How To Buy A New Microwave Oven

What do you use your microwave for? In actuality, even though there is a microwave oven in almost every home, we only use them to reheat leftovers and to defrost meats. Some people may use them for popcorn or a hot dog on occasion. Other than that they seem to just sit on the counter and take up space.

Many early microwaves just were not suitable for cooking much. They were great for reheating a meal that had gotten cold or for defrosting meat that had been left in the freezer. They might even work to cook a hot dog or popcorn, but put a piece of meat in one and try to cook it. The result was usually disgusting. You ended up with gray beef that was tough and tasteless.

Microwaves of today are totally different. Now they can cook an entire dinner. You can have meats that have actually been browned on the outside and are crispy. On the inside they are still tender and flakey. Vegetables are moist and tasty. In fact the meal is just as good as if you had cooked it in or on your range.

You will not find these features in the bottom end microwaves, but if you are willing to spend about one hundred dollars more, you can get a model with all the features. That extra money will actually save you more money in the end. If you use the microwave for more cooking and the oven in your range less, you should see substantial savings each month on your power bill. The savings should pay back the initial cost in just a few months.

First you will want to decide on either the countertop model or the over the stove model. If you have enough counter space, countertop models cost less and are more convenient. They are also available with the biggest selection of features and options.

If your kitchen is small, then opt for the over the stove model. They may require professional installation and are somewhat more expensive initially, they do free up counter space. Additionally, many models also offer a vent hood over the range to keep the kitchen free of cooking odors and smoke.

Some microwaves offer a convection oven combination feature that comes in handy when cooking a full meal. Hot air is circulated around food in order to speed up the cooking and give the food a crispy crust. Convection cooking is perfect for baked goods as well as roasting meats. Other models use a quartz or halogen heating light in the microwave that browns food when needed.

Some new microwaves offer sensor cooking. The feature tests for infrared heat or steam from the food being cooked. When the food is done, the microwave automatically shuts off. No more guessing at the number of minutes to cook an item of food.

So, if you think that all a microwave is good for is defrosting and reheating, take some time to walk down the microwave aisle and see what is offered in the newest microwave ovens.