Microwaves

[Griffin NoName]

**** UK availability only ****

I apparently fed a dollop of half frozen fish to a friend yesterday, while I have in fact been stuffing burnt offerings into my mouth for weeks; thus is has dawned on me that my 20 year old (or more? eek) microwave may be yearning to go to the recycling tip.

I know nothing about microwave desirable/undesirable functions etc beyond the broadest scope - apart from I've heard some can brown things on top, which is not of great importance to me apart from when I mistakenly buy creme caramel and discover the instructions include grilling the sugar topping which annoys me intensely because I like them pre-burnt.

Any tips?

I am desperate as I microwave everything except pizza. However, I have 6 days ahead to make my choice as I shall wait for VAT to reduce to 15% which it will next Monday - YES I shall contribute to the economy for the good of the country by spending less than I would have

[The Meromorph]

Prioritised:

1) Digital controls
2) Turntable
3) one-button one minute setting
4) The kind that does real partial power, rather than interrupted full power for partial power sttings.
5) Re-heating options bulit in.


Buy a small propane blowtorch from a DIY store for browning things.

Edit: Oh yes, Sharp or Panasonic, as Beagle recommends below. 

[beagle]

I've got a 20 year old Toshiba Deltawave. Unfortunately they don't make them any more (they lasted too long...).

Wouldn't have thought you'd go far wrong with Panasonic or Sharp (or Bosch or Neff if you really want to help someone's economy).

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Personally, I deplore the digital controls....the keypads wear out too soon.

Give me a simple twist-dial any day over the too-soon it's worn out keypad.  The stupid manufacturers use a plastic film-based keypad, which goes too quickly.  The film goes even faster, if exposed to daily dose of sunlight, so keep it in shadow for a bit longer life.   (I know, they do this to seal it from moisture....cheap b~stards, there are better ways to seal a 'pad than using that cheap film with clicky-pads underneath.  Like silicon rubber buttons; outlast the earth, if not torn...)

Okay, forget all of the above, it's really a personal bias......   

What nobody mentioned is WATTAGE.

If you go for a new one, get AT LEAST 1,000 watts capacity.   1500 is better still. AND make sure it has a power-level setting.

That way, you have your cake and eat it too:  high power for doing really cool things like popcorn, medium for routine stuff, and low power for defrosting.

The lower powered units are really only useful for re-heating smallish portions.

If you have an ancient microwave, chances are it's a HIGH POWER one; the really cheap under-powered ones did not come onto the market until later.

[The Meromorph]

Never had a Sharp keypad fail. Had one for 10 years, gave it away; had one for 12 years, needed a bigger one, had this one for 14 years, still going strong.

[anthrobabe]

Maybe Bob's keypad fails so quickly because he forgets to put his cutlass down before using it    I have heard that is a pirate issue in some cases--this is the real reason so many of them are missing an eye as well.

Anyway back on topic!
I have a digital keypad- had it for about 10 years nowit is still just fine. However I have seen them worn out on much 'newer' or younger microwaves than mine. So they will and can wear out prematurely- i would check out what consumer reports has to say about current models. Consumer Reports linky

What do I want-need in a microwave personally

Watts--I looked at the Greenhams( available in the UK) web page but the only microwave I saw listed was of only 800 watts and in my opinion that isn't powerful enough for the cooking you do-- I agree that at least 1000 watts is good and 1500 or more is better-- you aren't just heating things you actually do your main cooking with it. They do show a microwave combo unit that evidently 'grill's at up to 1200 watts but I am not sure what that really is.

Turntable or not- some  ovens have the option to turn the turntable off if you want to so you can have it both ways- ( I know one model is the GE Spacemaker-- but how large is it and can you get it in the UK?) Ok it appears that you may---  http://www.sharp.co.uk/    they ship in the UK

Large capacity-- I know it might seem a waste to get a large oven for a one person household but it really comes in handy and it is there when you need/want it.

One minute key-- that you can press multiple times if you want-- say press twice for two minutes. I haven't found much use for my preprogrammed keys at all -- the popcorn key is a complete waste on my oven but the one minute key and seconds key (15 per press) is fantastic. Some are now programmed that if you hit the 5 button then it quick cooks for 5 minutes-pretty cool.

Removable trays-- not  usually needed for day to day use but the are nice to have when company is comming. It does limit your use of height within the oven.

[Griffin NoName]

Buy a small propane blowtorch from a DIY store for browning things.

Best Tip Award.
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Thanks all. I wont quote to answer/address things but just wade in, in case anyone has anything more to add.

1. 20 years - my touch pad digital wotsits still work. Fear: later models dont last? How Big a Fear? Don't want dial. Too tired to turn.

2. turntable thingy - possibly why mine is failing - still goes round - but one side always burnt. Assumed always had turntables. They don't?

3. Power - vital. I DO NOT COOK. I follow directions on microwave ready meals. Not well enough to cook. Even beginning to find shoving ready meal in conventional cooker too hard. UK - mwave ready meals at present only go up to 800 - mostly. very unusual to get any higher. also most give instr. for 750 and 850. My current is 800. I can still do the sum - half the difference. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to do the sum. Not sure if/when UK will change it's common figures. HELP!

3a. I need to be able to do sum, press button, while falling over, dizzy, unable to breathe, focus, and not having any hands free (while not using any energy that might be needed for removing and eating food after) (oh and possibly lying in another room, like collapsed in hallway). ADVICE?

4. Size/capacity - big enough for a ready meal

5. Height: - yes. preferably adjustable to floor level.

6. Wattage: see 3.

7. Wattage: how old is too old? I assumed not worth mending as 20 years.

8. Wattage/Size: hmmm. I do have a real cooker right now even if barely ever used. what if I have to sell up and move to a cupboard and someone else wants to cook real meals for me. ?Can someone calculate the likelihood of such a plan actually working - issues such as Global Economy, and Nice People - scratch relatives.

9. Partiaql Power:  is there such a thing as switching wattage - like if a packet says x mins at 750 - y at 850 - could I SET y at 850 instead of having to do sum to get z at 800 ? - (total time - cant be doing with partials - remember i've passed out on the floor) - i dont think this is what one of you meant when mentioned above

10. I dont care whose economy I help - we are all going down the tubes anyway

11. Rejoice - I've been too ill to use the wretched thing since posting.

[anthrobabe]

Maybe a remote controlled microwave would be useful
evidently a patent does exist- but does not seem to be actually on the market- just patented for now
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3098180.html

I tried a google lookie for adjustable microwave stand and got lots of crap on adjustable rate mortgages.
ok change wording - a bit closer- not to the floor yet- http://www.onewayfurniture.com/adh-wk2990.html
or classroom tables- small children in pre-school are very low to the ground so some of these have to be very low  http://www.onewayfurniture.com/classroom-activity-tables.html

How to build a block and tackle-- utilize a set of pulleys and ropes for do it yourself adjusting of microwave.
http://www.ehow.com/how_1276_build-block-tackle.html

here is one version of a non-turntable microwave

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

3. Power - vital. I DO NOT COOK. I follow directions on microwave ready meals. Not well enough to cook. Even beginning to find shoving ready meal in conventional cooker too hard. UK - mwave ready meals at present only go up to 800 - mostly. very unusual to get any higher. also most give instr. for 750 and 850. My current is 800. I can still do the sum - half the difference. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to do the sum. Not sure if/when UK will change it's common figures. HELP!

With regards to not wishng to think overmuch (I can so relate; too tired to think about the little things sometimes, let alone anything more) perhaps a simple conversion chart?

I.e. if you end up with a 1500 watt oven, a power setting of "5" equates to 1/2 or 750 watts.

I would be happy to work up such a chart, and you can print it out, and tape it next to the oven...  once you settle on a wattage, that it.

Over all, I've had low watts, medium watts and high watts.   The high watts wins out every time, for a variety of obscure reasons. 

[Griffin NoName]

Ababe - that non-turntable one is yummy - suspect I could save a few country's entire economies by buying it. I especially like the fact that -
quote - Even large foods can be steamed quickly - should be very handy with all the enormous marrows we get at our Midsomer Village fairs

BtQF - chart - sweet - ty - only ever lunge for the High setting !  The book that came with the oven 20 years ago was too complicated to ever work out what the other buttons do and I made a strategic decision to reduce the options to one set of variables by fixating on High. Have had a much better idea. Could you build me a scanner so I could just pass the instructions on the meal packaging past it and it would translate tham and send an activation command to the microwave?

[anthrobabe]

Snip-quote-Griffin
"Ababe - that non-turntable one is yummy - suspect I could save a few country's entire economies by buying it. I especially like the fact that -
quote - Even large foods can be steamed quickly - should be very handy with all the enormous marrows we get at our Midsomer Village fairs "

You crack me up! so I bet you could find a less expensive version somewhere-- one that isn't the entire gross national debt of Borogravia or something. Just don't go with the BB Industries super delux model-- unless you want to glow in the dark after 3 uses.
One never knows when a giant capacity anything will come in handy-- one day you just might have the desire to cook an entire moose haunch-- better ready than sorry I always say----

[Sibling Chatty]

WHY did I just read "an entire mouse haunch"??

Mooses, meeces, whateverses...I have lost the last remnants of my little mind.



^{(They were small, I probably won't miss them.)}

[Griffin NoName]

I give up. As usual having done my research, the combination of features I want/need does not exist. I hate modern life. It's just not consumerish enuff.

Tomorrow I shall assault Panasonic.

[Griffin NoName]

Duly assaulted.

Ended up getting the cheapest Panasonic Combi. With stupid prefixed High = 1,000 and stupid pre-fixed Medium = 600. There are no combis with anything else. All the 800 ish ones are non-combis.

So, based on always using the 1,000 - I need a chart for:

30 seconds through to 9 minutes in 1/4 minute steps for

750, 800, 850 and 900.

((((   BobinaQSTF ~ are you still longing to do the sums?  I'm sure I could just do an excel on it myself. )))

I probably also need a very large wall to hang the chart on.

I feel like murdering someone.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Duly assaulted.

Ended up getting the cheapest Panasonic Combi. With stupid prefixed High = 1,000 and stupid pre-fixed Medium = 600. There are no combis with anything else. All the 800 ish ones are non-combis.

So, based on always using the 1,000 - I need a chart for:

30 seconds through to 9 minutes in 1/4 minute steps for

750, 800, 850 and 900.

((((   BobinaQSTF ~ are you still longing to do the sums?  I'm sure I could just do an excel on it myself. )))

I probably also need a very large wall to hang the chart on.

I feel like murdering someone.

LOL!  (please do not be upset, but the post above just made me laugh... )

Microwaving food is a pretty much straight-forward event.   That is, the process is (more or less) linear.  A given amount of energy equates to a fixed amount of heat (more or less).

Now, the sticklers will point out that area vs volume is a square-cube relationship, and all that, to which I retort:  the volume that will fit in the microwave is at a maximum, and moreover, most portions of food are within a fairly narrow volume range, so we can ignore that, and use a linear calculation.

If you really wanted to be a stickler for scientific details, you'd need to calculate the percentage of water, the percentage of sugar and other molecules, the shape of the portion (spherical, like a potato or flat like a tray of food) etc.  (Microwaves only work by exciting the hydrogen molecules in water in the food, and the hydrogen molecules in sugar, as far as I remember).

So.  A simple ration equation ought to sufficient.  Calculate the start and end times.  Then interpolate the intervening values.

I.e.  if 30 seconds at 750 is called for, and you are using 1000 watts? 

Code Select Expand


  x           30
____  =   ___
750         1000


Solve for x:  (cross multiply and divide)  30 x 750 = 22500.   22500 / 1000 = 22.5 or 23 seconds (rounding up is nearly always safe).

Thus:  30 seconds becomes 23 seconds to simulate 750 power

similar for 800 watts:  (30 x 800) / 1000 = 24 seconds

900 watts:  (30 x 900) / 1000 = 27.

See a pattern? 

Code Select Expand


1000  30
900   27
800   24
750   23


Another way to calculate it is using percentages:  assume 1000 watts is 100%   Thus 1000 watts at 30 sec is 30 sec (100% of 30 sec)

900 watts is 90% of 30, or 27 sec   (or, multiply 30 by 0.9)
800 watts is 80% of 30, or 24   (or, multiply 30 by 0.
750 watts is 75% of 30 or 23 (well 22.5)  (or, multiply 30 by 0.75)

If you create a chart in Excel (or equivalent) simply apply the appropriate percentage to each cell, then fill in the seconds values.  Viola!   A simple copy-and-paste, copy the formulas into a column (or row) of cells ought to do it.

A still shorter cut:  for 900 watts, multiply 3 by 9.   (you basically divide 30 by 10, and multiply 0.9 by 10. These two cancel each other out...)  For 35 seconds?  Do it in two stages:   3.5 by 9:  becomes 3 by 9 + 0.5 by 9 (which you just memorize, which is 4.5 or 4 seconds)  Thus, 35 seconds at 900 watts becomes 27+4 or 31 seconds.

Easy as pie!  Just ignore or round up or down, all values other than ending in 0 or 5.  This will be more than close enough to cover most situations....

To sum up:

Covert the time into all seconds or all minutes (so there's no fractions).   (2 minutes becomes 120 seconds, for example).

Divide time by 10.  Multiply by the single-digit appropriate number, i.e. 9, 8 or 7.   This converts the whole into basic multiplication tables.



(if you really want a chart, with second-by-second increments, I did promise I'd do it.  Just PM me, and I'll send it ASAP)