Many may still think that the microwave oven you have in the kitchen of your home is merely there to be used as a small help for cooking, like to cook a side dish or for when you are in a hurry and don’t have time to cook a big meal. Many may still only use a microwave to reheat leftovers from last night’s dinner, or to cook a frozen microwave dinner after a long day. The rest of the family is out for the night, so you leave the cooking on the stove or in the oven for the night, and opt to cook yourself something simple in the microwave instead. Some may only use their microwave oven to cook instant popcorn, or microwave porridge, or perhaps heat up a mug of chocolate milk.
Cook full meals using only your microwave
If you are used to only using your microwave for very small tasks you may be very interested and surprised that nowadays with today’s newest models, the variety of foods you are able in cook in your microwave oven have greatly increased. You can even cook almost any type of foods in some ovens.
How to choose the right microwave oven:
Choosing the right microwave oven for your home can be a little tricky. You need to think about what meals you would like to cook often in your microwave as well as thinking about the style and size of the model. If you decide upon a countertop model you need to be sure you have adequate counter space for the oven as some full sized ovens can get quite large. There’s also the option of choosing an over-the-range or built-in unit, so you will have to think about which design would best suit your kitchen and your usage. Then you have to consider whether to get a compact, mid-sized or full-sized unit, and the features each model comes with.
Cooking veggies in the microwave can really help you cut down your cooking times
Compact, mid-sized or a full-sized microwave:
If you only plan to use your microwave for small and simple tasks like reheating leftovers or cooking popcorn, than a compact design with standard features may be all you need. Those wanting to cook many meals in their microwave oven may prefer to opt for a mid or full sized model with a higher wattage for fast cooking times, and a large interior to accommodate larger dishes such as a casserole. As an example, if you are the type of person who wants to still use the stove and the oven, but at the same time use the microwave to assist you in cooking larger meals, you could keep your eye out for features that will help you in this task as much as possible. Fast and thorough defrosting would be a great feature to look for, as well as microwave model which cooks foods very evenly. Food cooked evenly in the microwave means the heat is distributed evenly throughout the food, but it can also mean the foods taste better too, as the moisture, juices and flavor are kept within foods.
Those wanting to cook many meals in their microwave oven, in particular cooking large items or multiple dishes at once will prefer to opt for a full-sized unit with a large turntable and a spacious interior. Generally speaking the mid and full-sized models available offer a lot more features than the compact models and therefore result it a faster cooked and better tasting meal. The variety of foods you are able to cook in the unit increases also.
What about a convection microwave oven:
Bake cupcakes and muffins in a convection microwave oven
Another choice in microwave ovens which Is becomingly more popular of late, with smaller apartments and less time to spend in the kitchen is the convection microwave oven. This type of microwave has the ability to completely replace your standard conventional oven. I know that is quite hard to believe, that you could cook everything you would normally cook in your regular oven in a microwave instead, but many people praise the convection microwave and have fantastic results with it.
You can bake foods as you would in a normal oven such as baked bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, and baked vegetables. You can roast foods such as steak, vegetables and whole chicken. And you can even broil foods such as fish. The results are quite amazing too, with many owners of this type of microwave stating that the foods turn out exactly like they would when coming out of a conventional oven or in some cases even better.
Microwave oven reviews:
When shopping for a new microwave model it may help to read up on some microwave oven reviews of the best models available. This can help you to narrow down your search as you may find it a little overwhelming to see so many different types of models, all with different features, sizes, styles and functions. You may feel you don’t know where to begin. So if you are not sure where to start or what exactly to look for I recommend choosing a couple of the most popular models that look like they may interest you, reading detailed reviews of each model and going from there. I found one website which I found to be very helpful. I like this one as it doesn’t have reviews on all the models available, just a select few of the best and most popular units so I didn’t find it overwhelming at all. It also lists both the pros and cons of each model to help you decide on a model. You can find it here it’s called: Microwave Oven Reviews at microwaveoven-reviews.net.
Having the right microwave oven in your kitchen can work wonders in improving your meals, your cooking times, and your life (which all that extra time you will have!). It really depends upon each person as to which design is the best for them. Some people such as college students, young adults, singles and seniors may prefer a compact and simple microwave oven. Those that love to cook many meals in their kitchen however, may find this type of model a little limiting and may prefer a mid or full sized unit with a lot of features including automatic sensor cooking options. A convection microwave oven is not for everyone and it is more costly as it works as a regular oven also with convection cooking modes, but you may find for your needs that this is a worthwhile investment. Happy Hunting!
Home Cooking Tips 