Today, manufacturers of microwave ovens are literally going out of their way to make their products as functional as possible, capable of dozens of operations. Their technique does not just perform its immediate task - it warms up and defrosts. She also fries, steams, bakes foods and prepares a variety of dishes. But not everyone needs this functionality. Therefore, before buying, you should carefully study how cheap models differ from expensive ones, as well as which options are worth overpaying for and which ones are not.
How much a microwave oven costs depends on a number of factors. First of all, on the type of management. Secondly, from the manufacturer. Also, the cost is affected by the presence of additional functions, grill, power level, color and volume.
Management
It can be mechanical or electronic. The latter option also includes microwave ovens with a touch panel. Budget models are mechanically controlled devices. These are the ones that buyers should pay attention to.who think about how to choose a microwave oven and not overpay.
Mechanical control is very simple. There are 2 handles on the panel: one regulates the power, the other - the timer. If you need to warm up a bowl of soup, a couple of minutes is enough, and it may take at least 10-15 to defrost a large amount of food. Some buyers are wondering why power adjustment is needed? Let the microwave work at its maximum! After all, it will heat up and cook faster. You can’t argue with this statement, however, in the mode of defrosting food, the maximum power is not needed and it must be reduced. Otherwise, you can get a product dried on the surface and icy inside.
Electronics gives you a lot more options. For models with this control, a display appears on which you can see the time remaining until the end of cooking / warming up. Electronics allows you to accurately set the duration of work depending on the type and weight of the product. Such models are designed not only for defrosting and heating, but also for preparing various dishes.
Customers looking for the cheapest microwave oven with no additional options should look at mechanical models.
Volume
Standard models come in 17-23 liters. Some buyers mistakenly think that the cheapest microwave will be small. The smaller the volume, the lower the price. Relationshipthere really is a difference between these two characteristics, however, some small microwave ovens are not cheap at all, for example, Hotpoint-Ariston MWHA 13321 CAC. This is due to the non-standard sizes of such equipment, which is rarely found in stores and can be considered an exclusive product. The main advantage of such models is not the price, but small dimensions, which save space in the kitchen.
Capacity microwave ovens are usually taken to cook or heat a large amount of food. A wide dish or a whole turkey will easily fit into a spacious chamber of 26-30 liters.
Dimensions
This characteristic should also be paid attention to if you need a microwave oven. The dimensions of the models are not always indicated by the sellers of the goods. To obtain reliable information about the dimensions of the equipment, you should refer to the instruction manual. A small microwave does not take up much space on the countertop, easily fits on a shelf or fits into a small niche.
Dimensions of microwave ovens indirectly depend on their volume. Obviously, models with a chamber of 30-35 liters simply cannot be small. However, an increase in dimensions can occur both due to a change in height and width, and due to depth. Therefore, before buying, you need to evaluate each parameter separately, and not just the dimensions as a whole.
Grill function
If a microwave oven is needed not only for heating, but also for cooking, you should pay attention to models with a grill. This device is optionala heating element inside the chamber that allows you to use the microwave as a small oven: cook hot sandwiches, bake pies, cook cereals. The products are not boiled and stewed, but appetizing, fried, with a crispy crust. How much does a microwave with grill cost? Definitely more expensive than without it, because whatever one may say, you need to pay extra for an additional function. An example of a budget model with a grill is the Horizont 20MW700-1378B.
Power
If the buyer does not want to wait 3-4 minutes for a portion of soup to warm up, you should pay attention to such an indicator as power. Depending on the model, it can fluctuate in the range of 500-1500 watts. The higher the number, the faster the equipment will cook, the more expensive it will cost.
Color
Cheapest microwave - classic white. It is versatile and fits any interior. If you need a microwave gray or steel color, you will have to pay extra for the design.
Camera cover
It's no secret that during operation, the inner surface of the camera gets very dirty. Therefore, in order to facilitate the work of housewives, manufacturers have developed a special coating - easy-to-clean enamel. Compared to a conventional surface, it is much easier to wipe off grease splashes and soot from it. Easy clean enamel is gray or blue in color and slightly increases the cost of the microwave oven.
Manufacturer
The price of a microwave oven, of course, is also affected by the place of assembly. For many years on the marketAsian manufacturers - Korea and China - are in the lead, and the quality of the equipment they produce is steadily growing. The cheapest microwave oven with a probability of 99.9% will be assembled in these countries. European manufacturers, not inferior in quality, are far ahead in price. The Gorenje microwave oven, assembled in Slovenia, will cost twice as much as a model similar in function, assembled in China.
Additional features
These include: convection, double boiler, double-triple grill, automatic cooking and a number of similar options. All of them somehow increase the cost of microwave ovens. A model with a lot of additional functions should be taken only if the owner plans to cook in it regularly. For example, everyone in the family adheres to a he althy diet and regularly prepares diet meals. In this case, a microwave with a built-in double boiler will become an indispensable tool for them. Otherwise, the money will be thrown away.
Let's take a closer look at microwave ovens up to 2000-3000 thousand rubles, their main characteristics and features.
Samsung CE2738NR
This is a 700W 17L electronically controlled model. Its distinguishing feature is bioceramic enamel inside the chamber and an electric grill. Additional options include the "quick start" button, which automatically starts the microwave oven for 30 seconds and the menu program. When defrosting, the owner is asked to choose one of 4 types of products: bread, meat, poultry or fish and indicate the weight.
Depending on the set parameters, the microwave oven itself will select the optimal power and duration of operation. A nice little thing - this model is equipped with a clock and shows the time while plugged in.
SUPRA MWS-1803MW
This is a very basic microwave oven for heating and defrosting. Its dimensions are small - 42.4 x 26.2 x 34.1 cm and allow you to place the device even on a small table. This is a mechanical model. The top knob sets the time. The bottom one is power. Before buying, you should pay attention that the time scale step is 5 minutes: 5, 10, 15, etc. - up to 30. Accordingly, it is difficult to set a smaller interval, you will have to do it "by eye", risking overheating the product. The inside of the microwave oven is covered with plain white enamel. Power can be adjusted in 6 settings. The first is a defrost, then there is a low, medium / low and further, up to a high level. The volume of the model is 18 liters. The door opens with a push of a button.
Mystery MMW-2013
This is another example of a budget microwave oven. Model with a volume of 20 liters, a power of 800 W with a mechanical type of control. Unlike the previous microwave oven, you can select the cooking time for this one by the minute. This is much more convenient when you need to warm up a small portion of food, such as a glass of milk. After 10 minutes, the scale step increases by 5 times: 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30. The Mystery MMW-2013 microwave oven is designed for defrosting and warming up. Its power can be adjusted by the top switch depending onfrom the needs of the owner by category: low, medium, high, etc. The coating inside the chamber is also the most common - white enamel. It does not give any advantages in care and is cleaned with standard household chemicals.
Mystery MMW-1707
The Mystery MMW-1707 microwave oven is another example of a multifunctional budget model. It is small, only 17 liters. Its power is also close to the minimum - 700 watts. There are no additional heating elements. But there is an electronic control panel with several modes of operation. It consists of a display and numeric buttons that are used to set the time, weight and power. There is a "quick start" option, which reduces the number of keystrokes when typing. Of the programs, auto-defrost can be noted, in which the microwave automatically selects the number of defrosting cycles depending on the set time. Also, this model has a cooking delay - a useful option, in which a warmed dish can be received right for breakfast, laying food from the evening.
Gorenje MO17MW
You can also find budget models among European manufacturers. An example is the Gorenie MO17MW microwave oven with a capacity of 17 liters and a power of 700 watts. The device door opens with a button. There are 6 power levels including a defrost mode and a mechanical timer in 1-minute increments.
In terms of its technical characteristics and appearance, it is not much different from its Chinese counterparts, but due to the brand it costs a little more.
