Microwave grill: how it works, how to choose

A microwave grill is not a prerequisite, but an addition, because of which there are often endless disputes. Some are sure that without this function the microwave oven is inferior, others consider it superfluous. Consider all the advantages and disadvantages.

Do you need a grill in the microwave

Consumer opinions are divided:

1. No. Proponents of this opinion come from their own experience: having bought a microwave oven with a built-in grill, they do not use it at all, or, having tried cooking on it, they quickly abandoned this idea. One person gets used to baking chickens and baking pies in the oven, another simply did not like the result obtained in the microwave. Perhaps it was an unsuccessful attempt, but the desire was already gone. “No” is also said by people who believe that each device should have its own function, and who do not like the principle of “all in one”.
2. Yes. This opinion is defended by the owners of microwave ovens, who actively use the grill to cook food with a crispy crust.

Buy a microwave oven with a grill or not

The decision is made based on the equipment available in the kitchen. If you already have an air grill or oven, why duplicate the function? Why spend money, because versions with additional features are more expensive. When choosing an option, think about what the grill is for? Will you use it? Such a device consumes a lot of electricity, it is much more profitable to use an oven.

If you are just equipping the kitchen, then by choosing a multifunctional model, you can replace the stove and oven with a microwave oven. Assess your needs, kitchen equipment and make a decision.

How is baking

This is a heat-resistant nickel-chromium alloy wire placed in a glass quartz tube. It is needed to fry foods until crispy. With it you can cook any food – meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, pies. And most importantly, the process takes a minimum of time – for example, it will take 6-7 minutes to bake fish, while it will take about half an hour to cook in the oven.

Convection – what is it

In order for food cooked in a microwave oven to turn out tastier and more aromatic, uniform exposure to warm air is necessary. We need to ensure its movement. For this, microwaves have convection. The air moves a small built-in fan located on the back of the device.

Varieties of grills

Many consumers do not know that there are several types that differ in design, functionality and principle of operation. When choosing a microwave oven, it is useful to know what options there are.

Tanovy

This is the most popular option. The part is located at the top of the microwave. In many modifications, the heating elements are made movable. Plus – ease of maintenance. The work surface is easy to clean.

Quartz

Its main advantage is economical power consumption. The second plus is that it does not take up camera space. Cooking takes longer than in the previous case, but the dishes come out more fried. The part is hidden, it is not necessary to wash it, but this does not harm the work: fat and food residues that fall on it are burned.

Ceramic

This is usually not the main, but an additional element of the microwave, the task of which is to accelerate and improve the operation of the main heating elements. Food cooked on a ceramic element comes out especially tasty and juicy.

Quartz or heating element – which is better

The most popular are the tenovy and quartz options. The first one needs more resources. The heating element heats up to the maximum in three minutes. Operating temperature – 650°C. TEN acts more harshly, it makes care more difficult.

The quartz element heats up in a minute, consumes little energy and spends it more efficiently, concentrating the radiation on the cooked product. Operating temperature – 800°C.

Cons

Disadvantages of microwave ovens with a baking function:

• More bulky than conventional microwave ovens.
• They need more electricity.

How does work

The heating element must be turned on at maximum power. There are two options for how to cook food by adjusting the intensity of heating:

• The grill and magnetron are switched on alternately. The duration of work is 50:50 or 30:70.
• Rearranging the grill for frying, it can be put in the upper or lower position, the heat is either stronger or weaker.

How to choose a microwave oven

There are dozens of brands on the market luring customers with promises of uptime. How to choose the best option so as not to pay for features you do not need? Here are some tips:

• Decide on a brand. One likes “Panasonic“, others respect”Самсунг”- everyone chooses a brand that he trusts.
• Set yourself a maximum price bar that you don’t want to go beyond.
• Decide if you need convection. This mode allows you to significantly expand the list of recipes prepared in the microwave. Thanks to convection, the food turns out no worse than in the oven. Minus – increase in size and price.

The best models  

Samsung MC28H5013AK

Ideal value for money. The coating of the chamber is bioceramic, so there are no problems with care. You can make yogurt and cheese. Gorgeous design – a stylish black stove that will decorate any kitchen. Quartz type.

Specifications:

Midea AW925EHU

Advantage: self-cleaning. You can dry dried fruits. Silver color.

LG MH-6342BB

Advantages: uniform roasting, energy savings, a large number of automatic programs – food is cooked without user intervention.

Additional pluses:

• Display showing settings.
• There is a backlight.
• Shutdown sound signal.
• Child lock.
• Antibacterial coating.
• Stylish and concise design.

Disadvantages: you can’t save your own recipes, there is no automatic temperature maintenance, there is no self-cleaning and convection.

Gorenje MO21MGB 470815

Extra charges:

• There is a backlight and a sound signal.
• The chamber cover is stainless steel.

Scope and functions

Microwave ovens equipped with a baking function are much more functional than solo models. In addition to reheating and defrosting, they can seriously prepare delicious dishes. To fry something large – a duck or a goose, you need the appropriate capacity, which is why consumers choose options with an average capacity of 20-25 liters.

Being compact, these stoves have a spacious chamber and a large turntable, which can accommodate not only bowls and plates, but also more imposing utensils, such as a large frying pan. There are a sufficient number of models with a similar volume on the market, and in different price groups. Miniature and large models are presented more modestly.

Among the smallest versions – Whirlpool MAX 28 with a volume of 12 liters and Panasonic NN-GM230 with 16 liters. Very modestly presented on the market and large microwave ovens for 27-30 liters. For example, Hotpoint Ariston MP 676 has a volume of 40 liters and costs about 32 rubles. But, as the reviews show, if consumers are interested in capacity, they are more likely to choose an oven.

What is a microgrill

Today, an innovative device has appeared on sale – MICRO GRILL, which is placed in the microwave chamber. Its cost is 2 rubles. Cooking is done with the energy generated by microwaves. If your microwave oven does not have a GRILL function, you can buy one, it is cheaper than buying a new oven. Advantages of the MICRO GRILL device:

• wireless;
• easy to wash;
• it takes up to 7 minutes to cook.

Airfryer Microwaves

An air grill is a device for preparing dishes that are usually prepared at picnics. Unlike microwave ovens, in them the processing is carried out with a hot stream, and not with microwaves. Today, the best manufacturers offer air grill models. Yes, Korean brandСамсунг» released a lineup with the Heat Wave airfryer. Benefit: improved taste of dishes. Triple heating technology is used – energy is used simultaneously:

• grill;
• fan;
• heat reflector.

The air grill provides accelerated and uniform cooking of products due to the movement of heated air. An example of a model with a Heat Wave aerogrill is MG23K3575AK (MW3500K). Capacity – 23 liters. The cost is 11 rubles. Bioceramic coating. Automenu.

With two elements

Today, the “double version” is represented by a dozen models on the market. Brands such as Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp,Hyundai, Toshiba. The most budget option (3 rubles) is Samsung PG500RS. Judging by the modesty of the model range, the versions with 832 grills are not very interested in consumers. And here is the brand LG proposed an option where one of the two devices rotates: the developers wanted to increase the uniformity of roasting. The cost of LG MR-6589DRL is 5 rubles.

When two heating elements are used at the same time, usually a quartz element is placed on top, and a heating element is placed below. The heat from the quartz element is easier to direct downwards, and from the heating element, the heat itself is directed upwards, according to the laws of physics. This solution ensures that the products are fried on both sides at once. Due to the temperature difference, natural convection occurs in the chamber – heated air flows mix.

How to use the microwave – expert advice

Household appliances are bought, it remains to find a place for it and connect it to the mains. Before you start using a microwave oven, you need to learn how to use it so that there are no problems. Do not be lazy to read the instructions and remember a few useful rules:

• Use special dishes – for microwave ovens.
• Do not load a large amount of food at one time.
• In modifications with the function in question, there is a special grill, this stand allows the product to bake evenly.
• To make the dish covered with a delicious crispy crust, turn on the convection mode.
• Before cooking, the chamber must be well heated.

How to cook

For your meals to be truly delicious, you need to know how to use the microwave. How to cook in a microwave oven correctly:

• If you’re making sandwiches, be sure to line the bottom with paper napkins or foil, so that the bread does not dry out and does not burn.
• When placing several pieces of dishes in the chamber at once, keep a distance of 3 cm between them.
• Finely chop the vegetables – into strips or cubes.
• Salt the meat at the end of the process.
• Need a crispy crust? Dry the meat with paper towels before putting it in the chamber.
• Pay attention to the cooking time.

What can you cook

Microwave cooking is fun. You can go about your business, you don’t need to turn over or follow the products – the food cooks itself. Put the products in a container, turn on the desired mode – and that’s it, after a while you will get a finished dish. So, the chicken will be ready in about 20-30 minutes.

User Reviews

Hotpoint MWHA 2622 MB: Valentina R., Togliatti

Pros: stylish design and the ability to turn off the sound. Cons: price, watch is hard to see. Distinctive feature: no turntable. It turns out to be very convenient – you can put glasses, bowls, plates at the same time. You can bake a whole chicken, very roomy. It bakes perfectly, the meat turns out juicy, with a crispy crust. The technique is cumbersome, but I perceive it not as a disadvantage, but as a feature.

LG MB-4042G: Egor G., Arzamas

Reliable technology that I can’t live without. I like touch control – such buttons do not break, do not fill with grease, do not get dirty. I’m interested in fast heating and defrosting. I tried to cook potatoes, it comes out fine. Soups and other dishes are not prepared. Maintenance is simple: if you clean it in time, there are no problems. There is a plate for dishes, which I bought separately. I don’t like the grill. Somehow I laid a chicken, the result – it burns on top, raw on the bottom. It turns out an uneven temperature distribution! This is the only drawback of the model.

Which model to buy – with or without a grill – everyone will decide for himself. For some, this function is necessary, others prefer to cook in the oven, others are not at all interested in culinary delights.