Best microwave oven in India 2020 | A buyer’s guide

Introduction

Have you ever thought of reheating the cooked food within a minute? Microwave ovens are convenient electronic gadgets that make complex things simple. You can cook your food in minutes, make coffee in seconds, and prepare a snack in no time. 

But there are a variety of microwave ovens available in the market. Finding the best microwave oven in India is something more difficult. But do not worry we are here to simplify things for you.

To find the most suitable microwave read this article to the end. 

Types of microwave oven

Microwave ovens can be categorized into 3 basic types. Finding the best microwave that suits you is the most challenging part. But don’t worry we simplify the entire process for you. 

Solo microwave

An entry-level microwave which is a lot cheaper than the other two variants. It usually comes with a single magnetron to produce microwaves.

The machine primarily does the re-heating working and some basic cooking work. You may not have a lot of options to play with.

Busy professionals who have no time to work in the kitchen can use a solo microwave to re-cook the food in the evening before having it.

Moreover, the time-bound cooking programs help you to leave the cooking process and to move on to your job or professional work.

Pros

The machine comes with a 1-year warranty on the product and 3 years warranty on magnetron and cavity.

The oven is lightweight and value for money

The microwave comes with overheating protection.

The machine comes with 3 auto cook menu options.

The machine is equipped with jog dials that have a long life and are more resistant to wear and tear.

Cons

It is a small microwave ideal for bachelors.

Fixing the timer less than a minute is difficult in this machine

No digital display

Not for baking and even for cooking non-veg curries.

Only re-heating and de-frosting can be done.

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Pros

The machine comes with options on food warming and power defrost.

You can cook up to 6 power levels.

The inner surface is scratch-resistant and has 99.9% anti-bacterial protection.

It comes with a smooth ceramic interior which is easy to clean and less stainable.

The machine comes with a unique feature of 4 modes for perfect softening or melting of chocolate, sugar, and butter.

Up to 16 recipes are programmed for your convenience.

The sleek design is more stylish

Cons

It cannot be used for baking as it is a solo microwave.

Comes with a smaller power cord.

The front glass is too dark to see the cooking inside.

The maximum wattage is 800W.

Grill microwave

Grill microwave comes with heating coils to grill, toast, and roast the food. Other than this, it is a regular solo microwave.

The gilling option in the microwave helps in preparing delicious grills in minutes. You can grill vegetables and meat. The custom programs for grilling help you to select the grilling process according to the food you use.

Moreover, this machine comes with some grilling accessories. If you are fan of grilled chicken or other nonveg toasts, you might love it.

For vegetarians, this machine is ideal for grilling paneer and barbecuing vegetables.

Pros

Comes with a 1000W grill power and 800W microwave power 

Includes 26 Indian menus and 38 auto cook menus. 

Has a turntable of 255 mm. 

The digital control panel is stylish.

Cons

It can only grill but cannot bake. 

Some consumers reported the rusting problem in the waveguide after some time.

Pros

Comes with child lock. 

Has a feather touch panel with digital display

Large turntable

Cons

The microwave comes with fewer programs and the user has a limited choice either to heat / defrost or grill food. 

Very few programs for Indian recipes 

Adjusting the timer is a bit difficult task.

Convection microwave

The machine usually comes with a fan along with a heating coil to produce uniform heat around the food.

The primary purpose of the machine is to bake the food. This machine usually comes as a mega pack including the qualities of a solo and a grill microwave.

You have separate programs for re-heating, grilling, and baking. This all in one machine is ideal for fulltime housewives who love cooking and baking.

You can make your own pizzas and cakes at home.

Pros

Complete stainless-steel finish, both the exteriors and interiors. 

Comes with child lock feature. 

Special programs for idly, poha, and many other nutritious dishes. 

Enjoy the oil-free fry of chicken tandoori, corn kebabs, and French fries. Good customer service

Cons

Few users reported problems with bulbs inside the microwave. 

Some users reported uneven cooking.

Pros

Comes with 61 pre-set autocook menus. 

Equipped with advanced heat wave ducts for 360-degree heat distribution and uniform cooking 

Hassle-free defrosting and re-heating programs. 

Avail a wide range of Indian cooking menus of your choice

Cons

The grilling function is not up to the mark

Pros

Can be used for baking along with grilling, reheating , defrosting and cooking. 

Comes with a STARTER KIT like 1 high rack, 1 low rack, 2 litre milk pasteurise container, 1 metal Tawa, rotisserie bar and holder plus 2 treo microwave safe bowls. 

Comes with 211 Indian auto cook menu options, tact dial, pasteurize milk with Ghee, dosa, paneer, curd, 301 auto cook menu options. 

Has programs for 12 different varieties of exotic Indian Rotis at just one touch of a button

Cons

Limited warranty

The microwave buying guide in India – 2020 

Before buying a microwave, check for these vitalities to have a satisfactory buy.

Power consumption & efficiency

This is the first thing we see in India, right! Ovens with high voltage are more efficient in heavy cooking. Moreover, low power microwaves offer only reheating programs for food.

The wattage of microwave ranges between 500 watts to 1500 watts. Wattages between 500 to 800 watts take longer periods to heat. While the ovens with 1000 to 1500 wattages are ideal for cooking large meals. They also cook fast.

The star rating on the microwave will help you find the best microwaves with efficient energy consumptions. The convection type microwaves are the top consumers of electricity. On the other hand

A big family should opt for a higher voltage microwave as more food is required to cook. On the other hand, a normal microwave fluctuates between high and low voltages during cooking. Let me make it clear.

If you opt for a 50% usage of power on microwave functioning, the machine fluctuates between 0% and 100% during the heating process. It produces uneven heating and cooking.

To solve this problem, the newer machines are coming with inverter technology, which reduces the fluctuations in power consumption to almost zero. It can result in even cooking and baking. 

Pros

Can be used for baking along with grilling, reheating, defrosting and cooking 

355 insta cook menus 

Enjoy oil less fry

Special programs available for naan, paratha, kulcha and international breads like garlic bread, burger bun, Focaccia bread etc 

Comes with child lock

Cons

Short power cable 

The base is made of hard plastic instead of a rubbery surface, which makes the machine more slippery on some surfaces.

Timer

A timer is a default option in all the microwaves irrespective of their types. The timer helps you to decide the duration of cooking.

The timer option helps you a lot if you are a busy worker or a working woman. You can opt for the time of cooking and leave the house without any bother. Let the microwave cook the food until the specified period ends.

For example, you can specify the time and period of heating much before the actual process of heating. If you want to re-heat the food before 12:00pm for 3 minutes, you can set the time before you leave home.

Auto cook

If you are not a tech-savvy and do not know much about microwave cooking, you can opt for machines which come with auto cook option.

The auto cook machines need not require you to input the time of cooking and the power consumption configuration, the only thing you must do is to select the type of dish. The machines set time and power according to the type of food.

The auto cook option is not a common option in low-end machines. Hence check for this option before you buy.

Defrost

Do you like to defrost frozen foods before eating? Then, you should opt for microwaves which come with a defrost option. They are ideal for defrosting frozen seafood before cooking.

Pre-heat

Pre-heating is a process where you turn on the microwave letting it to reach to the right temperature, before placing food.

Some food might require a specific temperature to cook and the preheating option helps in gaining that temperature before you place the food.

For example, during baking a cake, you generally preheat the device before placing the batter. It helps in proving a convenient temperature to bake from the start.

Child lock

Small kids at home may put their hands into the microwave or may interfere with the cooking process in microwave. Child lock in these machines can help you in having uninterrupted cooking with the microwave.

Usually, the child lock comes with a digital passcode to unlock the machine.

Capacity

Microwave ovens come at various capacities. They usually range between 15 to 40 litres in capacity.

A [20 lit capacity microwave] is ideal for a newly married couple or for 2 people. You usually have limited options coming with this machine.

A nuclear family ideally requires a microwave with capacity ranging from [20lit to 30lit].

On the other hand, a large combined family may require a [30 lit to 35 lit capacity microwave ovens]. These machines come with multiple options and various modes of cooking.

Things you should know before buying a microwave oven

Conventional vs convection. Which one to buy?

A conventional microwave comes with a default machine that emits microwaves that can pass through a glass or plastic to cook the food.

On the other hand, a convection microwave oven has a dedicated heating coil with a fan to produce even heat around the food. The recent machines are also equipped with a halogen lamp within the machine which aids in grilling, roasting, and baking foods.

These additional features make the convection type machines a bit premium to buy compared to conventional microwaves.

Which panel should I prefer?

Ovens come with different types of panels to operate the machine. We can broadly classify them into 3 types. Each one has its own advantage and disadvantage.

The mechanical rotating panel is the oldest design in microwaves. But are the toughest and long-standing control panels till today. 

The tactile buttons model is the second version of control panels in microwaves. They offer good control over changing temperatures step by step. 

The latest control panes are the feather touch panels which are easy to clean and stylish. But the touch panels may require replacement after some time. 

Irrespective of the type, these control panels may fail to work after some time, if they are not maintained properly.

Go for a removable turntable

A turntable is the microwave platform that turns during the cooking process. This helps in providing even heat while cooking. 

Check whether your machine has a turntable or not. A machine without turntable might be troublesome as you must stop the machine and manually turn/ rotate your food several times during cooking.

A removable glass turntable is an idea as you can wash the table after every use.

What is the use of adjustable power controls?

Your machine may not always require 100% power to cook food. Hence an adjustable power control facilitates adjusting the power consumption according to the food you cook.

Is an automatic cooking sensor good?

Most of the recent machines come with automatic cooking sensors. These sensors prevent overcooking or undercooking of food. In simple words, the cooking will stop automatically when the food is cooked.

No need of setting timers. The steam sensor in the machine guarantees proper cooking of food and will shut down the machine on completion of cooking.

How to maintain a microwave oven?

Microwave is a compact gadget in your kitchen and may not require complex procedures to maintain. Here is a proper maintenance guide for your little kitchen gadget.

Do not keep your microwave plugged every time. Remove the plug if you are not using the machine.

Clean the interiors and exteriors after every use. A glass cleaner is ideal to use for the cleaning process. Just mop the cloth containing the [glass cleaner liquid] over the machine.

Always use oven mitts to catch the hot food from the oven. This helps in preventing accidental spilling over the machine.

Never keep the microwave in reach of kids. There are special microwave [wall-stand] available to place this smart gadget above the reach of your children.

Preheating a microwave is different from operating the machine when it is empty. Never microwave an empty machine.

Use only microwave-safe materials like [Borosil glass], ceramic, plastic, and paper. Never use metallic crockery or vessels with metallic lining.

Never try to wash the microwave. You can only mop the machine.

Switch off the microwave after every use. As it takes high voltage, never plugin to an inverter socket. It may shorten your inverter connection.

Conclusion

Hope this article gives you a complete overview of buying the right microwave oven for you. If you like the article, do share it with your friends and comment.