At the moment, the most common are conventional microwave ovens, in which food rotates on a special tray made of durable glass during cooking. But how do microwave ovens without a turntable work? Are they fully functional, what are their advantages and what are their operating features? Let’s figure it out in our material.
Design of microwave ovens without a turntable
Heating in a microwave oven occurs due to the effect of radio waves on the water molecules contained in the product being cooked. Their generating source is a special unit — a magnetron. The operating principle of microwave ovens is discussed in more detail in a separate article.
In microwave ovens of a conventional design, the magnetron is stationary and is located on the side. Its radiation through a straight waveguide protected by a mica plate affects the food. And for uniform heating, an additional mechanism rotates the plate with it — a turntable.
The very first microwave ovens, which appeared in the middle of the last century, did not have a rotating mechanism, which is why the products in them could heat up unevenly. To eliminate this effect, a rotating base was added to the design. But soon more advanced solutions appeared that made it possible to achieve uniform heating without the need to rotate the dish.
In many current models of microwave ovens without a rotating table, the microwave distributor (dissector) is built directly under the lower surface of the working chamber. It is this that rotates instead of the usual round tray. But the distributor block is located inside under a flat panel made of heat-resistant glass. There are no moving elements in the visibility zone.
Additional functions (grill, convection, etc.) — are they available?
The microwave ovens we are considering today, as well as conventional models with a rotating table, can be equipped with additional types of heating elements. These can be a heating or quartz panel for the grill, as well as a ring heater with a fan for baking in convection mode.
Depending on the specific model, among the available cooking programs, in addition to the basic ability to use microwaves, microwave ovens without a turntable may have the aforementioned grill or convection, as well as combined modes, such as microwaves + grill, microwaves + convection + grill, etc.
But certain limitations with individual modes and functions may arise. For example, it is extremely rare to find a preset steam cooking mode, and not every universal steamer for microwave ovens is suitable for models without a turntable.
Advantages, disadvantages and operating features
Like almost any other type of equipment, microwave ovens without a turntable have their advantages, but some nuances may also arise when using them. The key advantages lie in the absence of any additional mechanism inside the working chamber of such an oven. The internal space is essentially just flat surfaces.
Fewer units that require maintenance and can break
The rotating base of conventional microwave ovens is a unit that requires quite a lot of attention. It is necessary to monitor the correct position of the roller stand and control the correct engagement of the teeth with the rotating gear, and the glass tray itself can easily be broken if removed carelessly.
With prolonged use, the rollers tend to rub the protective coating of the chamber, which spoils the appearance and can even cause corrosion. Microwave ovens without a rotating mechanism are free of such problems.
Easier to care for and clean from dirt
Food crumbs and droplets of fat can get into the space under the rotating table, and condensation often accumulates there. It is quite difficult to wash this area due to its irregular shape with many recesses and sides. In addition, each time you will have to remove and reinstall the glass tray and its roller stand, and if the microwave oven is also located in a relatively hard-to-reach place, then this procedure will not be very easy.
A flat, even surface made of heat-resistant glass, which covers the lower part of the working chamber of microwave ovens without a turntable, allows you to clean it without difficulty. To clean fresh dirt, just wipe it with a regular cloth, dry or slightly damp.
A more spacious inner chamber and freedom of choice when placing dishes
Many models of microwave ovens without a turntable have an impressive internal volume. And the absence of a rotating mechanism allows you to almost completely use the entire area of the base of the working chamber. This makes it possible to use large containers and tanks, as well as square, rectangular, oval or other complex-shaped dishes.
Another convenient point is the admissibility of placing the dish not exactly in the center, which is necessary in the case of a classic rotating base, because such a mechanism simply cannot rotate correctly under uneven load.
If the selected model has the corresponding option, then several levels can be used to place food, as in a conventional oven.
A nuance during operation will be a restriction on the use of certain types of dishes. In addition to the traditional prohibition of metal plates for any microwave oven, in this case you cannot use disposable plastic dishes. The base panel of a microwave oven without a rotating table heats up during cooking, which is why containers of this type can melt.
Manufacturers often indicate the corresponding warning in a visible place on the body or directly on the surface of heat-resistant glass.
You should be careful with the rubber seal, which is located along the perimeter of the bottom panel. After a long period of time or as a result of exposure to an aggressive environment (caustic detergents or dried fat that is not cleaned in time), the material may lose its elasticity. If this happens, the condensation that forms during cooking will be able to penetrate into the body, which can lead to a breakdown.
Results
Microwave ovens without a turntable can be produced as free-standing devices or as built-in appliances. Such models, compared to conventional microwaves with a rotating tray, provide a number of significant advantages.
The main ones are ease of maintenance and cleaning, as well as the ability to use larger dishes and various options for placing them. Perhaps the relatively high cost can scare you away from buying, but do not forget that this type of equipment, as a rule, can simultaneously offer some other important technologies and features: inverter power control, high-quality materials of the case and inner coating, a larger volume of the working chamber, a modern type of control panel, etc.
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