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Some would argue that the microwave oven is one of the most influential inventions of the past 40 years. Many Americans would find it difficult to live without this cooking machine. Hectic lifestyles have made microwave ovens extremely useful for quick food preparation. Microwaves cook food fast, and they are ideal for reheating food quickly. Following is an overview of microwave ovens to help you purchase the right microwave oven based on you or your family’s needs.

Where to shop

You can buy microwave ovens in various large appliance stores. While it is important to view microwave ovens and their specific features in person, it is very helpful to first browse the models and features online. This will give you a good idea of the type of microwave oven to investigate further, and you may find the best prices online.

Kinds of Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens are available in various sizes and types. Microwave ovens can be small, tabletop models, or models that are larger capacity models that are built into your cabinets. Some of the larger microwave ovens also are used as a convection oven, which “bakes” food similar to a regular oven.

There are three main sizes of microwave ovens. Compact microwaves are portable and used primarily to reheat food and cook popcorn. Medium-capacity microwave are a bit larger than compact models, but they can fit larger bowls, and therefore can cook more food at once. They cook at a slightly faster rate than compact microwaves. Large-capacity microwaves are able to cook full meals. They can handle large casserole dishes, and can even cook large cuts of meat such as small roasts. They have more features including more exact temperature settings.

The compact and middle sized capacity microwaves are for the most part countertop models. The larger capacity microwaves are often built into the kitchen cabinetry.

Price

Prices of microwave ovens can differ from about $60 to more than $700. The smaller countertop models will be the less expensive models, while the built-in, over-the-range models are the priciest.

Ratings

There are many microwave models and a score of features in larger microwave oven models. www.wize.com/microwaveovens provides a score for each model, and you can read the reviews behind the scores to get the total picture of customer satisfaction.

Technical Specifications

The technical specifications of microwave ovens include levels of power, and touch pad features dependent on size and capacity. Compact microwave ovens operate from 500 to 1,000 watts of power, and have less than one cubic foot of capacity. Medium-size microwaves can run from 1,000 to 1,500 watts, with inner space between 1 and 1.5 cubic feet of capacity. Larger capacity microwave ovens usually operate over 2,000 watts and have upwards of 2 cubic feet of capacity.

Designs

Microwave ovens generally look the same, except for size, color or interior materials. Some bigger microwaves with a convection oven have stainless steel exteriors and / or interiors. Microwave ovens with larger capacity will have more options on the touch pad control panel. The set-up of the control panels can vary as well.

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