/disinfect, your appliance and utensil will be clean no matter how frequently you use this appliance. And with a 40 percent saving on power, look no further.
Note:Incase of any issue with the product, kindly contact brand at 1800 3000 5678.
- 23L Capacity:Suitable for families with 3 to 4 members
- Convection: Can be used for baking along with grilling, reheating, defrosting and cooking
- Warranty: 1 year on Product & 3 years on Magnetron & Cavity
- Brand provides a starter kit with this product
- Control: Touch Key Pad (Membrane) is sensitive to touch and easy to clean
- Child Lock: Ensures complete safety especially for homes with small children
- Special features: 71 auto cook menu options, steam clean
The Panasonic NN-CT254BFDG Convection Microwave has a load capacity of 20 L and lets you cook delicious food for your family and friends. This microwave has a tough body that makes it durable. In addition, its defrost feature lets you defrost frozen food instantly. 20 L Capacity 800 W Power Output Glass turntable and black mirror door type Membrane control type.
- 20 L : Great for a family of 3
- Grill : Can be used for grilling along with defrosting, reheating and cooking food
- Touch Key Pad (Membrane) is sensitive to touch and easy to clean
- Child Lock : Ensures complete safety especially for homes with small children
- Starter Kit : Containers that can be used with Microwave
Preparing food for office potlucks, picnics, and family dinner can become a whole lot easier if you invest in this Onida convection microwave oven. Featuring 66 Auto Cook Menus, this oven allows you to easily cook a wide range of delicious food. Features like Integrated Calorie Meter ensures that you can watch your weight while you eat yummy food.