Convection Oven Microwave

A Guide To Convection Oven Microwave

The convection microwave is a variant of the conventional microwave. In fact a convection microwave is a combination of a convection oven and a standard microwave. The advantages are that it allows food to be quickly cooked and still be crisped and browned like a convection oven. They are more expensive then standard microwave and would not be cost effective if they were used just to reheat frozen food and heat up water. They make the most sense for cooking prepared dishes. They do suffer from burning odors and smoke produced from the grease spatters and food particles from microwaved foods. These spattered particles collect on the heating elements and cause the aforementioned effects.

More recently, certain manufacturers have added a high power quartz halogen bulb to their convection microwave models while marketing them under names such as "Speedcook", "Advantium" and "Optimawave" to emphasize their ability to cook food rapidly and with the same browning results typically expected of a conventional oven. This is achieved using the high intensity halogen lights at the top of the microwave to deposit large amounts of infrared radiation to the surface of the food. The food browns while also being heated internally by the microwave radiation and heated through conduction and convection by contact with heated air - produced by the conventional convection portion of the unit. The IR energy which is rapidly delivered to the outer surface of food by the lamps is sufficient to initiate browning caramelization in foods primarily made up of sugars (carbohydrates), and Maillard reactions of those foods primarily made up of protein. These reactions in food produce a texture and taste much more similar to that typically expected of conventional oven cooking rather than the bland boiled and steamed taste that microwave-only cooking tends to create.

In order to aid browning, sometimes an accessory browning tray is used, usually composed of glass or porcelain. It makes food crisp by oxidising the top layer until it turns brown. Ordinary plastic cookware is unsuitable for this purpose since it could melt.

Frozen dinners, pies, and microwave popcorn bags often contain a thin susceptor made from aluminium film in the packaging or included on a small paper tray. Instructions are included to leave the item in the box while cooking it. The metal film absorbs microwave energy efficiently and consequently becomes extremely hot and radiates in the infrared, concentrating the heating of the popcorn oil, or even browning surfaces of frozen foods. Heating packages or trays containing susceptors are designed for a single use and are then discarded with the other food packaging waste.

This information has briefly tried to display the benefits to be had by using a convection oven microwave. In fact if you use this information to become well informed before you purchase a convection oven microwave you will find greater satisfaction with your purchase.