Best Microwave Oven in India – Bake Effortlessly

10 Important factors to consider before selecting a microwave oven

First, you need to understand the different types of microwave ovens in the market. Though convection ovens and microwave ovens are standard basic types, companies such as IFB, LG, Samsung, Morphy Richards, Bajaj, Godrej, and AmazonBasics, design and market ovens in various permutations and combinations as listed below.

Types Of Microwave Oven:
1. Solo microwave oven
2. Convection microwave oven
3. Grill microwave oven
4. Convection grill microwave oven
5. Oven toaster grill (OTG) oven

Now how do you decide which type of microwave oven is the best for you? To know that, you must consider the factors below. Each of them plays a critical role in deciding the best microwave oven and the price range.

Here you go.

#1 Kitchen aesthetics– Before setting out to buy a microwave oven, you need to figure out where it would fit in your kitchen. Kitchen aesthetics and ergonomics are very important if you want cooking to remain a labor of love and not a burden. The microwave oven you want to purchase must have the right color, capacity, size, housing material, functionality, and optimal storage location. So ensure you appraise the dimension of the countertop location or wall mount area and other ergonomic factors before buying your microwave oven.

#2 Capacity and Dimension – The capacity of the oven plays a critical role in deciding if the oven is best for you. If you have a small family, you can choose a 19 liter, 20 liter, or 23 liter microwave oven. But if your family is medium-sized or large, you need to settle for microwaves that have over 30 liter capacity. Brands such as Samsung, IFB, and LG are experts in large microwaves with 30 to 40 litre capacity.
Also, dimensions such as length, breadth, height, and weight of the microwave oven are important when you consider its location in your kitchen. An oversized oven that doesn’t fit properly in the allotted kitchen space is such an eyesore. It hampers the smooth functioning, cleanliness, and health of other functions in the kitchen. Ensure you choose a microwave oven with the right capacity and dimension.

#3 Wattage – The higher the wattage, the greater will be its cooking efficiency and faster will be the cooking time. When the wattage is lesser, the cooking efficiency and time will decrease. A microwave oven with 1000 Watts power is ideal for quick cooking and energy efficiency. Though ovens with lesser watts could cost less, it makes sense for you to choose ones with higher wattage.

#4 Warranty – Checking for a good warranty is very important. It gives you the privilege to rest assured that your malfunctions are rectified at no cost. Most microwave ovens come with a 1 year warranty on the product and a 3 or more years warranty on the magnetron and cavity. However, you can look out for ones such as Samsung, IFB, and Godrej that offer higher warranty coverage.

#5 Price – Price is a critical factor when it comes to choosing the best microwave oven. In India, good basic microwave ovens start at around 4000 Rupees. When the capacity and features increase, the price increases as well. As a prudent customer, you need to compare and contrast price points and their corresponding features before choosing the best microwave oven. There are several discounts, installment,s and no-cost EMI options available that will help you pay at your ease and convenience.

#6 Facilities and features – Preprogrammed features are deal makers and breakers when it comes to microwave ovens. Brands such as IFB, Samsung, LG, Bajaj, Godrej, and Morphy Richards offer a wide range of user friendly features, cooking settings, power levels, quartz heater grills, energy saving options, and safety functionalities such as child lock and overheating protectors. They come with timers, temperature controls, and even auto cook menu choices for Indian and international cooking. So you need to carefully evaluate all these facilities, features, and power consumption levels before settling down on the best microwave oven.

#7 Noise – Microwave ovens usually do not make much noise. However, if there is a loud humming noise or a buzzing sound, it means that there is something wrong with the magnetron. So be careful when it comes to noise.

#8 Safety – Microwaving is a safe cooking method provided you use microwave-safe utensils. But to further improve the safety factor, microwave ovens are equipped with child lock facilities, overheat protection sensors, and customized power levels, among several others. When you are buying a microwave oven, ensure it has maximum safety features.

#9 Ventilation and maintenance – Microwave ventilation is very important as it generates a lot of heat, odor, and moisture. So check out if the microwave oven you choose has sufficient vents or fans for air circulation. Frequent cleaning and good ventilation extend the life span of the oven. So make sure that the microwave is well ventilated and easy to clean and maintain.

#10 Inverter tech– Some microwave ovens use inverter technology for their power supply. Though it is considered to be energy efficient, customers usually prefer non-inverter microwave ovens for their price, life, and power efficiency.

Know the difference between microwave oven, OTG, and convection oven

Confused about the different oven types available in the market?

Let us clear the air for you. Ovens usually are available in three types, convection oven, microwave oven, and OTG oven. To understand them better let us first look into what each is, and the difference between them.

1. Convection oven

Also known as a fan-assisted oven, the convection oven has powerful fans and exhaust systems that circulate air around the food. This air circulation generates hot air that perfectly roasts, bakes, and cooks food. Ideal for multi-rack cooking, the convection oven runs on gas or electricity and can cook evenly and fast. Its price range is quite moderate.

2. Microwave oven

 A microwave oven is one of the best kitchen appliances that help cooking and reheating in no time. It emits special electromagnetic radiation that heats food inside out. Microwave ovens are mostly preferred over other cooking methods as they retain beneficial nutrients and use electricity efficiently. In their solo form, microwaves have low price ranges as they cannot do baking or grilling. But when combined with convection ovens and grills, they can work wonders, especially with multiple auto cook options (Indian and international) and features in baking, grilling, reheating, defrosting, and much more.

3. OTG

The Oven, Toaster, Grill (OTG) combines all the functions of a traditional oven but in a smaller form. It takes much lesser setup time and uses heated coils to cook meals. The inbuilt thermostat helps in regulating the temperature so that the food is cooked or heated evenly. The price of OTG differs according to the brand. Samsung and LG have higher price ranges when compared to Morphy Richards.

⇨ Difference between convection, microwave, and OTG ovens

Microwave ovens emit electromagnetic radiation that vibrates and cooks the food from inside out, whereas the convection oven’s fan heats and cooks the food from the outside. The OTG uses an electric coil that evenly cooks, grills, and roasts food. Microwaves excel in uniform heating, reheating, cooking, and defrosting, while the convection models are experts in grilling, baking, roasting, browning, and crisping food. An OTG can grill, bake and toast but cannot reheat and defrost effectively.

Microwave ovens cook quickly and safely when compared to convection and OTG ovens. As it has preprogrammed settings, timer, removable racks, and sensors, the microwave does not overcook, and so enables nutrient retention in any type of food. It does not emit much heat and noise and is easy to use and is more portable than convection and OTG ovens. Today ovens come in a combination of convection and grill microwaves that offer much more features and convenience.

How do microwave ovens work?

Despite the many misconceptions, microwave ovens are very popular right from the mid 90s when Percy Spencer invented them. It is very easy to use and cooks nutritious food in no time. Now that you are ready to buy the best microwave oven in India, it helps if you know how its works.
Here’s your insider view into how microwave ovens function.

Microwave ovens reheat and cook by exposing the food items to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This makes the polar molecules in the food produce thermal energy that vibrates and heats food quickly and efficiently.

Inside the oven, there is a microwave generator called the magnetron. When you switch on the oven, the magnetron takes in electricity and converts it into high-powered radio waves. The magnetron blasts these waves into the food compartment through the waveguide. The food on the glass turntable, spins around so that the microwaves can cook it evenly. The microwaves move all over the reflective metal walls of the food compartment to uniformly cook the food.

Microwave radiation excites the fluid content in food more strongly. As most foods have high liquid content in the innermost parts, it gets cooked first. That’s why it looks as if microwave ovens cook food inside out.

How to clean a microwave oven?

Microwave ovens are highly susceptible to splutters, stains, and odors. Over time the microwave oven interiors can develop tough dirt and grease build up if you don’t clean the oven regularly. You need to ensure the cleanliness of the turntable, cavity, handle, exterior housing, and interiors. A clean microwave oven increases the life span and safety of the appliance.

Don’t know what’s the best way to clean your microwave oven without spending a bomb on cleaning products?

Chill, you can use normal everyday kitchen ingredients to keep your microwave oven sparkling spotless. All you need is a couple of lemon slices, baking soda, and white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (whichever you got at home). Most microwave ovens come with an automatic steam clean option for easy cleaning. But if your microwave oven doesn’t have one, you can follow the steps below. First, let’s look at how to clean and remove odor from your microwave oven’s interiors.

» Mix a cup of water and a few lemon slices in a microwave-safe container. Or you can dilute some white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a bowl.
» Keep it inside the oven and turn on the power to the highest till it boils and steams.
» Once cool, wipe the interiors clean with a sponge.

Now you can clean the microwave doors and handles by following the steps below.

» Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with some water. Dip a microfibre cloth or a sponge in it and wipe the doors and handle.
» If the microwave door is too dirty, you can use diluted vinegar in 1:1 proportion to clean effectively.
» To get rid of burnt odor or smell from any particular food, you can leave the door open for some time. » The air circulation will eliminate the smell. But if the stench is too high, keep some baking soda inside the oven. It will absorb the bad odor.

Still got questions? Check out our FAQ Section below.