Microwaves and ovens are two kitchen appliances that many people use for cooking, but often there are still those who don't know that they have differences in how they work and function.
If so, this article can help you recognize the differences between ovens and microwaves to help you find the type of food heater or grill that best suits your needs.
We will also provide product recommendations from
IKEA to help you get a quality microwave or oven at a price that can be reached by many people. Let's take a look.
How microwaves and ovens work
Before deciding to buy a microwave or an oven, let's know how they work so you can customize them to suit your needs:
How the microwave works
The way a microwave works is quite simple. This tool for heating leftovers works by utilizing electromagnetic microwaves to heat food.
These waves penetrate the food and make the water, fat and sugar molecules in the food move rapidly. This movement generates heat, which then heats the food from the inside out.
The fast and efficient food ripening process makes the microwave quite ideal for warming food, defrosting frozen ingredients, or ripening simple meals.
How the oven works
Unlike a microwave, an oven uses a heating element, either a stovetop oven or an electric oven to make the heat spread throughout the oven chamber.
This heat surrounds the food, heating it slowly from the outside in. Ovens are suitable for a variety of cooking techniques, such as baking cakes and meat.
The oven's stable and even heating and ripening process allows foods to achieve more diverse textures and better cooked food results.
Also Read: IKEA Family Helps You Realize Your Dream Kitchen
Microwave and oven functions
From our discussion above, it is known that microwaves and ovens have different functions even though both are used to cook or heat food.
The following is an explanation of each function:
Microwave function
Microwaves have various functions, namely:
- Reheating food: Microwaves serve to reheat cooked food, preserving texture and flavor without taking too long.
- Defrosting frozen food: With the right settings, a microwave can quickly defrost frozen food items, such as meat, vegetables, or bread, without the need to wait for hours.
- Cooking food in a short time: Microwaves are ideal for cooking simple meals in a short amount of time, such as making popcorn, steaming vegetables, or cooking instant meals.
Oven function
Apart from microwaves, ovens also have various functions, namely:
- Baking cakes, breads and other foods: The oven allows you to bake cakes, breads or other foods with a soft texture and evenly cooked, thanks to the stable heat distribution.
- Searing meat: Ovens are used to sear or roast meat, resulting in a crispy surface with a tender and juicy inside.
- Cooking food evenly: Ovens provide even heat throughout the food, making them ideal for dishes that require a long time and a perfectly cooked finish, such as lasagna, casseroles, or roast chicken.
Pros and cons
After learning how it works and its functions, let's now know its advantages and disadvantages, as follows:
1. Microwave
The advantages of a microwave are that it's fast, efficient, and easy to use. That's because microwaves allow you to heat or cook food in minutes, making them ideal for busy daily activities.
It's also easy to use, with various automatic settings that make cooking a breeze.
The downside is that microwaves are not suitable for all types of food, especially those that require baking to get the best results, such as cakes or bread.
Some foods can also lose their original texture when cooked or microwaved. For example, fried foods can become mushy, and cakes can become dry or hard.
2. Oven
The advantage of the oven is that the results of cooking are evenly cooked with better texture, such as soft bread and soft cakes, or meat that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Another advantage is that the oven can be used for a variety of cooking techniques, such as baking cakes and searing meat, or cooking food for longer periods of time for rich results.
The downside is that it takes a long time to cook with the oven. That makes it less practical for quick daily needs.
See Products: Complete & Quality Kitchenware
Factors to consider when choosing
