The world of kitchen appliances never fails to impress us with modern inventions.
Some of these inventions may appear so similar in appearance and function that you might confuse them.
This includes microwaves and convection ovens.
You find both items on the shelves of different home appliance stores and keep wondering about their differences.
Generally, a conventional oven looks bigger.
Also, a microwave oven cooks or heats various foods using a specific type of radiation.
If you are interested in knowing their differences, keep reading this blog.
We’ll cover all the aspects of the microwave vs oven comparison.
We’ll shed more light on the way they both operate.
So stay tuned.
What is a Microwave Oven?
Microwaves have become very popular in the cooking world in the early 1970s.
This type of oven does not rely on conventional heat to prepare food.
They only use radio waves to generate sufficient heat that speeds up the cooking time.
Microwaves are known for their compact size and speedy and efficient heating of different foods.
These ovens transmit microwave radiation into the insides of foods and drinks.
How microwave heat is focused on food particles resembles how the summer sun heats your skin.
The length of these waves is variable.
Longer waves reach tens of miles per second.
However, this differs from the wave type used in kitchen ovens.
They are designed to emit short waves that are not 5 inches long.
Microwave ovens are also made only to heat the food, not the whole surface inside the oven.
The small size of these ovens might imply they lack sufficient energy, but they are packed with enormous amounts of energy.
This oven won’t operate or generate the required electromagnetic waves without a functional magnetron tube.
So, it is a primary reason behind any malfunction in this modern kitchen appliance.
What Is A Conventional Oven?
Conventional ovens go by different names, such as thermal or regular ovens.
These have bigger cavities and bottom and top roof shelves.
For proper food heating, these ovens come with two heating elements. One is on the top, and the other is on the bottom.
Generally, the oven relies the most on the bottom element.
So typically, food placed near the bottom gets cooked faster.
However, it might get burnt fast too.
For better cooking or even roasting results, people tend to place food on the middle rack to avoid burning or excessively slow roasting.
Conventional ovens use different energy sources to generate heat.
You might be more familiar with gas ovens.
However, electric models are getting more popular every day.
Unlike microwaves, ovens have a gauge for determining the level of heat.
Sometimes this gauge is marked with heat degrees or with minimum and maximum.
This allows you to choose the exact heat level suitable for the type of food.
These ovens have an adjustable rack placement to improve the cooking results.
It is common to find these ovens with a built-in convection fan that facilitates heat distribution all over the insides of the oven.
Differences Between A Microwave And An Oven
Despite their common uses, a microwave is different from a conventional oven.
They use different types of energy.
Moreover, their operation mechanism is very different.
Also, they drastically vary in sizeโno need to mention the obvious price gap between these two popular kitchen appliances.
Now, let’s delve into their fundamental differences:
1. Uses
Heating and cooking food is a broad headline for the function of these two appliances.
However, they do not cook or heat the same types of food.
For instance, a microwave is best used for reheating already-cooked dishes.
It is also efficient at heating that cup of coffee you made half an hour ago.
Moreover, your microwave is a better fit for making popcorn and baking smaller portions of mug cakes.
Also, heating liquid water is another task you can rely on a microwave rather than an oven.
Additionally, a microwave is a better option for reheating due to its speedy performance.
A conventional oven is used for making a wider selection of food.
So, it is primarily used for cooking different dishes from scratch.
For instance, you can bake various cakes and types of bread in an oven.
Also, you can roast chicken and meat there.
2. Energy Source
Both similar ovens operate using different types of energy.
A microwave uses electricity only.
On the other hand, ovens are powered by gas or electricity, depending on the model.
3. Heating Mechanism
In a regular gas or electric oven, heat is generated directly by converting the energy into heat.
Then, with the help of the fan, heat is supposed to be distributed evenly.
In a convection microwave, on the other hand, radiation waves are generated that are turned into microwave frequencies.
These frequencies interact with food particles and imitate the impact of oven heat.
4. Size
The size greatly determines the difference between a microwave and a regular oven.
You will notice that a wide range of commercial microwave ovens are smaller than standard ovens.
5. Heating Efficiency
Despite the primary use of microwaves as food-heating appliances, they are not as efficient as standard ovens.
Ovens give better heating results due to higher heat capacity.
You can notice the increased efficiency, especially with larger food quantities.
6. Cooking Speed
Another defining point in this microwave vs. oven comparison is the speed of cooking.
It is known to all microwave users that these ovens heat frozen foods a lot faster.
This is a result of the limited cooking capacity and the smaller size.
With their larger capacity, ovens take more cook time to heat and distribute the generated heat evenly.
7. Efficient Heat Distribution
This is one of the notable differences between microwaves between standard gas ovens.
A gas oven does not distribute the heat equally despite the presence of a fan.
A microwave is a lot better in even heat distribution.
A larger oven will have dead spots that heat does not reach easily.
An electric oven, though, can match up with the efficiency of traditional microwaves.
8. Cost of the Appliance
There is a notable price gap between a microwave oven and a regular gas or electric oven.
Generally, prices vary according to the brand and model, but a microwave is typically cheaper.
You can find budget-friendly models starting at $60.
However, more versatile models can be purchased for $200.
Regular ovens, on the other hand, are more expensive.
You can find models starting at $500.
Microwave vs Oven: are they the same?
A microwave is a very different kitchen device from an oven.
It is so different that many modern kitchens are equipped with both appliances.
A microwave started as a luxury, but now it is an essential kitchen device.
However, an oven does a lot more than a microwave.
You can run a residential kitchen without a microwave but can’t do the same with an oven.
Microwaves are known for their Compact models.
They also operate using electricity, but ovens come in gas and electric models.
A microwave can be a great option if you are looking for cheaper and faster cooking times.
You can even find cheaper models if you opt for low-cost countertop models.
Lastly, an oven can prepare large dishes and cook items from scratch.
On the other hand, a microwave generates heat waves that are perfect for reheating or cooking smaller portions.
It is also efficient at full-power defrosting if you are in a hurry to defrost frozen foods.
An oven, on the other hand, does not come with a defrost option.