Convection Microwave Considerations

If you have never heard of a convection microwave, you may have heard it called by another name, the combination microwave. This is an appliance that is very useful because it cooks with the efficiency and speed of the regular microwave as well as using convection.

The convection microwave uses radio waves to quickly heat food. The waves are absorbed by the sugars, fats, and water in foods. This allows the convection microwave to quickly heat the food without having to also heat the container. The convection microwave also uses a heating element and a fan to circulate the hot air, creating convection. This whisks cool air away from the surface of the food and allows it to brown or crisp, unlike a conventional oven which needs higher temperatures to reach that food and penetrate the layer of cool air that insulates it.

Convection microwave ovens can be used for both types of cooking because they employ both methods in one unit. Rather than simply warming or reheating food, one can cook the food in the convection microwave and find that it is brown and crispy on the outside while retaining moisture inside. Of course, one can do this in an electric or gas oven, but it can take much longer. When cooking meats, the quicker cooking technique used in convection microwave cooking allows the juices to be sealed off while the outside is browned or crisped to perfection.

Because convection microwave ovens can quickly cook foods, the need to pre-heat the oven for some foods before cooking is virtually eliminated. This saves even more energy than just the cooking time differential. When you look at the shorter cooking times and the lowered temperatures afforded by using a convection microwave, you can see that there are energy savings available.

Another benefit of a convection microwave is that it is not necessary to buy all new cookware. Any microwaveable container can be used successfully in the drawer microwave. Make sure the dish does not touch the interior walls during cooking. Recommended cookware includes; Glass-ceramics, heat-resistant glass, microwave-safe plastics, microwave-safe paper plates, microwave-safe pottery, stoneware, and porcelain. The hot air that circulates in the interior of the convection microwave allows the food to cook evenly, and it also browns, broils or bakes the food to the desired consistency.

Many features can be found on convection microwave ovens. You will want to be sure to have a look at them and decide which ones you need and which ones you can live without. The type and number of features on each model of convection microwave will contribute to the price.

Although the convection microwave used to cost quite a bit more than regular microwaves, they are now much more affordable. Once you decide what you will be cooking in your convection microwave and how much you will be using it, you can make an informed decision on the features that you will require. The main consideration is the amount of time you will save by cooing in a convection microwave rather than using your old electric or gas oven. If you have a busy life, a convection microwave oven could help you out.