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The microwave oven is one of those products that has literally revolutionised the world of cooking today. It is a completely innovative system that allows a wide variety of foods to be cooked and heated, greatly reducing the time needed to prepare them.
Today, the microwave oven is no longer an expensive appliance that only a few can buy. The prices on the market are, in fact, quite affordable, while the types available have increased: from the classic microwave to the combi oven, from the ventilated oven to the built-in oven. And, again, ovens and small ovens with various functions: grill, crisp, with steam cooking, etc..
But let's not get lost in gossip and see how a microwave oven works!
How does microwave cooking work?
The microwave oven is based on a peculiar cooking system. Whereas, in conventional ovens, food is cooked by radiation and conduction of heat (generated electrically or by flame), in the microwave the heating effect is due to the interaction between the magnetic fields generated by the device and the food matter (water, fat, carbohydrates), which absorbs the heat.
This constitutes the main focus, as well as the great advantage, of microwave cooking: the transmission of energy occurs, quickly and directly, from the original source to the interior of the food. Therefore, waiting times are significantly shorter than those required by traditional methods.
Grill and crisp: new features
microwave with grill and crisp
The very first microwave ovens performed very well when it came to heating ready-made food, but could not emulate other cooking methods. For this reason, additional functions were implemented over time: hence the microwave oven with grill, crisp and steam was born.
Let us shed some light on these new types.
The grill function combines microwave cooking with an infrared system, which has the purpose of browning the surface of food (chicken, meat, fish), making it tastier and crispier: this technology is typical of the so-called combi-oven, which has recently come onto the market.
The oven with crisp, on the other hand, is equipped with a special non-stick aluminium pan, which absorbs the heat and distributes it, by contact, to the food placed inside, heating it evenly.
The latest generation of ovens, then, allow microwave cooking to be alternated (or used at the same time) with traditional cooking in a static or ventilated oven, while others are equipped with a special steamer for steaming vegetables, fish, meat, etc.
Thanks to advances in technology, with modern microwave ovens, there are no longer any limitations when it comes to preparing and cooking food. These new appliances are, in fact, able to completely replace the electric oven, as well as gas or wood-fired ovens.
Microwave: is it bad for you?
Until recently, it was thought that microwave heating could somehow alter the nutritional properties of food or even cause harm to human health. Today we know that this is not the case: there is no risk linked to the use of a microwave oven, nor to the consumption of food cooked or heated with this particular system.
The only precautions to be taken concern, rather, heating times and the use of pans and containers made of materials suitable for contact with microwaves. Before introducing a dish or tray, therefore, make sure that it is compatible with this type of cooking. Also, before serving a dish on the table, check that it is also hot inside.
What to cook with a microwave oven?
With a combi-microwave oven, i.e. one with a grill function, like most of today's microwave ovens, the range of food that can be cooked has expanded exponentially: from meat or chicken main courses to fish, from desserts (cakes, biscuits) to first courses, and a vast assortment of frozen or pre-cooked foods that, with a quick microwave pass, are ready to serve.
Microwave or electric? In the light of what we have seen, there is no longer any reason to prefer the electric version to a modern grill oven or an oven with crisp. The performance, in fact, is excellent with both types of oven, so the choice depends only on personal needs and habits. In any case, if you usually keep a portion of rice or meat in the refrigerator, or if you are a regular consumer of frozen and deep-frozen food, the microwave oven remains the most convenient and quickest solution. If, on the other hand, you prefer traditional cooking methods or if you like to spend your free time experimenting with new recipes, with an electric oven you will have total freedom.
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