How it works
Electric oven: It uses a resistor referred to as a heating element, which creates heat in the oven cavity. The resistor applies heat resistance to the electrical current flow and produces thermal energy. Moreover, the heating elements are connected to the temperature control box by a copper wire that checks the temperature and helps you adjust.
Microwave oven: It produces microwaves in the oven with an electron tube known as a magnetron. These microwaves are reflected inside the metal interior of the appliance and then absorbed by food. Further, microwaves make water molecules in the food vibrate and produce heat that cooks the food.
Difference between a microwave and an electric oven
Heating methods: Microwaves penetrate these non-metallic materials to heat food from the inside, such as ceramics, plastics, glass, etc. And these materials do not absorb microwaves, so they will not be heated. That’s why we even put the plastics into the oven, but they do not melt. It cannot heat food evenly. Therefore, the food keeps on turning around to heat the food evenly. In addition, microwaves cause water molecules to vibrate.
For this reason, foods rich in high water content like vegetables are cooked quickly compared to poor ones. On the contrary, an electric oven uses a resistor, a heating element that heats food from the outside to the inside (similar to heating from fire). For this reason, it heats more evenly.
Speed of cooking: Microwave oven heats faster compared to an electric oven. For instance, it takes about 4 to 5 minutes to reheat a dish in the microwave, while it takes 10 to 15 minutes on electric oven.
Cooking versatility: Microwave is ideal for reheating food and preparing easy meals such as omelets in a mug, macaroni, and cheese. However, you cannot use it for baking things like cake, cookies, and banana bread. You can only use an electric oven for this kind of cooking.
Safety: In a microwave oven, you cannot use metal tableware, while metal tableware can be used in an electric oven. Ever wonder why in the world this happens? Microwave heating is heated by exciting the natural vibration of water molecules in the food, and the molecular motion is intensified. Therefore, only the food absorbs the microwaves and converts them into heat energy during the heating process. Microwaves cannot penetrate metal objects but are reflected back. On the one hand, the shielding effect of the metal blocks the microwave so that the food cannot be heated. On the other hand, the microwave excites electrons in the metal to generate a large current, and a large current discharge spark is generated between the metal utensil and the furnace body, which will burn in severe cases and damage the furnace body or utensils. In the electric oven, metal tableware can conduct heat. Additionally, it’s not allowed to use plastic tableware in an electric oven. For a microwave oven, you need to check whether you can use plastic tableware before using it and ensure if they have indicated a mark. Lastly, you can use ceramic tableware for both microwave and electric ovens.
Conclusion
While most people often use stoves and cooktops for cooking, you can do many things with a kitchen oven and microwaves. This is why you need to invest in one. Besides that, when buying one, you need to ensure a reputable manufacturer sells the appliance.
Unit7 Oven is a leading kitchen appliance manufacturer with years of experience. We specialize in electric ovens, air fryer oven, and other home appliances. Moreover, our team has 30 years of experience in R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and management. We meet international standards and have certifications such as CE, CB, ISO, and ETL. To view our products or get a quote, reach out to Unit7 Oven.