How does a microwave work?

The working of a microwave is easy. It uses electromagnetic waves to heat food or cook food from within. The waves work at a 2.24 GHz frequency. As the heat increases, the water molecules inside the food start to vibrate. As a result, friction occurs inside between different molecules. The friction between molecules produces heat energy and causes the food to heat up and cook.

Most microwave ovens have a transparent glass tray called microwave turntable. The purpose of this tray is to ensure that the cooking and heating up of food from all sides. The food gets an equal amount of electromagnetic waves on all sides. Resultantly, no part of food stays uncooked or cold.

Microwave ovens use the same method to cook food as well as bake things.

What is the difference between an oven and a microwave?

A traditional oven and a microwave oven are two different things. Their purpose is the same but there are a few things different about each one of them.

A traditional oven is used for baking food. It uses a heating element due to which the air inside gets hot. The hot air helps the food to bake. A traditional oven is also bigger than a microwave oven.

A microwave uses electromagnetic waves to heat and cooks food. You can heat food in a microwave within a minute or more. You can also cook food in a microwave in less time. A microwave is smaller in size.

Many times, people get a gas range with an electric oven beneath it. It somewhat saves the space.

As the world is progressing in science and technology, many microwaves bake food too. You can get a microwave that allows both baking and cooking of food. Such microwaves are called micro-convection ovens. In such ovens, you can bake, heat food and even roast food.

Why should you get a microwave?

Having a microwave makes life so much easier. There are many benefits of a microwave. Let’s learn about all of them!

Cooking Food

You can cook in a microwave oven. It takes less time and effort as compared to cooking on a stove. You can’t cook everything but the food that requires roasting can be cooked in a microwave.

Roasting in a microwave oven is easy because you don’t have to turn the food upside down after every 5-10 minutes. You won’t have to worry about the food getting burned from one side or the other. The microwave turntable will ensure that the food is roasting equally from all sides.

Saves Space

Getting a microwave saves a lot of space. It is because they are much smaller in size as compared to a traditional oven under a gas range. You can put a microwave in any corner of your kitchen where a switchboard is available. You can also put it outside of your kitchen if you want. Their sleek design and small size don’t make them look bad no matter where you put them.

Controlled Time and Temperature

When you bake or roast in a microwave oven, the time and temperature are totally in your control. You can control how long the food will cook and at what temperature. This way, the chances of burning food are less unless you cook it for a prolonged period.

What can you cook in a microwave?

The number of things that you can cook in a microwave varies. They depend upon the type of microwave you buy.

Baked Food

You can bake a lot of desserts in a microwave. These include cakes (of any type and size), pastries, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. You can make pies of different types in a microwave too.

You can make different types of bread in a microwave with or without filling. You can bake a pizza too.

Cooked Food

There are many dishes that you can cook in a microwave. These include:

Mac n Cheese

Eggs

Tea

Baked Potato

Roasted Chicken

Grilled Chicken

Corn on the Nob

Casseroles

Can you bake in a microwave?

Yes, you can bake in the microwave if it has convection features in it. Micro-convection ovens cook and bake food. They are great if you want an all-rounder microwave.

Like any microwave, the micro-convection oven uses electromagnetic waves for cooking and heating. But it also has a heating element as baking ovens do. The heating element helps to bake food.

If you try to bake something on a stove in a pot, it won’t get equal heat on all sides. But if you use a micro-convection oven for baking, the turntable will rotate the food. The heat will bake every side easily.

In a traditional baking oven, the heat comes from all sides to ensure the baking of food everywhere. For compensation, the turntable in a micro-convection provides the same effect.

What are the best microwave brands in the Philippines?

You can find many affordable as well as high-end microwave brands in the Philippines. The most common are WhirlPool, Fujidenzo, American Home, Midea and Toshiba.

These brands are well-known and trustworthy. Some of these brands are pricey while others are more on the affordable side.

The affordable microwave brands include Mx and American Home. While Whirlpool and other brands are a little pricey.

How much does a microwave cost in the Philippines?

The cost of a microwave depends upon its type, features and brands. The most affordable microwave that you can find in the Philippines may start from ₱2000. You might be able to find cheaper options from non-trustworthy brands. But it is better if you buy from a known brand especially in the case of electronic appliances.

High-end brands may reach up to ₱5000. Depending upon your requirements, you can get a good microwave between the range of ₱2000-5000.

What are the different types of the microwave?

There are different types of microwave in the market today. All these types have different features. These are:

Solo Microwave

Convection Microwave

Grill Microwave

Solo Microwave

A solo microwave is an ordinary and most commonly found microwave. Solo microwaves heat food and defrost it. They don’t have a lot of features and functions. Due to the lack of features, they are inexpensive.

Convection Microwave

A convection microwave is a complex type of microwave. A convection microwave can do all the things that other microwave types can do. They can grill, cook, bake and reheat food.

They have a variety of features due to which they are a little expensive. You can do almost anything in a convection microwave. They use the technology of both a solo microwave and a grill microwave. In addition to these technologies, they can also bake food by using a heating element.

Grill Microwave

As the name indicates, you can grill food in a grill microwave. In addition to grilling, they can also do everything that a solo microwave can do.

The biggest advantage of a grill microwave is that you don’t have to fire up to the grill. You can easily grill chicken, pizza, etc in a grill microwave. They are cheaper than a convection microwave but expensive than a solo microwave.

They usually have a grill to put inside and cook food.

How to choose the best microwave?

Choosing the best microwave can be hard when you have so many options to choose from. The best way to make the right choice is to know all your demands.

If you want an oven only to heat food, defrost food or cook minute rice and pasta, you can go for a solo microwave. They are light on your pocket too.

If you want to grill food occasionally and reheat food as well, grill microwaves are best for you. You can find many affordable options for this microwave. If you prefer to cook food on a stove or bake in a traditional oven, then you can get a grill microwave. As you won’t need these features in a microwave.

If you want something in which you can do almost anything then you can get a convection microwave. In a convection microwave, you can cook, reheat, defrost, bake and even grill. For a person who doesn’t like to use a stove, convection microwaves are the best thing they can get

Are microwaves expensive?

It usually depends upon the type of microwave you are buying. If you buy a convection microwave from a known and high-end brand, it can be heavy on your pocket. You can find a cheaper option in the market too for a convection microwave. If you don’t plan to bake or cook often in a convection microwave, it is better to get another type of microwave.

Only get a convection microwave that too from a good brand if you are going to use it often.

Moreover, solo microwaves are not that expensive. So, if you need a cheaper microwave, you can buy a solo microwave.

How much energy does a microwave consume?

A microwave usually consumes 1200 watts. They are not that hard on your pocket. If you use a microwave every day for heating food, they may make a little difference in the electricity bill.

If you bake for more time and at a higher temperature, the microwave will consume more energy. But reheating food for a minute or so doesn’t consume too much energy.

How to clean up a microwave?

Cleaning a microwave is not a hard job. You should clean your microwave often so that it doesn’t start to smell bad.

To clean up a microwave, take some vinegar, lemon juice and water in a bowl or a glass. Place the bowl or glass in the microwave and turn it on for 2 minutes. This way, the evaporated vinegar solution will stick on the walls of the microwave. The gunk on the walls will become soft and you can easily wipe it with a paper towel or piece of cloth.

To clean the turntable of the microwave, take it out and clean it with a paper towel. You should also keep the outside of the microwave clean.

How long does a microwave last?

A microwave can last up to 5-7 years. If you maintain it, it can last for 7 years. Many microwaves come with a warranty too.

If you buy from a cheap and local brand, they might not last that long. But it is not always the case. Many cheap brands can work for a long time too.

Keeping the microwave clean and using it the right way can increase its lifespan. So, if you want your microwave to last longer, you should use it the right way. Moreover, make sure to follow the instructions given on the manual to use it properly.

Is a microwave dangerous?

Eating food cooked or heated in a microwave doesn’t harm you in any way. But if you are exposed to a high level of microwave radiations then it can be dangerous. This is not likely to happen if you use the microwave the right way.

Microwave has non-ionising radiations which are not harmful to you. If you keep your eyes away from those radiations then it is not damaging in any way.

One dangerous thing is to heat up or cook food in plastic in a microwave. Because BPA in plastic can come in your food which is dangerous.

How to know if your microwave is going bad?

There are many ways that a microwave can go bad. It has many reasons behind it too. The biggest and most common way to know if your microwave is going bad is if your food is not heating properly.

The main purpose of a microwave is to heat food. So, if it is not doing that, you should either change it or repair it.

Another thing to notice is sparks or burning smell. If your microwave smells of burning while you are using it, chances are there is something wrong. A well-working microwave shouldn’t show any sparks or smell burned.

If your microwave is over 7-8 years old, you should change it. Repairing such a microwave is not an option. You should get a new one after so many years.

If some features of your microwave are not working, you should repair it or change it. These features might include damaged doors or damaged keypads.

How to take care of a microwave?

Taking care of a microwave is not hard. You should follow the advice mentioned below to take care of it and keep it long-lasting:

Always use the microwave as per the instructions given on the microwave manual.

Never leave the door open while the microwave is on. Don't open the door without turning the microwave off.

Always use the microwave on a switchboard that provides proper power. Improper voltage can damage your microwave.

Keep the inside as well as the outside of your microwave clean.

Don't put those materials that are not allowed to put in a microwave

How to prevent and clean rust in a microwave?

Many times, rust appears in your microwave due to your negligence. Other times, people misunderstand stains from food as rust. First of all, you should make sure it's rust and not food stains. To check that, all you have to do is scratch it with your fingers and you will know.

Rust usually appears under the microwave turntable. To remove it, remove the turntable first. Clean the rust with wire wool and use enamel paint to paint it. Painting it will prevent the microwave from rusting in the future. If you leave it that way, it will rust again in no time.

Rust occurs when the metal starts to scrape. So, if you see anything like that happening, you should paint it before it becomes rusty.

Which material should you not put in a microwave?

There are a few materials that are not good to be put in a microwave. If you do that, it will damage the microwave or the microwave can even catch fire or explode.

Paper Bag

Brown paper bags are the worst if you use them in the microwave. They can catch fire inside the microwave. If something has a brown paper bag wrapped around it, remove it before putting it in the microwave.

Plastic

Plastics are your worst enemies. If you put them in the microwave, they can leach toxins in your food. Such toxins are very harmful to your health. Always heat food in a glass or ceramic plate/bowl.

Newspaper

Another material that you shouldn’t put in a microwave is a newspaper. You can use parchment paper instead to wrap something. Newspaper ink can leach into your food due to excess heat.

Metal

It is also not good to put metals in a microwave. A metal bowl or dish can catch fire very rapidly and blow up in the microwave.

The best materials for microwaves are glass and ceramic. But make sure the glass is not too thin or it might crack inside. So, thick glass is better to use in a microwave.