Choosing the Right Microwave Oven

Microwave ovens are a convenience found in just about every home kitchen. While most people use their microwave ovens to heat frozen dinners, warm leftovers, and maybe pop popcorn, some use them to cook elaborate meals.

While you can spend a lot of money on the most state-of-the-art, feature-rich microwave oven on the market, there’s a chance you won’t need it. There are more basic, less expensive microwave ovens that might suit your needs just fine.

The next time you go shopping for a microwave oven, here are some questions to consider.


Where Will You Put It?

There are three basic types of microwave ovens.

Counter top microwave ovens sit on a counter or other flat surface, like the top of the refrigerator. These units are usually the most affordable.

Built-in or wall-mounted microwave ovens are actually installed in the wall, so that the door of the microwave oven is flush with the wall. This can be good if you don’t have a lot of counter space, but these units can be costly, and require professional installation.

Over-the-range or over-the-counter microwave ovens can be mounted above a stove, or under a cabinet. This is another good choice if you don’t have a lot of counter-space.


What Will You Be Cooking?

If you’re only going to be reheating leftovers and preparing frozen meals, you can just ignore the fancier, more expensive microwave ovens, which will have a lot of features you just won’t need. You also shouldn’t need a microwave oven that’s very big. Try one of the compact or midsize microwave ovens on the market. And make sure the one you choose is big enough for your plates and frozen food containers.

If you’re going to be using your microwave oven to cook entire, meals, you’ll want a bigger, more powerful unit that has more features. So, you’ll probably want to look at full-sized microwave ovens.


How Much Power Do You Need?