Microwave energy effiiency question

[glowworm]

As part of my war against extortionate electricity bills!!! I have decided to by a microwave to replace my electric oven.

I've read that the bigger the wattage the faster it cooks the food.

My question is this:

does that mean that I won't be using as much electricity and therefore will have the saving reflected in my bill or does it just mean it will use the same electricity, or more, just in a shorter space of time so it will not have any benefits re my bill?

Many thanks

 

[breezer]

you have just wasted your money, a micro wave only heats things, it doesnt cook them.

so for example it will hea a beef leg, but not brown \and cook it,still need an ovenm for that.

they are good for scambled egg and porridge, but not at the same time

 

[sheer1delight]

Microwaves are great for heating things up be it leftovers and containers of dessert rice and the like. You can "cook" something like scrambled eggs true but for good old fashioned cooking you need a proper oven.

They are a great invention but they do have their limitations!!!!!

A pudding might taste better steamed for 2 hours. However it can be heated in the microwave in 2 minutes. Mightn't taste as good but I will put up with that!

Great for a babies bottle too. When microwaves first gained popularity about 18-20 years ago there was a bit of a scare. My missus insisted on me buying a bottle warmer. It must have have taken about 30-40 minutes to heat a bottle. With Junior screaming his head off for food at some ungodly hour it wasn't long (about 2 days) before the bottle warmer was put back in the cupboard and we resorted to the trusty microwave. He is 18 now and in perfect health!

 

[breezer]

you may also want to see what NOT to put in a microwave

clicky

for waht a micro wave is, clicky

 

[glowworm]

thanks guys. I haven't wasted any money Breezer as I haven't bought one yet...

 

[glowworm]

It think one will really benefit me as I am a vegetarian and most of my cooking is vegetables whcih you can cook in a microwave. You can also cook rice, pasta, lentils and make some soups using a microwave which is always food I tend to eat.

 

[blu3tang]

As part of my war against extortionate electricity bills!!! I have decided to by a microwave to replace my electric oven.

I've read that the bigger the wattage the faster it cooks the food.

My question is this:

does that mean that I won't be using as much electricity and therefore will have the saving reflected in my bill or does it just mean it will use the same electricity, or more, just in a shorter space of time so it will not have any benefits re my bill?

Many thanks

You can get a microwave with built in grill, my old microwave had it. You can put stuff in combi mode, and it will flick between microwave and grill.

A microwave does cook food, for example tt can do bacon (3 minutes) (and if its on combi mode it browns off the bacon)

 

[Diyisfun]

All these posts about you cant cook in a microwave. Are these from plumbers & sparkies

Of course you can cook in a microwave. If you buy one with a grill & oven you can also brown.
For just over £100 you can get one that does all of the above.
As far as energy efficiency goes, because they only heat the food, not the surrounding air they are efficient

 

[big-all]

i do most of my cooking in the microwave you just need to adapt to a different method

i do pork beef lamd joints no probs the only difference is the size you can cook and the browning crisping which you can easily replicate under a grill or finnish in an oven but thats removing a lot of the cost savings and conveniance of using the micro

if i do use the oven it has to be full for most of its time in other words you wouldnt catch me with a less than full oven 75% of the way through the cooking time

 

[Coniferman]

I recently replaced my old microwave with a grill combi model. TBH never used the grill except for testing it. It came with a metal tray thing. The manual says to not use 100% microwave with the metal tray (no surprise) but is not clear on whether you can use the metal tray with anything other than 100% grill. e.g. you can set it for 50% grill 50% microwave power but can you use the metal tray in this mode? Also what do people use the grill for?