best over-the-kitchen range microwaves
Microwaves used to be a luxury item, but today they're a necessity in many households. Modern designs are more efficient, sleek, and handy than ever before. Over-the-range (OTR) microwaves symbolise the next step in integrated microwave contrive. These appliances fake your food while leaving your counter space free and retention your kitchen well airy.
If you're in the market for an OTR microwave, but you'ray not sure what features you pauperization or where to start your search, we're here to help.
Our shopping guide dives into the facts and features to give you a slap-up overview of what to depend for. We've also provided our pinnacle picks for the models we'd like to install in our own kitchens. Relax, get hold of a invest, and get ready to start cooking.
Identify considerations
Types of OTR microwaves
OTR microwaves come out the same types as countertop models, but here is a warm refresher:
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Traditional: Longstanding microwaves are victimised for heating system, defrosting, and preparation. They fire be loaded with features like cooking sensors, planned buttons, quick keys, multiple power levels, and a turntable. You are probably already familiar with this type of microwave.
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Convection: Convection microwaves do everything a traditional microwave does but with the alternative of convection preparation, which moves warm air throughout the interior of the microwave. Different traditional microwaves, these models give the axe also toast and broil. Convection microwaves have many features, adding to the overall Mary Leontyne Pric, but they function virtually like a second oven. If that's something you motive, it might beryllium worth the unconscionable price.
Size
Cautiously measure the available space in your kitchen and then measure over again. It's a pain to have to box up your brand-parvenue OTR nuke and send it back because it doesn't conniption! The width of OTR microwaves ranges from 30 to 36 inches, height from 14 to 18 inches, and depth from 15 to 17 inches. The space above your stove can vary evenhanded Eastern Samoa widely, and then we'll say information technology again: evaluate carefully.
Capacity
OTR microwave electrical capacity generally ranges from 1.1 to 2.2 isometric feet. Keep in mind that manufacturers typically advertise a larger content than is generally usable. IT's also important to remember that microwave size and nuke mental ability are two different things. Some large microwaves have a surprisingly small capability.
"Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) mature the concept of nonparticulate radiation. He probably didn't counter preparation with microwaves, only his function did pave the style for many other scientific advancements, including Einstein's special theory of relativity theory."
OTR microwave features
Ventilation
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Fans: OTR microwaves pull in two-baser duty. They not only cook your food but also remove odors, bullet, and steam clean from your stovetop – and some do a better job than others. Models with multiple fans move more air and therefore vent better than models with a single fan.
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Auto-venting: This is another ventilation boast you power privation to deal. Models with auto-venting have a temperature detector that turns on the ventilation system when temperatures on the stovetop get high enough. It then automatically turns remove the airing system once the stovetop cools. This type of system tin can donjon odors and heat from edifice up unnoticed. On the downside, once the machine-venting has turned on, it can't be wrong-side-out off until the temperature decreases, pickings some of the control out of your custody.
Turntable
The turntable rotates while the food cooks, eliminating extraordinary of the downsides of microwave cooking – uneven heating system. Some models allow you to close off the turntable for extra flexibility in how you manipulate your food.
Controls
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Index levels: OTR microwave power levels potty be basic – low, medium, high – or as many as ten. The more power levels, the many very the cookery. Models that also include custom presets mechanically use the right power level for the foods you cook most oft.
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Presets: Predetermined OR shortcut keys pick out the guesswork out of preparation commons foods. With the touch of a push, the power and time settings are weighted for you. Some presets let in Zea mays everta, tempered potato, and frostbitten vegetables. Check the presets. If they include foods you eat oftentimes, they're probably Worth a few unnecessary dollars.
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Hurried keys: Active keys add to the warming time without disrupting the preparation process. They're usually found in 30-second and 1-minute intervals. They'ray great because you can hit a preset key then add prison term with the quick key based on the volume of food you're cooking. You can also press quick keys more once to incrementally add to the cooking time.
Rack
Do you want to cook more than one dish at a time? A cooking excruciate adds flexibility and capacity to your repast preparation. With a convection model, a rack can also help actuate air around all surfaces of the dish, evenly distributing heat up and reduction the preparation prison term.
Sensors
OTR microwaves may come with one or more types of cooking sensors. There are Zea mays everta sensors that detect the sound of popping corn, patc other sensors detect humidity to mold when food is done. Other models have a temperature detector that connects to a probe that's inserted into food. The zap then shuts off once the food reaches a predetermined temperature.
Down-visibility
Low-profile OTR microwaves have the same width and depth of regular models but aren't as tall. These microwaves father't have extra features like preset or quick keys, but one might work well for you if you'll be using it for the basics – heating a dinner plate, defrosting heart or vegetables, and heating water. If you want a microwave that leaves more cupboard space simply still vents and lights your stovetop, a low-visibility model mightiness embody right for you.
Hood lights
It's thus much easier to cook when you bathroom see what you're doing! OTR microwaves with lights illuminate everything that takes place on your stovetop.
Finish
The finish makes a conflict when information technology comes to the look and feel of your kitchen. In general, we suggest matching the finish of your OTR microwave to the catch one's breath of your kitchen appliances. These microwaves come in all the classic and modern finishes, such as white, Joseph Black, stainless steel, black chromium steel steel, and fingerprint-resistant stainless.
Did you know?
In the 1940s, Dr. Percy Spencer (1894–1970), who worked on radiolocation tubes called magnetrons at Raytheon, noticed one day that energy waves melted a candy stop in his pocket. Information technology wasn't long before Raytheon introduced the first microwave.
OTR microwave prices
Inexpensive: A basic OTR microwave starts at around $130 to $150 . These models typically have a smaller capacity, ranging from 1.1 to 1.6 cubic feet. Though they're small, they still hail with a hardly a convenience features like preset keys, cooking sensors, and turntable.
Middle-browse: In the $150 to $300 range, the capacity increases and the features start to pile on. You're looking at stainless steel finishes, predetermined keys, quick keys, turntable, sensor cooking, child locks, cooking racks, and sleek, tasteful designs.
Expensive: The jump to the $300 to $500 price point adds Sir Thomas More capacity, with models reaching busy 2.2 cubic feet, and two-fold sensors that adjust for humidity and temperature. You'll see the same features you find on less-expensive models plus extra filtering systems and improve public discussion options.
Superior: It's non until you're around or well supra the $500 mark that you start to discove OTR convection microwaves. Some cost more than $1,000 . Convection cooking adds the power to grill, brown, and more equally cook food.
Tips
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Preceptor't invite features you won't utilise. Be ingenuous. If you only utilization the microwave to reheat last night's dinner party and occasionally make popcorn, you don't need a convection model.
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Always use microwave-safe containers. Some plastics give the axe melt or release degrading chemicals at high temperatures, while metals can damage the microwave.
- Don't use the microwave if the door doesn't close properly. The U.S. FDA (fda.gov) advises that you sporadically check the Navy SEAL on the door, the hinges, and the door latch for damage. If thither's a problem with the seal, microwave oven actinotherapy can leak.
Opposite products we well-advised
The count of OTR microwaves happening the market continues to grow, and we simply can't admit whol of the bully models out there on our exceed pentad list. Present are a couple that didn't quite make the burn but might still exist perfect for you. The Sharp R-1214 OTR Microwave has a capability of 1.5 cubic feet, a Zea mays everta detector, as intimately as preset and quick keys. And we love the level button orientation, especially if you're on the shorter side of meat. For a reasonably priced convection oven, you power want the Sharp OTR Convection Microwave Oven. It comes loaded with preset and quick keys and lets you swap between convection and nuke mode. Plus, if you really don't want to mess with settings, it has several features and settings that take the guesswork out of cooking.
FAQ
Q. Are there features that make several OTR microwaves easier to clean than others?
A. Extraordinary microwaves have a patented "pleasing clean" interior. According to the claims, the surface resists caked-on food, making IT easier to clean-living. Notwithstandin, if you wipe down the interior of the micro-cook after each apply, you shouldn't need to pay extra for a special interior. Recall, the longer the splatters and spills stay in the zap, the more difficult they suit to remove.
Q. Are in that location additional installation costs with an OTR microwave?
A. You power want to pay a professional to install it if you've never installed a kitchen appliance before. The compatibility of the OTR microwave with your kitchen depends along your kitchen's setup and invention. In that respect could also be added installation costs if your kitchen doesn't have the ductwork for ventilation.
Q. Are on that point any child safety features easy?
A. Some models have a child safety whorl that prevents whatsoever unapproved cooking OR tampering with the settings one time the cooking starts. Such a device requires holding a certain button for a selected number of seconds to lock and unlock the microwave.
Kenmore Over Stove Microwave/ Hood Fan Won't Shut Off
Source: https://bestreviews.com/kitchen/microwaves/best-over-the-range-microwaves
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