Microwaves aren't just a student essential but a great addition to any household, offering a quick and convenient way of cooking. Excellent for anything from defrosting to cooking a whole meal, some models are even capable of baking, grilling and roasting food.

Microwave types

Microwaves aren't just quick and convenient, they're also extremely versatile and efficient and a great solution for anyone who loves food but doesn't have enough time in the day. To understand what might suit your needs best and the features available, take a look at our buyers guide.

Standard microwaves: although the most basic type of microwave, they are more than capable of cooking, defrosting and reheating food a variety of food.

Grill microwaves: with all the features of a standard microwave, a grill microwave has the extra option of being able to brown or crisp food thanks to an internal heating element that gives the same results as a conventional grill.

Combination microwaves: seen as the ultimate microwave, it combines a microwave, grill and convection oven and allows you to use all of these functions together or separately for extra flexibility.

Things to consider when buying a microwave

Microwaves have certain features that can add a lot of additional value in terms of your overall cooking experience, so here is a complete rundown:

Capacity: Microwaves vary is size from about 17 litres to 32 litres. If you have a particularly large family or like to cook large amounts it is beneficial if you look for a microwave over 27 litres.

Multiple sequence cooking: a fantastic feature, it can automatically change the power levels during cooking, so you could defrost and then heat on full power without having to change the settings. This ensures excellent results in the quickest time possible.

Sensor cooking: detects food moisture, automatically changing the microwaves humidity, power level and cooking times for unbelievably tender and delicious food.

Chaos defrost: sends strong, random pulses throughout the food eliminating any ice pockets and cutting down defrosting time by up to 60%.

Child lock: a useful feature if you have small children that like to clamber upon work surfaces it stops any children from being able to open the microwave or activating any of the buttons, stopping it cooking.

Cleaning: some advanced models come equipped with catalytic or pyrolitic liners which will automatically clean your microwave for you, so you never have to deal with nasty spills or dried food.