The Different Types Of Microwave Ovens

Since microwaves are present in almost every home across the country, it is now safe to say that this appliance is a great American kitchen staple. While it cannot (or it isn’t designed to) replace the conventional gas range, it provides users a good and more convenient way to heat and reheat their food in case they need a quick meal.

There are actually five types of microwave ovens – convection, over-the-range or built-in, countertop, commercial, and combination ovens. The type you should buy for your home will actually depend on different factors like the available space in your kitchen, your cooking needs, the microwave’s design, and many other factors. To assist you in choosing the microwave that’s right for you, here are the different microwave oven types and their pros and cons:

Countertop
This is good for those who have larger or wider kitchen countertop. While this type of microwaves are less costly compared to other types, they do eat up much of the space in your counter. This is also easy to operate; you simply need to plug it into the wall plug and you can start heating or cooking your meals.

Convection
Such microwave type combines traditional microwave technology with heat energy to let you roast, brown, and grill your food. Aside from the heating element it comes equipped with, this type also contains a fan to facilitate hot air circulation. These elements make this type of oven a real energy saver and a unit that produces even cooking temperatures, thereby, tasty food.

Over-the-range and built-in
If your countertop is a bit crowded and you can’t just make a room for a countertop microwave, a built-in or over-the-range oven can be the best option. Yes, this type of microwave won’t eat up that valuable countertop space; however, you need to hire a pro just to have your oven installed properly. Because of their features plus the installation cost, built-in and over-the-range microwaves generally come more expensive.

Combination
Combination ovens are smaller than other types but they do heat up food way faster than traditional models. The advantage of this type of microwave is it gives you the flexibility to switch between modes, enabling you to heat food the way you do in a convection or a conventional oven.

Commercial
Designed for commercial use especially in office buildings, restaurants, and other public places, commercial ovens usually come bulky and they are often outfitted with anti-theft feature. They are made incredibly powerful and perfectly built for heavy use.

Microwaves can also be classified according to their capacities. There are compact microwaves, medium capacity microwaves, and large capacity microwaves. Compact units are usually less than 18 inches wide, 14 inches deep, and 12 inches tall and their capacity is less than one cubic foot. The wattage of such units ranges from 500 to 1000 watts. Medium capacity microwaves come with a width of 20 inches or more and with capacities of 1 – 1.5 cubic feet. Such type usually has auto-cook features that are not common in compact units.

Large capacity microwaves, on the other hand, come with a plethora of cook features plus more accurate temperature controls. These large microwaves can cook even your entire meals. It comes with more than 2000 power watts and more than two cubic feet capacity.