The temperature in the microwave is directly dependent on the power declared by the manufacturer, as well as on additional options: grill or convection. Modern models allow you to adjust it from minimum to maximum. You will learn how to choose a technique that works at the level you need from the review.
Temperature and power
As we have already said, heating a microwave oven is related to its power. Typically, customers choose models designed for 800-1000 watts. They warm food to 100 degrees in just 1 minute. It takes half a minute to heat up to 50 degrees.
The maximum temperature inside the chamber, or rather, the dishes in it, does not exceed 100-110 degrees. According to the principle of operation of the microwave cabinet, the waves enter the products, exerting an effect on the water molecules, due to which they are heated. Read more about the processes taking place in the microwave oven on the page “How the microwave works”.
How the magnetron works
The magnetron, the so-called "heart" of the device, creates radiation. It is a diode with copper walls. When working, it generates heat that goes outside the enclosure with a radiator and is not involved in the process of heating food.
The magnetron does not work continuously. To heat food to the highest point, the sensor works for about a quarter of a minute (depending on the parameters of a particular model). After that, the magnetron turns off, “rests” for several seconds and continues to work like a refrigerator motor-compressor.
Knowing the working temperature of the magnetron, you can use the simple mathematical operations to independently calculate how quickly and how many degrees the food warms up. So, it takes 0.5 minutes for a glass of water if the oven is operated at the highest power.
Unfortunately, the heating rate is not always satisfactory. The manufacturer is often not involved in the quality of the appliance - it all depends on the stability of the voltage in the network. If you experience interruptions, install a stabilizer.
If the voltage is lower than standard 220 V, the 750 W microwave will heat a glass of water 2 or even 3 times longer than at normal voltage. It will take 2-5 minutes to reach 100 degrees centigrade, which again depends only on the network parameters.
Microwave modes
We devoted a whole review to this topic: "What are the modes of the microwave?" But since the temperature, power and modes are closely related, we will highlight some points:
- To boil water, make juice or other drinks, choose a maximum heat of 100 degrees.
- For dishes of chicken or heating already cooked food, an average power of 70 degrees is enough.
- Roasting fish, meat, cooking soups are excellent at 50 degrees.
- Defrosting requires only 25-30% of the total power of the device.
- What should be the temperature to maintain the warmth of pre-cooked meals? Enough will be 15 or 20 degrees for dinner to be warm.
Useful Tips
- What temperature should be selected in a microwave power of 750 watts in order for the grill to cope with its "duties"? Manufacturers note that it all depends on the volume of water contained in certain products.
Gathered to cook a large piece of meat using the grill? It will take more time than processing fish or chicken - they are more watery, less time is needed.
- Do you like to pamper your family with desserts of your own "production"? Keep sugar inside the product. Baking is heated quickly, so it can burn due to molten sugar crystals.
- It takes a minimum of time to cook raw vegetables and fruits - there is plenty of water in them. On the pies, cakes and casseroles, set the average power and temperature so that they do not burn at the top, they are well baked inside.
When choosing a suitable model, look not only at the brand, functionality, cost, but also at the parameters. Especially pay attention to power capabilities, temperature conditions. If you do not want to figure out which program to choose for a dish, look at the stove with automatic programs. In them, for most dishes, all parameters are already set by the system - nothing will burn, will not remain raw. Good choice and trouble-free operation!