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Convection ovens seem much better and healthier. They just make more sense, to me. Several friends of mine opted for convection ovens rather than microwaves.
To be honest, what I would like is a convection/combo oven, but why do you say convection ovens are healthier than micros? Especially considering most of us do not cook all our meals in the micro, or let's hope not...???
There is nothing inherently unhealthy about microwave cooking. As a matter of fact, microwave steaming is so fast and efficient it preserves more nutrients than any other method of cooking.
Mostly I think the mistrust some people have for microwave cooking is simply due to misunderstanding how it works. In conventional cooking... no matter the method... food is cooked from the outside in. The surface is heated up, which turns the moisture near it to steam, which pushes through the food, and eventually heats up the center. The thicker and denser the food, the longer it takes to cook. Then when all the moisture is driven off, then the food quickly burns.
In microwave cooking, by contrast, the water all through the food is heated at the same time by what is called the dielectric effect. High frequency radio waves pass through the food and cause the water molecules to vibrate so fast they heat up. This technique works best on smaller foods that have a high water content, such as vegetables, and allows them to be cooked without added oils or sauces.
What a convection oven adds is the heated air of a conventional oven, plus a circulating fan. This promotes browning of the outside, which adds to flavor complexity, and also helps heat through thicker foods, like roasts. The combination of microwave & convection combines the best of both worlds, for faster main course production with all the flavor of longer cooking.
DH and I got a Sears Kenmore microwave for our wedding and a cookbook to go with it. This was back in 1981. He was a willing guinea pig as I tried all the recipes. I made "Scallops Vermouth", "Tomato Swiss Steak" and "Turkey Tetrazzini". Some of the recipes turned out great, many didn't. It was fast, as we were both working long hours. It was handy heating up an Encore in 30 minutes instead of 60. I tried to bake a cake in the microwave - once. I now cook from scratch on the stove, the old fashioned way, or use my roaster oven and slow cooker. I'm home in the mid afternoons now, so I'm not rushed to get dinner. It's still handy for heating leftovers or defrosting, but we definitely wouldn't starve without it.
Wow! That is a pretty short time before it goes kaput!
I use my microwave for cooking frozen vegetables, red potatoes, the 90 second rice mixes (I know, nothing with that many ingredients can be good for you) and microwave popcorn. My husband also does "baked" potatoes in it, and oatmeal. And I use it to thaw meats sometimes.
I'll never forget our first experience with a microwave. We brought it home (took both of us to carry it), set it on the counter, and my husband popped in a leftover dinner roll and hit the dial!! It might have been a good idea to look at the directions first because of course it "burned" to a crisp quickly and stunk the house up something fierce!!
Those first microwaves were HUGE. I remember them wheeling ours in at our reception on a cart. It took up most of our kitchen counter. It was almost twice the size of the one we have now - one of those mounted jobs over the stove. DH has a small one up in his "man cave" (he has a portable refrigerator in there, too).
I also ran through the cookbook that came with my microwave back in 80's. There was some pretty good vegetable dishes and I once made a really good custard. Meat never worked in a MW. I still use it to "steam" my veggies, quick-cook a potato, frozen meals, and to heat my mug of water for tea (tossed the kettle). I also melt cheese on things and whip up my lazy version of rice pudding.. leftover rice and a little milk mixed with raisins. I always seem to have leftover rice.
Those first microwaves were HUGE. I remember them wheeling ours in at our reception on a cart. It took up most of our kitchen counter. It was almost twice the size of the one we have now - one of those mounted jobs over the stove. DH has a small one up in his "man cave" (he has a portable refrigerator in there, too).
They really were huge. We got our first one as a wedding present too (1983). A giant Amana one. It was so huge, it wouldn't fit on our counter in our apartment so we had to buy a separate cart for it to sit on on our dining area. Even after we bought our first home, it still had to be on that cart in the laundry room.
I wish the one I have now would die, so I could buy one of the microwave/convection combos. I really just want the convection part. If we ever get around to remodeling our kitchen, which we've put off more times than I can count, I'm definitely getting one.
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) and microwave popcorn. My husband also does "baked" potatoes in it, and oatmeal. And I use it to thaw meats sometimes.
