Using a microwave's 'oven' feature - Does it use radiation?

[azibux1]

Hi all,

Just wondering, when a microwave has a 'conventional oven feature', and you can cook chips, potato wedges (and anything else you'd put in a conventional oven), using the same temperature and times etc

As you're using the microwave to do this ... Does it use radiation to cook the food like the normal microwave mode? Or does it use whatever technology a normal oven would use?

Serious answers only please

Hope you can help!

 

[Rroff]

I assume this is what your referring to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection_microwave ?

 

[Richdog]

Read this old chap, answers are (as im sure you know) only a short Google away! http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-a-convection-microwave-good-questions-164540

 

[azibux1]

I assume this is what your referring to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection_microwave ?

Read this old chap, answers are (as im sure you know) only a short Google away! http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-a-convection-microwave-good-questions-164540

Read both of those

I will check the model number of the microwave soon and see if it is a 'convection' microwave

So basically if it is... It does not use any microwaves when in 'oven mode', instead it uses a fan to create hot air and heat up the whole of the inside of the unit?

 

[thedoc46]

If your hair starts falling out after many years of usage, then yes it does !

 

[azibux1]

The microwave is a Sharp R86STM

And is referred to as a combination microwave

It has an oven power of 1850 W, 40-250°C

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/sharp-...81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istItemId=lmpixrwt&istBid=t

 

[Raymond Lin]

If your hair starts falling out after many years of usage, then yes it does !

Or just the Bobby Charlton effect aka going bald?

 

[Ceryndrion]

Basically, a microwave oven with a normal 'oven' function, does not use the microwave emitter at all, but has a separate heating element. Which of course means that it is perfectly safe to use metal in this mode.

I was quite reliant on one of these for a number of years, until the thermostat broke..

 

[apatia77]

I have one of those microwaves and conventional oven works just like a normal oven.

 

[Landy]

mine as an heating element at the top of the microwave, always found it to be rubbish at grilling though

 

[cjgardens]

Can you see a element like on a electric oven at the top inside it?

 

[Angilion]

I have a secondary question - why care?

In any case, heat is radiation too. So every oven uses radiation.

 

["andy"]

if you set it to oven it uses an electric element like an electric oven does

if you set it to microwave it uses microwaves

if you set it to use both it uses both. ours does this but cant remember what we ever used it for.

simples


bear in mind it probably wont be as efficient as a proper oven so i wouldn't use it constsntly

 

[asim18]

If it doesn't spin then no.

 

[arknor]

Can you see a element like on a electric oven at the top inside it?

the good ones have a fan at the back, some of the others are likely just combi microwaves and use an additional heating element to crisp the food a bit

bear in mind it probably wont be as efficient as a proper oven so i wouldn't use it constsntly

why not? its a smaller space to heat so should use less energy.

maybe you have a gas oven though

 

[azibux1]

Thanks for all the replies everyone

I think it is one of the ones with a fan as the back has a big section that sticks out with a little 'vent' at the top

Like arknor above said, if it is just as safe, it makes more sense to use because it should take less energy to heat it up

 

[Richdog]

I have a Sharp combi microwave and it is HUGE, probably around 50L or so. Awesome for roasting stuff when the oven is full.