Last week I have decided to buy an oven to reduce my cooking timings with the traditional cooking methods. Then, immediately I searched for all the sources where can I get enough knowledge about ovens and the difference between convection and microwave oven.
While searching, I was confused about the terms of convection, oven, microwaves, etc.
And a question was flashed in my mind like “What is the Difference Between Convection and Microwave oven?”
Then, I got an answer from my research.
In general, both the Convection and microwave designed to cook/heat food but the main difference is that the microwave oven cooks food with the help of microwaves while the convection oven cooks food by heating the grill and spread it by the conventional fan.
In simple, the heating process in the microwave oven and conventional oven are different from each other.
Apart from the major difference, there are some other differences you need to know and I would like to share it from the research I made which helped me to most.
For further details have a gentle up swipe.
Difference Between Convection and Microwave Oven
There are some other differences I have found while searching. So, I made it simple for you to understand easily. Check this out ( click here)
Machine Setup
Though these are in the rectangle shape the parts in it are different.
However, the microwave oven has a magnetron to produce microwaves, a waveguide which helps for the waves to pass from the magnetron to the inner container, a stirrer to spread the microwaves, and a turn-able plate to rotate the food for even heat spread.
Meanwhile, the convection oven has heating elements on at the top and bottom of the cooking chamber along with a fan and a grill.
Heating Process
It is the main process in an oven to be considered while cooking. The process of heating is also different.
Heating process in Microwave oven
In the microwave oven, the magnetron is the vacuum tube that produces microwaves.
On the pass of electricity, it converts the electrons to oscillating electrons with a frequency equals to the frequency of microwaves. Thus, the production of microwaves takes place.
The produced microwaves then enter into the cooking chamber passing through the waveguide.
A fan-like stirrer is present at the top of the cooking chamber, allows the microwaves to spread equally inside it.
Spreader microwaves get reflected the walls of the cooking chamber by the waves reflecting material coating and tend to bounce back several times.
The to and froth motion of microwaves then enter into the food that contains water molecules. The dielectric nature of water molecules get vibrated the microwave’s penetration and results in the heat formation.
The turn-able plate at the bottom of the cooking chamber helps the food to rotate and get cooked evenly.
Check out the video of the heating process in Microwave Oven
Heating process in Convection Oven:
The Convectional oven heats the food by heating elements. The heating element gets heat up by converting the electric energy into heat energy.
The heat thus produced in the heating element converts the normal air into hot air in the cooking chamber.
The hot air is circulated with the fan fixed at the center of the backside of the oven. And also makes the hot sir spread evenly in the chamber.
Thus, food kept on the trays in the convection oven heat up.
Check out the video, which explains “how convection oven produces heat?”
Time Takes for Cooking
The time takes for cooking is always depends upon the dimensions like size, the thickness of food. But it’s not the matter to consider the cooking time but to look at the food whether it is evenly cooked or not.
In the microwave oven, the cooking of food starts from the inner layers first and then passes to the outer layers. Whereas in the convection oven the food is cooked from the outside layer first and then passes to the inside of food.
But if you want to cook food with the same size and thickness then microwave oven it takes less time when compared to the convection oven.
Cooking Uses
Reheating
It is the common thing people expect from an oven to do. If you are in a hurry then you should prefer a microwave oven for the reheating purpose.
Because the microwaves vibrate the water molecules in the food for about a million times per second. So, the process of heating is fast in a microwave oven compared to a convection oven.
Grill and Bake
If you want to make dishes by grilling and baking then convection oven is best. As the heating process starts from the outer surface it makes the food crisp, broil, from outside and moist inside.
There are some other microwaves with the convection cooking option. So, do check before buying an oven for a grill, bake, and a broil option by convection method.
Defrosting
Defrosting is now become a common thing before eating frozen food. So, for those who want a quick defrost then you need to go for a microwave oven as the convection oven does not contain this option.
Energy consumption
When it comes to the budget point of energy consumption, the microwave oven consumes less energy when compared to the convection ovens.
The amount of energy consumed by the microwave oven may vary depending on the models. But the range of energy consumption of a microwave oven is about 500-1800 watts whereas the energy consumption of a convection oven is about 2,500 to 5,000 watts.
Cleaning
It is also matters for the people who are about to clean the hectic minor places in the oven.
In the convection oven, it is quite difficult to clean compared to a microwave oven because of the presence of heating elements.
We need to clean the convection oven only when the heat of the heating elements reduced. And in addition, it also has the trays with the grills which take much time to easy.
But the cleaning of the microwave oven does not require much time and labor because the walls of an oven contain a smooth finish. It only requires a damp towel and cleaner.
Disadvantages of Convection and Microwave Oven
The disadvantages are the important point to look at while buying a product. Similarly, the disadvantages of convection and microwave are
Convection Oven
- Causing food burn in the case of multiple cooking.
- It spreads the food smell and makes a room warmer after usage.
- The fan present in it might get noisy.
- Materials in the convection oven are not designed for heat resistance. These may Catches fire in the case of temperature increase.
Microwave Oven
- Absence of rack facility.
- If damages it results in microwave radiation.
- Plastic in the oven makes food poisonous.
- Even small holes in the surface cause microwave radiation.
Conclusion
According to the above analysis, it is clear that a microwave oven is the best to buy. It defeats the convection oven in all aspects except in some cases like radiation, grill, and baking.
However, the advanced new microwaves have overcome these advantages by radiation leak-proof, and with convection cooking option also.
So, I hope the article makes you aware of the differences between convection and microwave. Now, it’s your choice to choose the best microwave in the market with the latest technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put my new convection oven on top of my microwave oven? Yes, the placement of a convection oven over the microwave is fine. But, you should operate both the ovens at a time as it may cause circuit issues also make sure the surface of the oven is strong enough to bear another one.
Why do microwave ovens have a fan? The fan in the microwave ovens is called a stirrer. This stirrer will help the microwaves to spread evenly all through the cooking chamber. And this makes the food evenly cooked.
Can you broil in a convection oven? Yes, we can broil in the convection oven by setting the option to broil. This makes the upper heating element more heat makes the food to broil better.
