How to choose a microwave oven

Once considered a luxury innovation, today the microwave oven provides meals in minutes, literally, offering us instant convenience in the kitchen. Convection and combination models are even negating the need for a traditional oven altogether. But before you head off to the shops to purchase one, ask yourself: Where will you be placing your oven? How many people will you typically be cooking for? And what kind of cooking do you usually do? This will determine the type of microwave oven and whether you need more advanced cooking features.

The space you have

It doesn't matter whether your microwave oven is to be placed on a counter top or built into a cabinet. Just be sure that you measure the height, width and depth that you've set aside for the oven, leaving 1-2 inches on the sides as allowance for air circulation and ventilation around the appliance. Ensure as well that the door can be opened fully in that space; almost all units have doors that open to the left, by the way.

Your cooking requirements

Know your capacity:
If you want to do more than heat up leftovers, you should be looking at a mid- to full-sized unit for cooking meals. Capacities can vary greatly. Wattage is largely dependent on the size of the oven. A compact microwave rates between 500 and 800 watts of power, and is used primarily for reheating, defrosting and light cooking. A mid-sized oven is typically 800 to 1,500 watts, and can accommodate casseroles.

A full-sized oven can fit in a roast turkey and rate from 1,500 watts. Keep in mind that the higher the wattage, the quicker your food will cook. That said, more wattage doesn't necessarily mean a better oven. You'll still have to look at the type and, more importantly, the features that suit your lifestyle needs.

Oven types:
There are to date three basic types of ovens that we can see in the market.

Conventional:
These are the most common models and offer the convenience of heating and defrosting food, as well as fast and efficient cooking. You can defrost and cook frozen meals, heat soups, reheat cooked meals, all without having to watch over them. Conventional microwave ovens are generally the cheapest type, but won't likely replace the traditional oven. The compact versions are great for use in school dorms, small apartments and office pantries.

Convection:
This 2-in-1 oven comes with a heating element and fan that distributes heat to cook food more quickly. Besides the convenience of microwave cooking, it has the ability to bake, brown and broil just like a traditional oven. In fact, some manufacturers have begun to add a high-intensity quartz halogen bulb under names like Speedcook, Advantium and Optimawave, to name a few. This technology has the ability to cook food rapidly and with the same browning results, texture and taste more typically expected of a traditional oven.

Combination:
More versatile than the convection microwave oven, this throws in grilling and sometimes a steam function. This is flexible enough to tackle many kinds of cooking, from roasting to grilling, to baking and defrosting. Other more unusual (and rather gimmicky) hybrids include a combination microwave toaster, combination microwave and coffee maker.

Other features:
Do also watch out for these.

• Sensor cooking: For the best results, look for ovens with one or more sensors. These take the guesswork out of cooking and reheating by utilizing a humidity sensor to detect moisture in the food and determine the appropriate cooking time. It's easy to use as all you have to do is press the sensor button, and voila.
• Automatic cooking and defrosting: The microwave considers the actual weight of the food, and works out the time needed to cook the food safely.
• Preset programs: Some models have pre-set program for cooking popular foods such as cooking rice, fish and pork.
• Removable turntable: Most models also include a removable turntable for easy cleaning and maintenance.
• Automatic defrost feature: This can detect the best power level to defrost foods when the food types and weights are entered.
• Multiple-sequence cooking: This automatically changes the power levels during cooking to ensure the best cooking time.
• Control buttons: This should be easy to read, use and understand, and can be manual buttons or digital touchpads, depending on your preference.
• Microwave accessories: From microwave-safe trays to steaming bags, these expand your cooking range and versatility.

Your budget

Microwave ovens can offer a variety of timesaving features. They can reheat, defrost, cook, dehumidify, bake, roast, brown and grill. The only thing they can't do is deep fry. With such a wealth of options to choose from, you need to be picky. It's just not worth spending money on a fully loaded oven if you aren't going to be using most of them. So determining what kind of cooking you'll be doing will help you narrow down your choices, not to mention prevent you from busting your budget.