Are you thinking of buying a new microwave? With this buying guide, we will make sure you that buy the best microwave oven in India. The 1990s saw a boom of microwave ovens in every Indian household. For a lot of us, a microwave is a commonly available kitchen appliance used mostly for re-heating already cooked food. But don’t be mistaken, it can do much more than that. Every one buying a new microwave has plenty of questions revolving in their head.
We aim to answer all of them with this buying guide- Type of microwaves available in the market, their different functions of a microwave, which are the best solo microwave ovens in India, which are the best convection microwaves in India, which are the best microwave brands, how are meals cooked and reheated in microwaves, which are the best microwaves that suits your needs, tips to clean the appliance and of course distinct features to look for in a microwave oven when you buy it. Like all kitchen appliances, you can shop for microwaves online, also. We have a list of the best microwave ovens 2022 available online in India-based on customer reviews.
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks
- Beginner-Friendly- IFB 20 L Convection Microwave Oven
- Most Economic- Croma 20 L Solo Microwave Oven
- Most Versatile- Panasonic 20 L Solo Microwave Oven
Best Brands in India
Top Picks – Best Microwave Oven In India 2022
Before we proceed further with the details, let’s do a quick roundup of what we thought were the brands of best convection microwave oven in India – budget wise, functions wise, and brand warranty and quality wise as well.
1. IFB Microwave Oven
This is one of the best microwave oven brands in India. IFB claims that they have the best innovative products that outperform peers and they say they provide outstanding after and before sale services.
IFB’s solo microwave oven has 3 auto cook options with durable jog dials.
What makes this the best microwave to buy is the capacity of 20 Litres. Since it is a solo microwave oven, it can only be used for reheating, defrosting and simple cooking. This type of microwave oven cannot grill and bake. There is no starter kit included with this product. It has jog dials that are durable and are easy to use. This IFB microwave oven has 3 auto cook menu options. It is ideal for a small family. The IFB microwave oven also provides the ease of changing the power levels while cooking. Yes, even in the middle of the cooking process.
It has a user manual and a warranty card included and comes with a 1-year warranty on the product and 3 years warranty on magnetron.
Product Features
- Suited for a small family
- Can reheat
- Can defrost also
2. Bajaj Microwave Oven
As per the website, Bajaj Electronics is an electrical appliance manufacturing company based in Mumbai. Its main range includes lighting (lamps, tubes, and luminaries), consumer durables (appliances and fans), engineering and project (transmission line towers, telecommunications tower, high-mast, and poles), wind energy and solar energy.
Bajaj’s solo microwave oven has 5 power levels with an alarm making it one of the best solo microwave in India.
Product Features
- Durable jog dial controls
- Alarm fitted
- 5 power levels
3. Panasonic Microwave Oven
As per the website, Panasonic was founded in 1918 as a manufacturer of light bulb sockets. They claim to be one of the largest Japanese electronics producers. They also offer non-electronic products and services like home renovation service.
Panasonic’s solo microwave oven has 5 power levels with 51 auto cook options.
The Panasonic solo microwave oven has a capacity of 20 L. It can reheat, defrost and do simple cooking. There is no starter kit with this microwave oven. It has a touch keypad and is very easy to clean as well. It also has 51 auto cook menu options with 5 different levels of power which helps to cook or heat the food evenly inside.
There is a warranty card, and a user manual included with this product. It comes with a 1-year warranty.
Product Features
- Capacity – 20 liters
- Reheating
- Defrosting
- Simple cooking
4. LG Microwave Oven
As per the website, LG is a part of a large industrial conglomerate in South Korea. It has 4 business units which are home entertainment, mobile communications, home appliances, and air solutions and vehicle components. LG claims to be the world’s 2nd largest LCD television manufacturer.
LG’s Solo Microwave Oven is energy efficient and has i-wave technology.
Product Features
- I wave technology
- Faster and healthier cooking
- 1-year product warranty
5. Whirlpool Microwave Oven
As per the website, Whirlpool is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances. They claim that their products enrich their customer’s lifestyles.
Whirlpool’s solo microwave oven has 10 power levels with a large rotating turntable.
Product Features
- 10 power levels
- Made of metal
- Comes with a starter kit – One cook & serve container, one serving spoon, one big bowl & medium Bowl (Microwave safe)
- 2 years magnetron warranty
6. Morphy Richards Microwave Oven
As per the website, Morphy Richards has been a manufacturer in Europe for over 80 years. Their products have the latest design and technology. Their wide range of home appliances and personal care products with amazing features are now available in India.
This innovative microwave oven has a capacity of 20 L. It can do reheating, defrosting and simple cooking. There are durable jog dials to adjust the temperature or timer, making it easy for the user to use it. It has 5 different levels of power which allows the user to adjust the temperature based on the food being cooked. It requires 1270 watts of power to operate.
It includes a turntable, instruction manual, customer care list and a guarantee card. It comes with 2 years warranty on the product.
Product Features
- Capacity – 20 Litres
- Reheating
- Defrosting
- Simple cooking
7. Croma Microwave Oven
This microwave oven has a 20-L capacity. This appliance is suitable for cooking, reheating, and defrosting. The glass turntable ensures uniform heating throughout. This is a 700-watt microwave power. The easy-clean cavity offers protection from rusting. The knob control is beginner-friendly and allows for manually setting the time and heat level.
Product Features
- 20 L capacity
- Rust protection
- 11 kg
- Accessories included
Questions To Ask Before Buying A Microwave Oven
Before buying any kitchen appliance, it is necessary to ask yourself a few questions to make your purchase a satisfactory one. When you buy a microwave, answer these four questions before you even start looking at options.
- What is your budget?
- What is the purpose of buying a microwave? Which type of microwave is ideal for you?
- Which is the best microwave brand?
- What is the ideal size of the microwave?
- Do you have appropriate space to keep the microwave?
1. The budget
For any purchase you make in life, the first and most important question is the amount of money you are ready to shell out for it. Microwave ovens start as low as Rs 4000/- and can go up to Rs 20,000/-. Once you have decided on a budget for a new microwave, making a purchase will be much easier. Expensive doesn’t ensure quality, make sure you ask about features in detail also.
2. The purpose
Are you looking for a microwave to just re-heat food or to cook? If you want to cook in a microwave oven, are you looking for baking and grilling food too or just simple recipes like dals? In the next section, we will discuss the types of microwaves available in India and their cooking abilities. If you want to cook day-to-day food in microwaves, a whole new section of options is available called convection microwave ovens. If the purpose of your purchase is just re-heating food, then a solo microwave oven should suffice.
3. The brand
Deciding which brand has the best microwaves oven in the market is very subjective and also depends on which brand do you trust the most, which brand is providing the best kits and warranty period. Various brands like Samsung, LG, Godrej, Panasonic, IFB, Whirlpool, Morphy Richards are few of the readily available trusted microwave brands available in India. Before you buy a microwave, do consider the after sale service too.
4. The size
The capacity of a microwave depends directly on the size of the family. For a small sized family with 2-3 members, a microwave with a capacity of 15-19 litres is enough. For a family of four, a 17-25 litre microwave is ideal. For a large family, anything between 25-30 litres is perfect. Of course, consider the purpose of the purchase before deciding the size of the microwave. If the purpose is just reheating food, then a 20 litre microwave is enough for a large family too.
5. Space
Do you have enough space in the kitchen to keep the microwave? Is that space easily accessible? An appliance like microwave needs to be on a countertop where it is easily accessible to reheat or cook. It cannot be kept in high reaching cupboards or on top of another appliance. Before you purchase a microwave, make sure you have a proper easily accessible space for it in the kitchen. Measure the width of your countertop before you push to the market to avoid any confusion later.
Different Types Of Microwaves Available In India
There are three major types of microwaves available in India – Solo microwave oven, grill microwave oven, and convection microwave oven. You can choose which one is the best microwave suited for you on the basis of their function, price range and the type of food you need to cook in your kitchen. Let’s see what are their functions and how are they different from each other.
1. Solo Microwave Oven
A solo microwave oven is usually considered as the most basic model. It is best for reheating cooked food and simple cooking. It cannot grill or bake food. Solo microwave ovens are economical in comparison to the other variations. These usually start around Rs 4000/- and can go up to Rs 10,000/- depending on the brand you wish to purchase.
2. Grill Microwave Oven
As the name suggests, this type of microwave oven is best to reheat and grill food (Yes, you can make tikkas). You can defrost food as well in this type of microwave. Usually, a recipe book is handed over while buying the appliance, that can help you make food in a microwave. Grill microwave oven have coils that can help you toast and roast your food too.
Related Reading:
Buying Guide To Select The Best Grill Microwave Oven
3. Convection Microwave Oven
A convection microwave oven can reheat cooked food, grill some delicious tikkas, and bake food too. Yes, it can do all three functions. Of course, it is much more expensive than solo microwave ovens. The starting range of such microwaves is around Rs 10,000/-.
How Does A Microwave Cook Food?
Without getting too technical, let’s answer this question in layman language. Microwave cooking is easy and perfect to amp up your culinary skills. Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation to cook food. It is a combination of electrical and magnetic waves. These waves are generated inside the cavity of the oven by a tube called Magnetron. The magnetron is one of the core components of a microwave oven. There is a reason microwaves can heat food so quickly. Microwaves channel the heat energy to the tiny molecules inside the food to cook them or heat them faster and efficiently. When you switch on a microwave, the water molecules in the food vibrate and generate heat, heating or cooking the food.
- The magnetron sends these waves to the food which is placed in the microwave oven through a medium known as a waveguide.
- There is a rotating turntable (the glass plate) on which the food is placed and it keeps rotating so that the food is cooked evenly from all sides.
- The walls of the microwave oven have a reflective metal and the waves keep hitting the wall and bounce back towards the food to cook it. It passes through the food and cooks it from the inside as well.
- This is the reason it can get difficult to cook completely dry items in the microwave oven. Numerous guides ask you to keep a glass of water while heating your leftover pizza or add some water to a solidified thick dal.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Cooking In A Microwave Oven?
Whenever you buy a new kitchen appliance from the market, be it a refrigerator, hand blender or a microwave oven, make sure you weigh in on their pros and cons. Let’s tell you all about the wonderful benefits (pros) of owning a microwave. The main reason of buying a microwave oven is the ease with which cooking can be done. It’s quick, mess free and definitely there are fewer dirty dishes. The kitchen is not overheated when you cook; it remains cool. Microwave ovens are easier to clean in comparison to cleaning an entire kitchen after every cooking session. The icing on the cake – there is an auto-switch off feature in microwaves which prevent burning and overcooking of food. You will never run to the kitchen screaming ‘OH NO! OH NO!’ or never wonder ‘Cooker ki kitni seeti baj gayi hai?’.
The main drawback (cons) of using a microwave in an Indian kitchen is that you cannot make chapatis in a microwave. A nation obsessed with their rotis should definately consider this. You also cannot deep fry your food. Sorry, samosas and french fries. Sadly, the color, taste and texture of the food is likely to change too upon cooking and reheating.
How To Choose The Best Microwave Oven In India 2022 | Solo microwave oven Vs Convection microwave oven
People often wonder how a solo microwave oven is different from a convection microwave oven. Read on to find out how the two of them are different from each other.
- Solo microwave ovens have a magnetron fitted in them which produces microwaves while a convection microwave oven has a magnetron along with a heating element.
- A solo microwave oven can perform a single task at a time while convection microwave ovens can perform multiple tasks at a time.
- Convection microwave ovens prepare the food quickly as the air is continuously being circulated due to the fan while solo microwave ovens take a lot of time in preparing food.
- Solo microwave ovens can’t perform tasks like baking or grilling while a convection microwave oven can.
- A solo microwave oven cooks food only on the inside while a convection microwave oven cooks food on the inside and outside as well making it crispy.
- Solo microwave ovens are for simple cooking and cheaper than convection microwave ovens.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1 Does the microwave have automatic sensors?
Features like automatic sensors are important in a microwave. An automatic sensor, also called a humidity sensor, checks if the food is cooked or not. As soon as the food is cooked completely, it automatically shuts off the appliance. With this feature, you can avoid overcooking if you ever forget to turn off the microwave oven. The need for this feature is specially important for those who regularly cook in a microwave.
#2 How is the power rating?
Always select a microwave oven with more power ratings. More watts means the cooking time is lesser. Microwaves with more wattage can mean high electric bills also. Choose wisely.
#3 How is the control panel?
Always buy a microwave oven with a control panel that has the numbers and you can set the temperature according to the food item. The preset cooking time needs to be carefully checked so you can use it without the worry of undercooking or overcooking the food. There are different types of control panels available – Mechanical, feather touch and tactile buttons.
#4 Are there auto defrost and steam cooking options?
The best microwave oven has an auto-defrost feature where you only have to select the type and weight of the food and it defrosts the food item perfectly. The defrost feature is important, especially if you are a non-vegetarian. The defrost function will come in handy when you are thawing out frozen meat and frozen vegetables as well.
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