Microwaves have brought a new trend in the cooking methods. Apart from their flameless heating, these devices reheat, grill, bake, thaw and even defrost your delicacies while keeping their nutrients intact. The following segment presents the three varieties into which almost every microwave oven can be categorised into.
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Solo Microwaves
A solo microwave is usually of a smaller volume, ranging between 19 and 23 litres. In comparison to the other two varieties of mini microwaves, solo ovens are relatively cheap and much easy to operate. Apart from the essential functions a mini microwave performs, this variety of microwave is also capable of reheating and defrosting your food.
Although solo microwaves help in a good number of ways, they are not capable of grilling or baking. Moreover, a solo microwave oven is usually available in the price range of US $55-110.
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Grill Microwaves
This variety of microwaves allow you to grill, toast, broil and even, use the other features a typical space saver microwave provides. They have a relatively wide range of volume, ranging from 18-28 litres. It isn’t wise to expect your grill microwave to work as great as a tandoor or barbeque. You are most probably not going to receive the same smoky flavour or the same roasted quality from this variety of microwaves. They are available in the price range of US $70-210.
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Convection Microwaves
The feature that segregates a small convection microwave from the other two variants is that it offers heat as well as microwave energy. Because of it, the ovens of this variety are capable of almost every type of cooking, including baking. As a result, for being the best variety of a portable microwave, convection microwaves cost more (the US $110-350). As they use the power of heat and microwave energy, a convection microwave oven cuts the average cooking time by half.
A Brief Overview of All 3 Variants
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FEATURES
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SOLO |
GRILL |
CONVECTION |
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USES |
Essential functions like reheating, cooking and defrosting |
Basic operations including grilling |
All functionalities including roasting, baking and browning |
| TEMPERATURE CONTROL | No control over temperature | No control over temperature | Temperature can be controlled |
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COST
|
Lesser expensive |
Costs relatively more than solo |
Most expensive |
5 essential features in a mini microwave
These days, a mini microwave is much more than just a device to reheat your favourite food. A small size microwave is also capable of cooking, baking and even, thawing. But, the process to select the right one can sometimes get tedious. To make things easier, the following article brings you five essential features you must look for in every mini microwave.
- Power Rating
In most of the cases, a small microwave has a power rating in the range of 600-1500 Watts. The basic fact that makes the microwaves with higher power rating different from the lower ones is that a mini microwave with a lower rating takes more time to cook, while the one with a higher one offers more heat.
- Automatic Sensors
An automatic sensor, or popularly called the humidity sensor is used to measure the amount of humidity in your microwave and thus, determine whether your food is cooked. When the dish gets cooked up, the sensor automatically shuts off your under cabinet microwave. Moreover, this admirable sensor prevents your delicacies from getting overcooked.
- Control Panel
Mechanical control panels facilitate rough usage. They are also a better option in terms of the ease to repair. To operate the oven with even more ease, it is better to go for a dial that allows you to set the required timing and temperature precisely. But, the electronic and feather touch control panels, though are relatively delicate, allow setting the precise timing quickly.
- Short-Cut Keys
This feature available in some compact microwave ovens helps you to cook specific dishes like the soup and popcorn, by just taking the help of their automatic settings. These short-cut keys also automatically select the cooking time as well as the power level. At any rate, the most convenient option is the 30-second key or the 1-minute key, that you can tap on several times to set the schedule of your cooking.
- Auto Defrost
Though most of the tiny microwave ovens allow you to defrost the food, it is usually better to go for a mini microwave that features auto defrost. This essential feature only requires you to select the type and weight of the food item you are trying to defrost.
Apart from the above five essential features of a portable microwave oven, two more elements play, if not less, an equivalent role in giving you a better experience.
- Speed-Cook
In addition to the microwave energy, this feature uses additional heating to cook your food at a faster rate. Therefore, in comparison to conventional slim microwave, an oven with this feature cooks faster.
- Bi-Level Cooking
This feature is usually available in a wide variety of microwaves. Here, racks are provided in your oven, with the help of which two or even more items can be cooked simultaneously.
Why should you buy a mini microwave?
A miniature microwave is advantageous over other methods of cooking in numerous ways. This article enlists three of the most prominent ones.
- In comparison to other heating methods, a mini microwave heats your food while keeping itself cool and thus, reduces the risk of potential burns. Moreover, though the heated food can heat the container it is placed in, these containers get heated up less than the ones in any conventional ovens or stoves.
- When you use any conventional method of heating, there is a chance that the outer surface of your food only gets fried up, but the inside remains cold. Microwave ovens cook your food evenly to give you a better experience.
- Speed is another attribute that keeps the microwaves in the limelight. In comparison to the conventional methods, a narrow microwave cooks up your food faster.
On your search for the best yet, the smallest microwave oven, there are numerous features that are basic to every microwave oven. Still, there are other features that give a microwave an edge over its competitors. This article illuminates the five essential qualities you must look for in every mini microwave. Hope it will be an aid in your search.
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