Comparison of Microwaves & Convection Ovens

Microwave Ovens and How They Work

• The first microwave oven was invented in 1946 by Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer for the Raytheon company. While conducting an experiment on a new type of vacuum tube called a magnetron, he discovered that microwaves, a form of electromagnetic energy, have the ability to head food. While testing the device, he found that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted, and his curiosity led him to experiment further, leading to the first microwave oven, marketed by Raytheon in 1947. Microwave ovens cook food by bombarding the food inside the oven with microwaves generated by a magnetron. Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic radiation, similar to radio and television waves and have a frequency of about 2450 Mhz. When they strike molecules in food, microwaves cause them to vibrate rapidly, leading to friction between the molecules that produces heat, thus cooking the food.

Advantages of Microwaves

• Microwaves have many advantages. They require a fairly small amount of energy, cooking food very efficiently. They cook foods extremely quickly. They are generally compact, requiring little space. They themselves do not get hot like a regular oven, and they do not require any special ventilation or clearance from other appliances, counters or cabinets. They make reheating foods very easy and do not dry out foods while cooking them. While one can spend several hundred dollars on a top of the line residential or commercial model, a basic home model can be had for under $100, some as little as $40 or $50.

Disadvantages of Microwaves

• Microwaves have several disadvantages as well. They do not work well with many types of cooking. Raw meats cooked in a microwave tend to be rubbery or tough. Microwaves will not, on their own, brown foods like other types of ovens. They are not suitable for baking, broiling, roasting or browning. Certain foods are not suitable for reheating in microwaves. They can tend to cook unevenly, although ovens with a rotating plate help alleviate this problem.

Convection Ovens and Their Advantages

• Convection ovens are much like any standard oven, but with the addition of a fan that circulates air inside the oven, helping to cook foods faster and more evenly. Convection ovens may use electric elements or gas burners to produce heat, but the fan is what sets them apart from standard ovens. They are excellent for baking, roasting and browning foods. Meats roasted in convection ovens benefit from superior browning, which seals in moisture, nutrients and flavors. Baked goods have better crusts and superior texture. Convection ovens cook foods much more quickly than conventional ovens, as much as 30 percent faster at similar temperatures. They allow foods to be cooked on any rack without fear of burning the top or bottom. They allow more dishes to be cooked at one time without the need for rotating dishes or the fear of flavor transfer from one food to another. They require less preheating than standard ovens as well.

Disadvantages of Convection Ovens

• Convection ovens come in two types; small countertop types and larger ovens much like standard ovens, which may be wall mounted or integral to a stove top and range combination. Standard-sized convection ovens have the same requirements as standard ovens with regard to installation and ventilation. They get very hot like standard ovens. They require more energy than a standard oven, as the fan uses extra electricity. They can be noisy, as the fans add extra noise. Finally, they tend to be more expensive than standard ovens. Countertop convection ovens require care in their use as they can get very hot on external surfaces.