Microwave Oven Reviews: Read Them First Before Buying

Microwave ovens are a staple to the kitchens, so it is not surprising that you will see them in many different stacks of brands competing against each other. Many types are available in the market, so when buying one, it becomes easy to get confused what to pick. Added to that is the fact that each brand offers different features, special functions and advantages. There are lots to consider and there are lots to review. But speaking of review, one good way to do shopping better is to read microwave oven reviews.

Reading reviews will help you tell which product is best or will allow you to know which appliance would suit your needs. Reviews are also a big help to know which one is not worth it spending your dime over. They tell each and every advantage and disadvantage so that when you are doing your shop, you know what to avoid and you know what to consider picking.

Product reviews are usually created by the people who already used the product and share the experience they get from doing so. Some creators of the reviews might come from the party that is being paid by the manufacturer but some others can come from that of the competitor. There are professional individuals who made articles for the purpose of marketing the product brand while there are also those consumers who wrote them for the sheer purpose of sharing their firsthand experience they acquired from using it.

Others are provided by the professional critic so reviews are made more unbiased with the performance, efficiency, functions, and others as mainly the factors why people should or should not be buying that certain product brand. Regardless of which, it is really up to the consumers to find the legitimate and genuine product reviews in order to find sufficient and proper information about certain merchandise.

With different people talking about the product, there varying opinions available starting from the more professional, calculated ones to the honest, sincere ones. You can find microwave oven reviews that offer pros and cons of the product brands from different forms of media like magazines and television shows. Another source is from online magazines or websites.

The internet is one good avenue to turn to since this is where lots of sources of different kinds of reviews can be found thereby giving you a plethora of opinions and views on different product types and brands. It is easier and more convenient to use the internet to find reviews as they come from different kinds of authors and not only from professional critics, as like those on the magazines.

Looking into microwave oven reviews first before going to shop is a wise move if you want your money put into a good investment. It will never hurt to spend an hour or two or even more over the internet to read these articles. You will not regret later if what you find is not only a quality brand product but that appliance that has features just perfect for your needs and preference.

Saving the Environment Through Microwaves

Being eco-friendly seems to be the "in" thing in the last 5-10 years. While it is difficult to determine the extent to which the whole human population is destroying the planet, each of us can contribute in our own small ways. Which brings us to the topic of microwaves.

Despite some raised concerns about the dangers of microwaves, more and more people are getting convinced about its benefits to the environment. What I like about this concept is the fact that we don't have to sacrifice efficiency in cooking to create an impact, however small it may be, to the tenets of green living. Using microwaves can save us a lot of time, and that is always a plus when we consider the fast-paced world that we're living in.

According to the Department of Energy, cooking only takes up to 3% of a household's energy consumption. Energy consumption by lighting or for entertainment purposes takes the bulk of how much energy we use. But if you can chop down a little from the total amount of our home's energy consumption, why not do it anyway? After all, microwave ovens are much more efficient than conventional ovens, not to mention more fun to use.

Let's make some comparisons between cooking devices, and perhaps we could throw on the table a little math as well. By rule of thumb, 60% of conventional ovens are powered by electricity, not gas. Now consider the fact that microwave ovens are far more efficient than conventional ovens. If we throw into the equation the 3000 wattage generated by conventional ovens as opposed to 600 watts to 1650 watts by microwave ovens, you can pretty much discern the discrepancy of energy saved when using the latter. Taking into account the efficiency of a microwave oven compared to a convection oven in terms of cooking food only makes the result more exponential. Hence, a University in Bristol came up with the exact figures after doing an experiment, coming up with a conclusion that microwaves save 30% energy over conventional ovens.

The energy saved through the use of microwaves is even more evident when cooking in small portions. One experiment in Sweden, for example, has found out that cooking through conventional ovens used 9.5 more energy as that generated by microwaves after cooking a small but same amount of potatoes in the two kitchen devices under the same conditions. So if you're cooking big meals - a roast turkey or a big chunk of potatoes, for example - it's perfectly alright to use a traditional method of cooking, especially if the food is not fit for microwaves.

There are a slew of other advantages in using microwaves. For one, microwaves don't generate as much indoor pollution as traditional methods of cooking do. Also, microwaves don't emit hot steam that causes the room temperature to go down, alleviating the need for air conditioning and ventilation fixtures.

So you see, there are many reasons to have a microwave oven in your kitchen. Microwaves not only benefit the environment, they also improve the quality of our lives.

Conventional Versus Convection Microwaves

Almost all of America's kitchens today own a microwave, but if you are among the few who are still thinking of buying one, then you have to at least know what type would serve your purpose of buying one. There are a lot of brands in the market to choose from, each having varied designs and sizes. However, if you are still a novice, the first thing you should know about is the difference between conventional and convection microwaves.

Why do you want a microwave? If you just want to stuff your food into it and reheat, then a conventional microwave is the right one for you. It is capable of releasing microwaves that are being absorbed by the fats and sugars that are present in the food, therefore, heating your food up.

If you want a do-it-all kind of oven, then a convection microwave is the answer. It functions the same way as the conventional one, but with added perks. Not only would you be able to reheat or defrost your food, but you can also do some baking and cooking with it. It's like having two cooking appliances in the price of one.

The difference lies in the way both of the ovens are built. Convection microwaves have built-in fans at their backs, which unfortunately, conventional ones lack of. The fan circulates the heat inside the oven, resulting to an even distribution of heat to the food.

In a conventional oven, the heat is blocked either by the pan or the pot that contains the food. Since the heat just moves in a one-dimensional direction, the parts of the food that are blocked by its container become undercooked.

A convection microwave does not only quicken your cooking time, it is also capable of thoroughly cooking your food at lower temperatures. You can save an estimated 20 minutes of your time if you cook your food inside a convection oven as compared to the food's normal cooking time. Lesser cooking time translates to more efficiency and more energy saved!

Convection microwaves are more versatile because of the multiple options that it can provide its user. Multiple cooking options are available depending on your cooking needs. It can do everything that a conventional one does, and you can even just switch off the convection option if you just want the basic modes.

Majority of the households are already used to having a conventional microwave, as it does not fail to serve them its basic purpose of reheating and cooking food in one go. If you're just starting to own a microwave, it will be no sweat to learn about how it works. Also, since you just have the common settings, a conventional oven is definitely cheaper as compared to a convection microwave.

At the end of the day, it still boils down to your personal preference when choosing among microwaves. Just make sure that when you buy a convection microwave, you'll be able to use it fully. Otherwise, the hefty price tag will just be put to waste.

Keeping Kids Safe From Microwaves

I consider the microwave oven one of the best inventions in the 20th century. For a few decades now, microwaves have been regular fixtures in American kitchens. After all, the microwave oven is far more efficient than conventional cooking machines, and that makes it more advantageous now that people are always in a hurry.

Operating a microwave oven is easy as pie (no pun intended); even small kids won't have a difficult time doing it themselves. Hence, parents should be aware of the proper usage of microwaves, as well as the red signals that lead to accidents, in order to keep their kids safe from the possible hazards.

Keep Baby's Milk Away From Microwaves

A study in Minnesota confirmed the risks that are involved in cooking baby's milk in microwaves. Firstly, the microwaves issuing from a microwave oven can pass through containers, and that includes baby bottles. After cooking, the container may still feel cool to the touch, and this can hoodwink us into thinking that the milk inside is of the same temperature. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict the outcome if a baby were to make a grab for that seemingly cool baby bottle. And lastly, the milk can lose some of its nutrients and protective properties when cooked inside a microwave, not to mention the BPE that can be released once the container is heated.

Avoid Superheating Liquids

Water is considered superheated once it goes past its boiling point but without the bubbles that are usually associated with boiling. This usually happens when boiling water in a microwave oven. Since the steam cannot be released outside the container, surface tension in the liquid builds up. If water got disturbed through moving, the superheated water could burst and cause scalding to children in close proximity with it.

You can avoid this from occurring by placing any small wooden implement in the water before the actual boiling. The best advice probably is to set a time limit that does not exceed more than 2 minutes when boiling water.

Stay Away From Microwave Radiations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors each and every microwave oven that are being sent out for commercial use to ensure that the amount of radiation they emit are far below the level that is known to harm people. The limit is 5 mill watts of radiation per square centimeter at a distance of approximately 2 inches from the oven's surface. Also, there's a significant drop in the amount of radiation when moving away even by a very short distance.

However, it always pays to be safe. A microwave oven might have defects that are not easily discernible. Always make sure that the door seal and oven cavity is free from dirt or any cloying substances. Checking for any physical damages to the inner surfaces where the door and the door seals meet are also suggested to make sure that there's no gap where radiation can pass through.

And finally, never allow your children to be in close proximity with the oven when it is operating. And finally, don't allow small children to operate the microwaves especially if you're using a counter top.