The size of a microwave oven is defined by its cavity volume.

 

By European standards, built in microwave ovens are limited to 20 / 23 / 25 / 28 litres capacity.

Despite being invented & used since 1955, some are still suspicious of the health & safety aspect of microwave ovens due to the apparent lack of a heat source.

 

Microwave ovens do not cook through heat transmission but by microwaves emitted by a magnetron. The microwave is the exact wavelength of the water molecules in the food, agitating them to vibrate & generate heat. The food cooks from the inside, making it fast & especially effective for reheating.

The internal cavity of a microwave oven may be made from enameled steel or stainless steel material.

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Top of the line microwave ovens use food grade 304 stainless steel material for the cavity construction.

Entry level microwave ovens are equipped with simple knobs for power setting & time adjustments.

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High end microwave ovens feature digital control interfaces to provide  users with multiple automatic cooking programs, preset timers to switch on or off.

 

Some high-end microwave ovens may be equipped with the grill function that is operated alone or in combination with the microwave function.

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Food cooked with by the microwave is known to be bland, the grill function improves the colour & taste dramatically.

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The two cooking methods complement each other since the microwave cooks from the inside & the grill cooks from the outside.

A free-standing microwave placed on the counter top occupies useful (and expensive) space that could have been used for food preparation.

 

On the other hand, a built-in microwave tucks neatly into your kitchen cabinet revealing only the door and control panel which are really the only interface you need.

 

True, a free stand microwave microwave cost less to buy but the counter top space it occupies is worth far more.

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