Convection Cooking Vs. Microwave Cooking
Advances in kitchen technology have made possible a multitude of different methods for preparing and cooking food. Different benefits and drawbacks are associated with each type of technology. A gas stove, for instance, usually means shorter cook times and more consistent heating, whereas an electric stove is somewhat safer and easier to operate. Understanding the differences between each type of technology is therefore essential to choosing the one that best suits your cooking needs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Microwave Cooking
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A microwave oven uses a fan to distribute microwave radiation throughout the inside of the microwave. The microwaves accelerate the water molecules inside a piece of food and, in effect, heat the food from the inside out. The main attraction of cooking foods in a microwave is shorter cooking times than you would ever see using stovetop cooking, a traditional oven or any other method. Due to its heating method, however, microwave cooking often creates "cold spots" in food, resulting from uneven distribution of heat inside the food. To avoid cold spots, you will typically have to stir food once or twice in the middle of microwave cooking or let it rest for a few minutes before eating and after it has come out of the microwave.
Convection Cooking
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Standard gas and electric ovens use two heating elements -- one on the bottom and one on the to -- to heat the oven cavity to a specific temperature. Convection ovens add a third heating element to the back of the oven with a fan attached to it. The fan sucks air inside the oven cavity, passes it through the third heating element and distributes the heated air back inside the oven cavity. The result is a more consistent temperature inside the oven cavity as well as better distribution and an average reduction in cooking time of 25 percent (depending on the food being cooked).
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Comparison
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The comparison of microwave oven cooking to convection oven cooking could be described as brevity vs. quality. If you are short on time or money, microwave ovens tend to be much less expensive and cook foods much more quickly than convection ovens (even though convection ovens cook food more quickly than standard ovens). If time and money are not as much of a factor and you are particularly picky about the quality of the food you cook, convection ovens may be a better option for you. Convection ovens are common in restaurants not only because they are quicker than standard ovens but also because they generally result in much better quality cooked food.
Other Considerations
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When determining the costs of each of these methods of cooking food at home, long-term maintenance, energy and repair expenses are key parts of the equation. Microwave ovens only require electricity while a convection oven will require a source of (much more) electricity or natural gas. The cost of repairing a convection oven should it ever break is also likely to be much more than repairing or even replacing a broken microwave oven.
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