Till about a couple of years ago, a microwave was only a heating appliance. Indeed many houses still use it as such – a useful appliance to heat up the leftover meal, make some fast popcorn and to roast the odd papad but today it is used for full-time cooking as well.



Depending on the model you buy, a microwave oven can:
• Brown, roast and grill foods like a conventional oven;
• Prepare specific recipes using a pre-programmed touch keypad;
• Cook entire meals without over-heating your kitchen;
• Automatically shut off when a sensor determines the food is done.


Now a new generation of microwaves combine speed with versatility and technology to create a smart kitchen appliance that takes a lot of the chore out of cooking.

Some factors you would consider before buying a microwave oven are:

BUDGET
You may already have a budget in mind as to how much you would like to spend. Microwaves range between Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 34,990. The type of microwave you buy, its capacity and features will affect its price.
The capacity of a microwave oven defines the size of the oven and the amount of food that you can cook in it at one time. To decide the capacity that best suits your needs you must consider the following:

Family size
The number of people in your family will directly affect your capacity requirement. The larger the family, the more food you will need to cook at one time. Therefore, the larger the family, the larger the microwave oven you will require.
Usage
Whether you plan to use the microwave oven for actual cooking or to supplement your cooking, these factors will affect the size of the oven. If you only need a microwave oven to reheat and defrost food, a small size oven will suffice.

Family Size	Usage	Recommended capacity	Price (Rs)
2	All cooking	Small – 17 to 20 litres	7,000 to 8,900
2	Defrosting and heating	Small – 17 to 20 litres	3,000 to 7,000
4	All cooking	Medium – 21 to 30 litres	8,000 to 35,000
4	Defrosting and heating	Small – 15 to 20 Litres	4,000 to 9,000
6	All cooking	Large – 31 to 42 litres	11,000 to 34,000
6	Defrosting and heating	Medium – 25 to 30 litres	7,000 to 12,000