A microwave has become compulsory in almost every modern kitchen. It has become a necessity in our day-to-day life. It saves time, and it is the leading kitchen product for quick cooking, roasting, or heating your meal within a second. It became famous as a lifeline kitchen tool for those late-night meal yearnings. But with a vast number of options in the modern kitchen world, you might wonder what to look for in a microwave.
This blog, “Modern Kitchen Gear,” will help you navigate the suitable microwave for your modern kitchen. Our expert team has researched a lot and provided you with the perfect step-by-step guide. After reading this blog, you will get the perfect one that ultimately fits your needs according to your budget and is suitable for your kitchen. We enthusiastically find the best kitchen products and homeware so that you can take pleasure in using them without any hassle.
So, without any other discussion, let’s dive into it.
- Step 1: Determine the Kind of Microwave You Like
- Step 2: Evaluate the Actual Size and Capacity
- Step 3: Examine the Power Demand and Cooking Performance
- Step 4: Find Out the Key Features and Characteristics
- Step 5: Re-check the Energy Effectiveness
- Step 6: Consider Your Kitchen Decor and Aestheticsness
- Step 7: Estimate Your Budget
- Step 8: Finding the Best Brands and Judge the Reviews
- Step 9: Consider The Warranty and After sales services
- Last Step: Be Prepared to Make a Purchase
Step 1: Determine the Kind of Microwave You Like
It is the first step in buying your microwave, determining what type of microwave will fit your modern kitchen and your lifestyle. In today’s world, we can see four main types of microwaves. First, select the primary type that you appropriately need.
Countertop Microwaves
Supreme for: Mostly household work.
Pros: It is easy to install. It would be best if you plugged in the power cord and it is ready to use. This microwave comes in a wide variety of sizes according to its price.
Cons: It specifically holds counter space. This will be a little of an issue for small-space kitchens.
Over-the-Range Microwaves
Supreme for: Those looking to preserve their counter space.
Pros: This microwave integrates with a range hood in one. It also comes with an integral exhaust cooling system and beautiful lighting.
Cons: Installation requires a specialist or expert team. This can be more expensive and cuts your budget. Requires specialist installation and can be more expensive.
Built-In Microwaves
Supreme for: Mostly preferred for modern kitchens with custom cabinet work.
Pros: Its holistic look and functionality can perfectly match your kitchen decor.
Cons: It sometimes needs professional installation due to your kitchen decor and designs, and these are frequently costly for you.
Microwave Drawers
Supreme for: This microwave is especially perfect for those who prioritize easy use and metaphysics.
Pros: Comfortable to operate and perfect for those who are very conscious about their space. It enables you to install under-the-counter spaces.
Cons: It will cut into your budget and sometimes need adjustments to your kitchen cabinetry.
Our Expert Tips: You must consider the space in your kitchen and decide how much you are hoping to spend on this and installation. After concluding the types you need, choose.
Step 2: Evaluate the Actual Size and Capacity
Generally, microwaves appear in various sizes according to their needs. It usually varies from small to extra large. The size you choose must be appropriate to your needs and the space you have, which can orderly serve your tasks.
Compact Microwaves
Size: Less than one cubic foot.
Superior for: Tiny kitchen, dormitory room, or small amount of reheating tasks.
Cons: Insufficient capacity, which might not be suitable for large dishes if you have prepared the whole family for a while.
Mid-Size Microwaves
Size: 1 to 1.5 cubic feet.
Superior for Ordinary household tasks, it has a good balance between size and cooking capacity.
Pros: It is flexible for doing different amounts of cooking and appropriate for most cooking needs.
Large Microwaves
Size: 1.6 to 2.0+ cubic feet.
Superior for: This is the best option for large families or enthusiastic cooks.
Pros: You can easily handle large amounts of dishes and are ideal for cooking full meals for families and parties.
Our Expert Tips: You should always measure the size and capacity of your needs and evaluate the tasks that you can efficiently perform. Do not select the wrong capacity that is not suitable for you. This will cut your pockets, and by and large, it affects the paramount productivity of any microwave.
Step 3: Examine the Power Demand and Cooking Performance
A microwave typically consumes power, and this power demand is calculated using watts. The more power a microwave consumes, the more evenly it cooks food faster.
Low Power Consumption Microwaves
Wattage: 600-700 watts.
Superior for: You can efficiently perform your daily basic tasks like reheating coffee or cooking something simple meals.
Cons: You may sometimes face slow cooking times and may fight with particular foods when cooking or reheating.
Mid-Range Power Microwaves
Wattage: 800-1,000 watts.
Superior for: This is suitable mainly for household cooking, offering you an excellent balance of speed and effectiveness.
Pros: With these, you can cook most of the foods perfectly, ranging from popcorn to frozen dinners.
High-Power Microwaves
Wattage: 1,100 watts or more.
Superior for: It is best for those who need faster and more even cooking in a short time. These are perfect for large families or those who use their microwaves many times a day.
Pros: It cooks food more evenly and quickly, and it is excellent for more complex cooking tasks.
Our Expert Tips: Our expert suggests that you always opt for at least 1000 watts if you decide to use it frequently for cooking or something reheating. But if you’re not chosen with less than 1000 watts.
Step 4: Find Out the Key Features and Characteristics
Whatever you want to buy, modern or old-fashioned microwaves come with critical features printed on the pack. Then, the question arises of what to look for in a microwave. Here is the information from that choice that will be perfect for your modern kitchen.
Sensor Cooking
How It Performs: This feature enables you not to take the hassles of setting time
and temperature. This sensor automatically adjusts the time and temperature based on the moisture of the food.
What It’s For: Takes the guesswork out of cuisine, providing your food comes out perfectly each time.
Pre-Programmed Settings
What It Performs: It has inbuilt options for cooking foods. It comes with a dedicated button for one-touch cooking, such as pizza, popcorn, chicken, and various vegetables.
What The Point: This cooking button simplifies your cooking methods and saves time. You don’t need to set the time manually.
Inverter Technology
What It Performs: This feature offers consistent power for cooking. So that you can ensure your foods are evenly heated and prevent them from overheating.
What It’s For: This type of microwave is excellent for tender foods like fish and meats. It also provides reheating options without drying the moisture of your foods.
The inverter technology comes in two models. We differentiate these two models to increase your awareness.
Turntable
This turntable features an inbuilt plate that will automatically rotate when turned on and perfectly cook all your food. It is the standard model among modern kitchens.
Flatbed Design
It is found in some antique models. It offers a more wide spacious room and is easy to clean.
Child Safety Lock
How It Performs: This locking system blocks any accidental operation by little members who are not able to run a microwave.
What The Point: It is necessary if you have young members in your family and essential for cooking with young kids.
Our Expert Tip: Always think twice before buying. Must go for those features that will suit your cooking habits. Honestly, it will make your cooking process more straightforward.
Step 5: Re-check the Energy Effectiveness
What to look for in a microwave must be a considerable matter that you are concerned about. Energy efficiency must be significant when buying because it will make all the difference.
Look for Energy Star Ratings
What It Means: This star rating shows the energy efficiency level of what it consumes.
The more the Energy Star rating, the less it consumes, and that can save you money.
Why It Matters: It is better for the environment if it consumes less energy.
Consider Power-Saving Features
What They Do: An idle appliance is best for the home. Some eco-friendly microwaves reduce energy consumption.
Why It Matters: All the pros will help you to get the perfect one, especially when you cook food frequently.
Our Expert Tips: Always looking for higher Energy Star ratings. Though it will cost a little bit, it will save you money over time.
Step 6: Consider Your Kitchen Decor and Aestheticsness
In your kitchen, your microwave will be visible in the decorated place. So bear in mind which design and model will be the perfect for your modern kitchen.
Match Your Kitchen’s Style
Colour and Finishing: Select those microwaves that suit your kitchen decor and design. Also, look for standard finishes such as materials used like stainless steel and colours like black and white.
Design: Built-ins or over-the-range devices offer a cleaner look than countertops.
Consider Size and Placement
What It Means: Always find those microwaves that don’t need more space in your kitchen. It is an excellent decision to choose a compact microwave that perfectly fits into your kitchen without congestion.
Why it matters: Accurate placement in your kitchen can increase your cooking productivity.
Our Expert Tip: If you would love to have all the stainless steel appliances, then you must go for the same build quality microwave for your kitchen.
Step 7: Estimate Your Budget
Today, many companies present a broad range of microwaves at different prices to compete with others. So you must set a budget you want to spend on getting a microwave.
Budget-Friendly Models
Price Rank: $50-$150.
What you get: It offers basic features, lower wattage and a smaller capacity.
Superior for: Students, small apartments or occasional microwave users.
Mid-Range Models
Price Rank: $150-$300.
What you get: It offers better power, more features and a larger capacity.
Superior for: It is primarily for households and delivers a delicate equilibrium of cost and performance.
High-End Models
Price Rank: $300 and up.
What you get: It allows you to get advanced features, inverter technology and inherent or over-the-range designs.
Superior for: It is the best for those who want the finest in performance, style and performance.
Our Expert Tips: Specify the need that you actually need and set a budget that must be suitable for your pocket. But it is sometimes seen that a little bit more spending is worth it for a model that will serve you for a long time.
Step 8: Finding the Best Brands and Judge the Reviews
It is a wise decision to set up a renowned brand for purchasing a microwave because it will serve for a long time. So, do a perfect calculation of different brand values and search for customer reviews from websites.
Trusted Brands
Model: Here are the most favourite brand names, {1} such as Panasonic, LG, Gree, Samsung, and Whirlpool, which are known for making reliable microwaves.
Why It Concerns: A well-known brand often offers the best value for its customers. They are famous for providing functionalities, performance-build quilts and after-sale services.
Study Customer Reviews
What to observe out for: Keep an eye out for commonplace compliments or objections, specifically related to durability, ease of use and cooking performance.
Why It Matters: Practical user experiences will give you a look at how well a microwave carries out in the long run.
Our Expert Tips: Visit different websites to evaluate customer reviews and have a closer, detailed look at another website. You can get accurate information from sites like Consumer Reports{1} and get comprehensive, detailed info from Amazon.
Step 9: Consider The Warranty and After sales services
It would be best if you often faced some technical defaults with your products. Sometimes, it will be minor or significant because it is an electrical device that accidentally faces some minor or major troubles. So, it is essential to examine the warranty and customer service.
Warranty Coverage
What to Check: Always looking for those that give at least a 1 year warranty on parts and 1 year servicing free.
Why It Concerns: A warranty and customer support services provide you with mental satisfaction with these products.
Customer Support
What to Examine: Select those brands that are very responsible for their customer service and provide you with quick solutions to your response.
Why It Matters: You might face a problem and want a quick solution; in that case, a well-known brand is very responsive and replies with helpful support.
Our Expert Tips: Some of the top-notch companies offer extended warranties on some specific products. Also, give a 1-year warranty with 2-years after sell service. Selecting these products will always be preferable.
Last Step: Be Prepared to Make a Purchase
No need to feel swamped when selecting a microwave; with this guide, you are now covered in the entirety there is. From compressed and low-cost to high-end versions affluent with all the characteristics, there is a microwave just waiting for your pick. All the time, bear in mind that the perfect microwave should be in line with your kitchen. Meet your various cooking needs and always be within your budget. So go onward and go shopping. Soon, you’ll be surprised how you ever lived without your perfect microwave.
Built-ins or over-the-range devices offer a cleaner look, while countertop microwaves come in all styles. With the right location, not only does the appliance look better, but it also uses superior and is easier to get to.
The “Modern Kitchen Gear” will cordially allow you to make a choice and get your perfect one. Thank you for your patience and reading. Whatever you find this blog’s guide helpful, visit our new and latest blogs for more kitchen-related products and decorations. If you are more passionate, please join our newsletter.
