Related Products: Housewares > Kitchenware > Small Appliances
Microwave ovens use very short electromagnetic waves to cook foods in a short time-about 10 minutes per pound for most meat cuts. All basically cook the same, so it's usually a matter of selecting the right size with the right features to suit your needs.
Microwave ovens offer a variety of features including digital timer, automatic cycling defroster, variable power dial for changing cooking speed and automatic food temperature control (oven stops automatically when internal temperature of food reaches temperature set on indicator).
Other things that must be considered are:
- Placement of oven. Will you need a left-hinged or bottom hinged model?
- How about the vent? A front-vented model can be placed under an upper cabinet, but a back-vented appliance must have air space of 2" from the wall.
- Space requirements vary. Newer microwaves have been down-sized without sacrificing interior cooking space. Under-cabinet models also solve some counterspace problems.
- Kind of cooking to be done. If the oven will be used mainly for defrosting and reheating, a smaller, lower-priced, two-power model will be fine. The compact microwaves available may require slightly longer cooking times but are good for one or two-person households. A top-of-the-line model with variable power settings and temperature sensor probe is preferable for extensive, full-meal cooking. Check the wattage output, which will range from 300 to 700 watts. Cooking will take twice as long in a 300 watt, and most microwave cookbooks are written for 600 to 700 watt models.
- Timers. Since a lot of cooking will be done by counting seconds, digital timers are good.
- If it has dial timers, is one marked off in 15-second increments?
- Touch timers (those that are sensitive to finger heat) require fewer repairs than dial timers.
- Power setting. There are models with three to 10 power settings. Lower settings are needed for egg and cheese dishes, less-tender meats, baked products, softening butter, melting chocolate and defrosting. Models with phase cooking make it possible to set both low and high power at one time, which is useful for those who cannot stay with the microwave to reset the timer when switching from defrost to cook.
Many models are also equipped with a memory function. Users can preset the time an oven turns on, at what power and for how long. This feature is particularly useful for families where both parents work outside the home-meals can be cooking with nobody in the kitchen.
In addition to cooking foods from scratch, the oven is also useful for heating beverages, soups, precooked casseroles, sandwiches, leftovers, canned vegetables and baked goods.
Microwave ovens are a safe and convenient appliance, provided that you know and follow some guidelines:
- Do not tamper with the safety interlocks, which prevent a microwave oven from operating when the door is open. Operation with the door open may result in harmful exposure to microwave energy.
- Do not place any object between the oven front face and door or allow soil or cleaner residue to accumulate on sealing surfaces.
- Do not operate if unit has damaged door (bent), hinges or latches (broken or loosened), door seals or sealing surfaces.
- Microwaves should be adjusted or repaired only by properly qualified service personnel.
- To clean, use a mild detergent, water and a soft cloth. Microwave cleaner specifically for microwaves is also available.
- Odors can be eliminated from inside by boiling a solution of one cup of water and several tablespoons of lemon juice in the oven for five to seven minutes.
Related Products: Housewares > Kitchenware > Small Appliances |
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