The microwave oven is the kitchen essential that would grill, bake, roast, and how can we forget, reheat the food for you. A microwave takes up very little space in your kitchen, but plays a huge role in your everyday life.
Invented by accident in 1945, this small kitchen appliance is proving to be one of the most wonderful accidents of all time. But to make sure you don’t choose the wrong option by accident, you need to be very careful during the selection process.
Types of Microwave ovens
Three major microwave ovens are Solo, Grill, and Convection.
Solo Microwave
A solo microwave oven is a basic model that you can buy if you don’t require complex cooking. It is ideal for steaming vegetables, and reheating or defrosting food. It’s among the most inexpensive options available in the market.
Grill Microwave
A grill microwave gives an additional feature of grilling vegetables and meat apart from all the standard features a solo microwave provides. It also allows you to use the grill and the oven separately as well as together.
Convection Oven
A convection oven is a model that uses a fan and a heating element to evenly cook and grill the food. It is ideal for baking bread, roasting meat and other foods, and cooking a number of meals. If you desire to make pizza at home, this is the model you need to go with.
Let’s look at what the different models can do, so you can choose the one according to your needs.
| Type of Requirement | Solo Microwave | Grill Microwave | Convection Microwave |
| Reheat | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Defrost | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grill | No | Yes | Yes |
| Roast | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bake | No | Yes | Yes |
| Make Pizza | No | No | Yes |
Price
The price of a microwave oven depends on the type and capacity. The capacity depends upon your family size and cooking requirements. Let’s take a look at the price ranges of different models:
| Microwave Type | Family Size | Ideal Capacity | Price Range |
| Solo Microwave | Couples; Nuclear Families | 15-20 Liters | Rs.5,000 – Rs.7,500 |
| Solo Microwave | Joint Families | 25-30 Liters | Up to Rs.8,000 |
| Grill Microwave | Couples; Nuclear Families | 21-30 Liters | Rs.7,000 – Rs.10,000 |
| Grill Microwave | Joint Families | >32 Liters | Rs.12,000 – Rs.18,000 |
| Convection Microwave | Couples; Nuclear Families | 21-30 Liters | Rs.7,000 – Rs.10,000 |
| Convection Microwave | Joint Families | >32 Liters | Rs.12,000 – Rs.18,000 |
Control Panel
Since now you understand the various types and what they have to offer, let’s take a look at the control panel of your microwave and its features to help you narrow down the search for your ideal model.
| Control Panel Type | Features |
| Mechanical Control Panel | Easy to use, can handle rough usage, long-lasting |
| Feather Touch Control Panel | Easy to use, aesthetic design, present in high-end models |
| Tact Dial-Type Control Panel | Can handle rough usage, present in low-end models |
Features of a Microwave
The absolute cooking appliance has these absolute must-haves:
- Auto cook menu that automatically sets the time and power once you select the dish you want to prepare.
- Defrost function to unfreeze your food easily.
- Preheat feature to set a temperature before cooking specific recipes.
- A timer button to time your cooking program.
- A child lock.
This all-rounder of a kitchen appliance is used all ’round the year and thus is prone to electrical and mechanical wear and tear. Although the manufacturer’s warranty covers this, it’s recommended that you opt for extended warranty plans with the microwave model.