How to choose a microwave oven for your home? What characteristics to pay attention to?

Do you want to feel comfortable being in your own kitchen? Dreaming of spending less time cooking? Buy a good microwave oven, and feel free to delegate some of the routine kitchen processes to it. Let's talk about all the nuances of choosing the right microwave oven.

Any household appliances are real "lifesaver" for all modern, constantly busy people. And The microwave oven is no exception in this case.

In fact, you can live well without it, cooking and heating food on the stove or in the oven, but it is with it that these processes become more automated, and, therefore, faster.

How to choose a microwave for your home and not overpay? Let's tell all about modern microwave ovens.

Types of microwaves

Note! The microwave oven got its name for a reason, because it helps to cook food with the help of microwave radiation.

Such a rather "scary" term actually means the following:

Microwave radiation penetrates deep into the products and actively affects the water molecules contained in them;
these molecules begin to fluctuate, thereby provoking heating of food;
food is cooked in an accelerated mode;
at the same time, the taste of products and their composition rich in vitamins or microelements remains unchanged.
This cannot be achieved, for example, when boiling or frying.

However, not all people consider microwave radiation safe, so they deliberately refuse to buy such a household appliance.

In fact, microwave no less "dangerous" than a smartphone, WI-FI router or computer.

Moreover, well-known manufacturers of such household appliances are constantly working to improve their safety level.

Keep in mind! All modern furnaces have practically no negative impact on the human body.

Types of microwave ovens

It would seem that such similar-looking microwaves should “be able” to do the same things. However, this is not the case, since manufacturers produce the following types of stoves:

solo model (heats and cooks only with the help of microwave radiation);
device with convection (will be useful for those who like to make a golden crust on pastries or meat products);
model with grill (may have a quartz, charcoal or heating element grill);
steam generator device (allows you to cook for a couple, as well as sterilize dishes);
inverter models ("smart" ovens independently increase or decrease the power of work).

So, in order to cook an appetizing grilled chicken at home or bake fish with vegetables in a special way, you need to purchase a microwave oven with a heating element or charcoal grill.

An appliance with a “convection” function or a technique with a quartz heater will help you bake delicious grandmother’s cheesecakes, pizza or pies.

And at the same time, an oven that combines the functions of “solo” and “steamers” will help to cook several dietary and mega-healthy dishes.

Note! The types of modern microwave ovens are not limited to this list, since today on sale you can find both models that combine convection and grilling, as well as “smart” appliances with convection.

How to choose: an overview of the main parameters

To main advantages microwave ovens include:

safety, since even children can use such a household appliance;
independence, because this technique prepares without the direct participation of a person;
utility, since food practically does not lose its value during the cooking process.

However, in order for the microwave oven to cope well with the duties assigned to it, it must be chosen correctly following the advice of professionals.

Dimensions and internal volume

All microwave ovens divided by volume into three big groups:

small or small volume - 12-19 l;
average volume - 20-25 l;
big volume - 26-38 liters.

Know! Accordingly, if the microwave in the near future will only have to heat up food and cook the most elementary dishes, for example, hot sandwiches, then you can buy the smallest model in terms of volume.

If it is planned to cook different dishes in such an oven, plus the family consists of 4 or more people, then you should pay attention to medium and large appliances.

Power

Power is not only an indicator of the rate of electricity consumption.

it also cooking speed indicator.

At the same time, a microwave oven with a limited set of functions does not need too much power.

That's why this indicator should always correspond to the "capabilities" of the furnace. For example:

if a household appliance “can” only defrost food and heat food, then it can have a power of 700 W;
if the microwave oven is equipped with a grill, then for its effective operation the device must have at least 1200 W of power;
if household appliances "know how" to cook in convection mode, then its power should vary within 1350 watts.

Should know! To correctly choose the power of such a kitchen "helper", you should pay attention not only to its functions, but also to its volume.

The higher the last indicator, and the faster (ideally) the food should be cooked, the higher the power level must be.

materials

In the microwave oven, you can heat food placed:

in porcelain dishes;
in faience plates;
in ceramic cups;
in disposable dishes;
in thick, waxed paper;
in fireproof glass dishes;
in special plastic containers.

The main thing that no "gold" or "silver" rims, as well as metal kitchen utensils did not get inside a working microwave.

Control type

The control panel of a microwave oven usually comes in three types:

mechanical;
button;
sensory.

Note! The mechanical type of control is very convenient for kindergarteners, schoolchildren and older people.

And all because only two spinning knobs force such a microwave oven to work.

The button and touch type of control is a more advanced option that allows you to independently determine the weight of the product, its cooking time and other points.

Internal coating

The inside of a microwave oven can be made from the following materials:

stainless steel;
ceramics;
enamel;
bioceramics (antibacterial coating).

It is worth noting that each of the listed types of internal coating looks aesthetically attractive, but exactly until dirt begins to accumulate in the microwave.

At the same time, drops grease from stainless steel is removed worse than from enamel or ceramics. But it is this material that is most resistant to temperature extremes.

And this means that grill and convection ovens most often have a stainless steel inner lining.

Stay up to date! In turn, bioceramics is a perfectly smooth and durable coating that is easily cleaned of dirt, but is more expensive than other materials.

Functions

A microwave oven can have both many functions and a set of 3-4 basic commands. What should an “ideal” microwave oven do?

Defrost food.
Reheat cooked food.
Prepare a specific set of foods (e.g. pizza).
Self-cleaning with steam.
Give a sound signal.

In addition, it would not be bad if this household appliance had child protection, the “odor removal” and “keep food warm” functions, as well as the “steam”, “baking” and “grill” functions. .

Where to put?

Need to know! Microwave ovens are of two types:

stand-alone;
embedded.

At first glance, it may seem that the second type of microwave is much more convenient than the first, however, this is not entirely true.

Indeed, in order for the built-in appliances to look harmonious with other household appliances and the kitchen as a whole, it is necessary to achieve a perfect match between the dimensions of the niche and the stove.

And, as practice shows, this is not possible for everyone and not always.

Therefore, if it is not possible to adjust the kitchen set for a new microwave oven, you must carefully measure the empty niche before buying a built-in model.

So called "Solo" ovens can only be built in if there is enough space around them for ventilation.

Door features

Microwave oven doors can be opened with:

buttons (on some models it is located below the touch panel, on others - on top of the door);
pens.

Important! Moreover, if most models are equipped with a door that opens to the left, then some ovens open down, as in an oven.

This is very convenient when it comes to built-in appliances, but less convenient if it is a free-standing microwave, located, for example, on a special bracket.

Additional functions

In addition to the basic functions, the microwave oven can be equipped with additional "chips".

They are not always important, however, their presence makes it possible to further facilitate the culinary processes.

So, for example, special multi-level grill allows you to cook not one in the microwave and several dishes.

The frying disc is used as a small frying pan, a the steam "container" is responsible for the preparation of healthy and dietary food.

Here's another a list of cool, but not always necessary features:

automatic weighing of products;
double microwave radiation;
dialogue communication.

Remember! In fact, many manufacturers, in an effort to increase the final cost of microwaves, are constantly supplying them with new features.

This should be taken into account when buying, since in standard situations, furnace owners rarely use all the possible functionality of such a device.

Top 6 Microwave Oven Brands

In fact, it is quite difficult to single out several leaders among microwave oven manufacturers.

After all some bribe with a low price, the second - with an ideal set of functions, and still others - with excellent quality.

It is for this reason that we will pay special attention only to those brands that produce ovens in various categories (“solo”, with a grill, with convection, etc.).

Panasonic

Panasonic NN-ST254M.
Panasonic NN-DS596M.
Panasonic NN-GD39HS.

IN VK

BBK 20MWS-728S/W or
BBK 23MWC-881T/B.
BBK 23MWG-923M/BX.

Daewoo

Daewoo Electronics KOR-6LBR.
Daewoo Electronics KOR-5A37W.
Daewoo Electronics KOC-1B4K.

Samsung

Samsung MC32K7055CK.
Samsung MS23K3515AK.
Samsung MC28H5013AW.

LG

LG MS-2042DB/ARB.
LG MH-63M38GISW.
LG MJ-3965 BIS.

Gorenje

Gorenje MO17MW.
Gorenje BM235CLI.
Gorenje BM251S7XG.

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, the following conclusions can be drawn:

A good microwave oven is sure to “know how” to heat food and defrost food.
Besides, it would not be bad if it had the "grill", "convection" and "steam generator" functions.
But if the future owner does not plan to cook in the microwave, then he does not need these "chips".
Wherein the ideal chamber volume of the device should vary between 20-25 liters, and the power indicator should fall within the range of 700-1200 watts.

Useful video

This video provides tips on how to choose a microwave for your home and what to look for:

How to choose