The invention of the microwave oven has had a huge impact on the way that Americans eat. Who can live without a microwave oven today? Hectic lifestyles have made microwave ovens extremely helpful for quick food preparation. Microwaves cook food quickly, and they are ideal for reheating leftovers. Following is an explanation of microwave ovens to help you purchase the right microwave oven based on you or your family’s needs.

Types of Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens are available in many sizes and types. Microwave ovens can be small, tabletop models, or models that are higher capacity models that are built into cabinetry. Some of the larger microwave ovens also double as a convection oven, which “bakes” food similar to a regular oven.

There are three general sizes of microwave ovens. Compact microwaves are portable and primarily used to reheat food and cook popcorn. Medium-capacity microwave are slightly larger than compact models, but they can fit larger bowls, and consequently are able cook more food at once. They cook at a slightly faster rate than compact microwaves. Large-capacity microwaves can cook full meals. They can manage large casserole dishes, and can even cook large cuts of meat such as small roasts. They have more features including more accurate temperature settings.

The compact and medium capacity microwaves are almost always countertop models. The larger capacity microwaves are often built into the kitchen cabinetry.

Ratings

There are several microwave models and a score of features in larger microwave oven models. www.wize.com/microwaveovens provides a score for each model, and you can read the reviews behind the scores to get the complete picture of customer satisfaction.

Technical Specifications

The technical specifications of microwave ovens include levels of power, and touch pad features dependent on size and capacity. Compact microwave ovens operate from 500 to 1,000 watts of power, and have less than one cubic foot of capacity. Medium-size microwaves can run from 1,000 to 1,500 watts, with inside space between 1 and 1.5 cubic feet of capacity. Larger capacity microwave ovens most often operate over 2,000 watts and have more than 2 cubic feet of capacity.

Where to shop

You can buy microwave ovens in most large appliance stores. While it is crucial to view microwave ovens and their specific features in person, it is very helpful to first check out the models and features online. This will give you a good idea of the type of microwave oven you are most interested in, and you may find the best prices online.

Designs

Microwave ovens generally seem the same, except for size, color or interior materials. Some bigger microwaves with a convection oven have stainless steel exteriors and / or interiors. Microwave ovens with greater capacity will have more options on the touch pad control panel. The set-up of the control panels can vary also.

Price

Prices of microwave ovens can change from about $60 to more than $700. The smaller countertop models will be the less expensive models, while the built-in, over-the-range models are the priciest.

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