This 30ltr Microwave is a good bet with the price going down to 13500/- during this festive season.
Summary: Top-of-the-line at most places in India (in mumbai one higher model available) 30ltr/convection/grill/microwave/combination/ indian autocook
Details:
Capacity: 30ltrs (it doesnt matter much if it is 26 or 28 or 30 but the size of the turntable and the depth does. it is the optimal sized)
Features:
>>Convection (hot air to cook food. a must for making cakes and for even browning of food) ...have to use ’’Microwave-safe’’ Glassware or the supplied tawa. Don’t use plastic wares.
>>Grill - Tandoor. It is used for making this crisp say for making pizza. Either use the rotoserrie supplied that grills chicken/paneer etc by rotating it continuously to give the perfrect cooking and browning.
>>Microwave (cooks food by exciting water particles in the food). You can roast papad/fryms without using any oil. you can make crisp those chips that had lost their way to humidity. DONT use metal or similar reflecting cookware or else it will damage your microwave.
>>Combination cooking - You may combine micro with grill or micro with convection.
it is used for food that require first cooking and then a bit of browning.
Special things that you can cook:
Practically it is useless to have autocook as you will never know the exact quanitity you are cooking.
>>Though, what is good is a deodorizer which works to quite some extent in first year or so.
>>Step or level (or whatever they call it) cooking. though you may be fooled to believe otherwise, you have only TWO levels/steps i.e. you can choose to cook something say for 10 mins on microwave at 100% power and then follow it by 4 minutes at 80% power. this setting can be done all at once and you get a single beep after first cycle and the continuous irritating beep after 14 mins. It helps while cooking things like chana dal/ potato etc which are required to retain their softness.
>> You can use the non-stick tawa to shallow fry things (though it is not recommended by the manufacturer as such). You can make goooood finger chips. just heat some oil and then put well cut fingers on it. grill for 8 mins. again turn them and grill for 8 mins. let them cool. sprinkle salt and pepper if you want and you are done!
You may make good crisp wedges too.
>>The microwave is very intutive to use but the designers seem to have been tooo obsessed with the sleek look and forgot to look at the user experience. At times you feel there could be a btter placement of the touch buttons. newys, the dial control for setting time etc. is a very good feature. you press it inwards and you have it working as a deodorizer.
I will write sometime later about the design issues but it is of pure academic interest and should not be a detterant for the prospective buyers of this microwave.
Overall, a good one to own.
A Few advices/tips on buying:
Compare the noise (humming) made by the microwave. Test it at the dealer’s place. Go to a shop that can show you many brands.
Don’t settle for anything less than 28 ltrs. 30 ltrs is the optimum size. A smaller turntable means larger cooking time. The microwaves work from outward ring towards the inner one.
3.Don’t go for anyting other than stainless stell interiors. It is easy to clean and maintian. Ceramic coating by Samsung may come off if you pour cold water when it is really hot (wonder, how they did not see it is as a possibility).
If money is not a constraint DO buy the one with Convection feature. You can’t really add on 2000 bucks later on and fulfil your wife’s dream of experimenting with her own cakes at home. Even if it means a little stretching, go for convection.
Look at one with a push type door as this one has. it is more reliable and will serve you for many years. It is easy as you can be cooking/preparing something else and can still open the door as you don’t have to latch on or pull it. you just have to push which you can do with the little finger too.
Check out the quality of cookware being offered free. If you buy additional plastic ware (microwave safe of course), buy yellow colored ones and not white or blue or wahtever. indian ppl use haldi to cook and also almost all spices make the dish yellow.
The best cookware avaialble is by CuttingEdge. It will cost around 900 bucks for a set of three dishes including idli stands and all.
Do buy atleast one Glassware for your microwave. Use it for making sweets etc if you please. It can be used for shallow frying equivalent say to roast peanuts. If you use plastic ones you will end up causing a fire(i was lucky to escape).
NEVER ever leave the microwave unattended if you are cooking something new. Regular stuff is fine coz u know how the microwave is going to respond to your cooking.
hey.. guys. I m tired of typing now. forgive the spelling mistakes or structural mistakes as I am not going to review it. will write more sometime later.
take care and have fun.
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