Best Microwave Ovens Under INR 8000
Imagine coming home from a tiring day at work. The last thing you want to do is take out your pots and pans and cook something or stand over the gas as you heat your food.
Microwave ovens will save you the time and hassle of having to deal with such things. They have been around for years and have gained a lot of popularity. They have become a necessity in every kitchen household.
They heat your food quickly and allow you to do other things as you do not have to stand there watching over the food heat up. Whether it is heating yesterday’s dinner or your morning coffee, they are convenient, cheap, and easy to use.
In this review, you will read about our Top 6 Microwave Ovens, FAQ, why microwaves are needed? it’s working, types of microwaves and buyers guide.
Top 6 Best Microwave Ovens Under INR 8000 in India
| Product (Best Brands) | Best Price |
|---|---|
Oven With Best Design |  |
est Microwave for Bachelors | |
Oven with Oil-Free Frying Option | |
Best Auto cooking oven | |
Best Value for Money Microwave | |
Child Safety Like Features | |
Why do you need a microwave oven?
Microwave ovens can save time
Let’s be honest; most of the people living in urban areas are very busy. They have to manage their homes, families, as well as their work every single day.
During all this hustle, they barely get time to cook. Microwave ovens provide an easy solution to all this as food just needs to be placed in an oven and heated for a specified amount of time to get a meal ready.
Essential Nutrients are preserved
The most important aspect of food is the nutrition available in it that is essential to sustain human life. In the modern world, the growing consumption of fast food to save time leads to a very unhealthy society.
Microwave ovens are the answer to this persistent problem that is faced by millions of people.
Due to no direct heating of the food, most of its nutrients are preserved, unlike conventional cooking, where excessive heating of food leads to removing vitamins and minerals.
Food also gets more evenly cooked in a microwave.
Easy maintenance and cleaning
A modern-day microwave oven hardly requires any maintenance, as technological advancement in this field has already peaked.
It isn’t necessarily bad as a modern one can do all the things you would ever expect from a microwave. Due to its small size, a microwave oven is very easy to clean, and the chore requires a very short amount of time.
Simple to use
A person using a microwave would not need any prior knowledge of how to cook food. Moreover, a microwave is very simple to use and requires a user to press some buttons to operate it.
Once the food is placed inside the oven after setting the time duration and temperature, there is no need to stir or add any new ingredients.
Also, once the food is cooked, the oven will itself turn off without any outside stimuli. This also takes care of overcooking and helps forgetful people.
Versatility
The application of a microwave oven is numerous. They can be used to warm up old food, defrost some food kept in a freezer for a long time, or cook up some new delicious delicacies.
They can help people in one part of the world cook a dish from the opposite side of the world in their houses’ comfort. This was unthinkable a century ago.
How do microwave ovens work?
Microwaves may be small in size, but they carry an enormous amount of energy in the form of heat. So much that direct exposure to them can even kill a human.
That is why microwave ovens are chunky boxes made up of thick metal so that no one is directly exposed to them. Hence, you should always stay alert while using a microwave and take precautionary measures to ensure your safety.
A standard microwave oven is designed, as shown in the figure. It is surrounded by a strong and thick metal box consisting of a smaller machine used to generate microwaves.
These machines are called magnetrons, and they are the only things carried forward from the first microwave ovens manufactured by Percy Spencer.
The waves generated by this are usually 12 cms in wavelength and perfect for a small-sized machine like an oven. All modern ovens consist of a waveguide.
As the name suggests, it is through this part that microwaves are blasted into the food compartment at the speed of light.
The waves bounce off the opposite metal sheet at various angles and eventually hit the food item one way or the other. This time they don’t bounce at all.
However, the vibration of molecules is dependent on the type of food being heated. If it is mainly liquid, the heat produced will be massive and enough to boil it.
If it is solid like vegetables and flour, it will be comparatively less hot. This is because molecules are loosely packed in liquids.
Therefore, items like pie’s are moderately warm on the outside but piping hot on the inside when heated in a microwave.
Types of microwave ovens
Solo Microwave Oven
Solo microwave ovens are the most common type of microwave found around. They don’t have any special features or specifications to separate it from the first microwave prototype created by Percy Spencer.
The heating is done by just the magnetron element, which is used to produce the microwaves. They are also relatively small in size, and the price range of this microwave oven is under 6000 INR.
Caution should be exercised while buying these comparatively crude appliances suitable only for bachelors or a small family due to the small size.
They are suitable only for reheating food, and you really can’t use them for grilling stuff or baking new dishes.
The main reason for their low price and their name is the usage of only a single magnetron instead of multiple ones, as found in some convection microwaves.
Grill Microwave Oven
Grill microwave ovens are similar to solo microwaves. They also come in similar sizes, have the same features, and cost the same amount of money.
However, one thing that varies is the availability of grill panels(as the name suggests) to enable the user to cook meat, paneer, and veggies using a grill.
This is highly useful for us Indians as we cannot keep and maintain a tandoori inside our houses. Hence, this is the highest selling variety of microwaves found in India.
They also don’t cost too much, like convection microwave ovens but are not as featureless as solo ovens.
The magnetron element and microwaves do most of the heating, but the grill panels themselves have some heating coils alongside that give the food item required charring and burns on the outer surface.
The heating coils also help in warming up the air inside the microwave to fasten the cooking process.
Convection Microwave Oven
Convection microwave ovens are the most feature-laden type of microwaves that exist today. So, as expected, they also cost a bit more than the other two types.
They consist of additional elements like an extra magnetron to produce even more microwaves, a heating coil to heat the air and cook food items faster, and a small fan on the periphery to circulate the air throughout.
Due to all these extra bells and whistles, the convection microwave efficiency is unmatched by any other type.
Also, if you are an avid baker who wants to bake delicious desserts, you need a convection oven as all the items above cannot be cooked with a solo or grill microwave oven.
The convection ovens’ size is also more and is perfect for a family of four or more.
Buyer’s guide
Turntable
Your microwave oven must have a turntable or a revolving glass plate as it allows the food to be cooked evenly. If not, you will have to regularly stop the oven from turning the food to enable even cooking manually.
Interlocks
It is a safety feature that prevents the microwave from running if the door is open or is ajar. Most ovens have double and triple interlocks, so you will have a backup for safety if one of them fails.
Size
Size plays a significant role in deciding on which microwave to buy. To decide on this, you need to look at all your needs from a microwave.
If you want to bake and cook some delicacies, it is better to buy a convection microwave having a large size. This will also make sense if you have a large family and cook food or reheat it in large quantities.
If you have a small family or live alone, it is best to buy an oven within 20 liters.
Company
Microwaves are a huge industry, and many companies would want a piece of it. Hence, there are a host of companies trying to make their mark in the field.
The most popular ones are LG, Samsung, and IFB. Among the Indian brands, Bajaj and Godrej lead the way.
It is always advisable to buy something from reputed brands, but sometimes they ask for a premium price. More than the company, it is better to see the value for money that the product is offering.
Automatic Sensor
In some microwaves, there is an automatic sensor that detects how well the food is cooked. Once it senses the cooked food, it automatically switches off.
This is relatively new in the microwave industry and will take time to implement in all price ranges, and hence it is currently found in only higher-priced microwaves.
Power Rating
Just like all big appliances, microwave ovens have been criticized for their large consumption of electricity.
In recent times, companies are tackling this problem by giving the user a general idea of power consumption by rating it in terms of stars.
It is mentioned on the appliances’ face with one star, indicating very high power consumption for the price and features.
In contrast, five stars indicate that the oven is very power efficient. Potential consumers should always buy an appliance with the highest power rating.
Child Safety Lock
As we have already stated, microwaves can be dangerous. The waves emitted by the magnetron can be so harmful that even slight exposure can kill a human being.
As we all know, children are ever curious and want to know everything about how things work. This can lead them to fiddle with microwaves, which can have dire consequences.
To avoid mishaps, companies these days are coming up with a child safety lock. So, if you are a family and have kids in the house, it is better to buy microwaves with child safety locks.
Control Panel
Control panels are the small set of keys and a display that helps you operate your microwave oven. The display gives you relevant information like duration and sometimes, the temperature is operating at.
In recent years to modernize microwaves, companies started implementing touch controls, but they were highly criticized for constant failures.
Hence even in high-end microwaves, mechanical controls like push buttons were brought back. So, try to look for mechanical controls and avoid touchpads while buying microwaves.
6 Best Microwave under INR 8000
1. Godrej Microwave Oven
Godrej is a company whose history speaks for itself. They have been in continuous operation for more than 120 years and played a huge role in India after independence and the economy’s liberalization.
It reached a stage where every Indian household had at least one Godrej product. They make everything from soaps, detergents, facial creams, diapers, etc.
They were also one of the first Indian companies to produce microwaves when the concept was new back in the 1990s. Today, they still dominate the market and have some excellent products in their inventory.
One of those superb products is the Godrej 20 liter convection microwave oven. The features that it has on offer are some of the best in the category. We list down all its unique characters, benefits, and things that could be better at below.
- The capacity of the microwave oven is 20 liters, and it is 32 cms in length, making it ideal for small families
- It is a convection type oven, meaning heating coils, fans, and the compulsory magnetron combine to give the best cooking
- The consumer can perform a variety of tasks like cooking, reheating, grilling, defrosting, and baking
- A user can set multiple stages, and as soon as one stage is complete, a new stage starts on its own without any external stimuli
- The fan has been programmed not only to distribute heatwaves properly but also to cool down the microwave as soon as possible
- Beautiful design that will appeal to all sections of people
- Faster cooling is likely due to the fan staying on even after the cooking process is done
- Multistage cooking is a USP and increases efficiency and reduces the time required by the user
- 20 liters capacity might be low for a large family
2. Amazon Basics Convection Microwave
This 23-liter capacity microwave oven is perfect for a small family of 3-4 members. The Amazon Basics microwave oven looks smart and adds a look of class to your kitchen.
It is packed with several useful features that we will now discuss.
- It comes with a 1-year product warranty and 3-year magnetron warranty
- It has a 30-second quick start, multi cooking stages, and 5 power levels
- Can defrost food and has a pre-heat function for evenly cooked food
- LED panel with 65 auto cook options
- Can be used for baking as well
- Can quickly heat, cook and grill food
- Child lock program to protect children
- Sleek and compact and saves space in the kitchen
- Easy to clean
- Tested for endurance and quality performance
- No observations were made so far
3. Whirlpool Microwave
Whirlpool is one of the most well-known home appliances brands in the world. Unlike Godrej, they are exclusive to producing home appliances.
Refrigerator, microwave ovens, and washing machines prove to be the three pillars of the Whirlpool Corporation. Consistent success in these domains for many decades in markets worldwide has propelled it into the elite fortune 500 companies list.
The product we have on the list from whirlpool is one of the best in its price range. Here, we list out all of them along with the pros and cons so that you, as a consumer, will have a better understanding of the product.
- The simple yet classy design makes it different from all the other microwaves who sometimes try to overdo it in the style department
- It has a capacity of 20liters which is adequate for nuclear families
- Along with all the necessary operations like cooking, grilling, reheating, etc. that we expect all convection ovens to do, this microwave is also capable of frying food items without oil
- Whirlpool claims that the cooking speed of this microwave is 50% faster than other microwaves at the same price and that it also retains 45% of the moisture content in food
- The company bundles in a cookbook with 118 recipes, and some of those can be cooked within 2 minutes using the whirlpool oven
- The control panel of the microwave is touch-controlled, unlike most other ovens
- The frying operation is unique and very useful. This is great for health-conscious people as the frying requires 0% oil
- The rate of heating is speedy, and the amount of moisture retention is also good
- Providing a cookbook is a nice gesture by the company
- Since the panel is touch-controlled, it won’t work when your hands are wet or have some kitchen dirt on them
4. Mitashi Microwave Oven
An intelligent and efficient microwave oven automatically sets and maintains the optimum power level needed for your food to be cooked properly.
Mitashi 20 L Convection Microwave Oven comes with an ocean of features. The product ensures even cooking of food.
The five micro power level offers you the flexibility to set the optimum temperature. Let us look at the other features of this product.
- It is a convection microwave oven that can be used for baking, grilling, reheating, defrosting, and cooking
- It comes with a turntable glass plate of size 245mm, which allows the food to be cooked evenly
- It has an LED display that shows you all the settings and makes this product user-friendly and easy to operate
- The power consumption of this oven is rated as 800-wattage, which ensures the food is cooked correctly
- Five micropower levels offer you the flexibility to choose the optimum temperature setting for your food
- It has a gross capacity of 20 liters, which is very good and suitable for bachelors as well as small families that have fewer requirements
- The stay warm feature delivers a deficient microwave pulse inside it. After the food is prepared, you can still keep it inside the oven without fearing that it would get overcooked
- The auto-cook feature takes the guesswork and automatically sets and maintains the correct power levels
- The oven ensures multi-stage cooking, which could be best suitable according to your requirements
- The glass door allows you to look inside the food being cooked without opening it.
- You can manually set the time for cooking, and the oven indicates when the food is cooked or reheated.
- The child lock ensures safety if they accidentally touch or use it
- It comes with a 1-year warranty on the product as well as a 1-year guarantee of the Magnetron
- It is not energy efficient
5. Bajaj Grill Microwave Oven
Bajaj electrical is a subbranch of the globally famous Bajaj corporation. Bajaj is a household name in India owing to its large array of products in every possible category.
This famous brand’s electrical wing was first set up decades ago and are now producing a host of electrical products like refrigerators, microwave ovens, fans, coolers, lighting solutions, etc.
They have also tied up with international brands like Morphy Richards and Platini to take care of India’s operations.
This oven is one of the cheapest on this list but doesn’t skip out on many features as you expect from a lower-priced product.
This microwave oven from Bajaj can do every task that a convection oven is expected to perform like heating, defrosting, grilling, etc.
Here, we have listed down its main features, advantages of the product compared to others and the disadvantages too for a consumer to get the complete picture of the product
- The microwave capacity is the standard 20 liters, which is very good for the price that one is paying.
- The tasks that you can perform with this microwave oven are cooking, reheating, defrosting, and grilling
- The oven comes with a multi-stage cooking feature, which is exceptional considering the price
- Along with temperature and time settings, you can also adjust the power level of the oven to get optimal performance
- For protection against hazards, a thermal fuse has been incorporated
- The multi-stage cooking feature is not found commonly in this price range
- The power setting can be a boon for people who are time conscious
- The company has kept in mind safety features like a thermal fuse
- It doesn’t have tactile buttons for the control panel but knobs, which are out of fashion these days
6. IFB Solo Microwave
IFB is one of the numerous Indian brands that is looking to become the king of consumer electronics in Indian but taking on big international brands like Samsung, LG, and Whirlpool.
The company came into existence in 1974 with the assistance of Heinrich Schmidt of Switzerland, and after that, there has been no looking back. It has around 250 exclusive retail outlets in India and also sells its products abroad.
The product we are reviewing is one of the many from IFB’s portfolio but is the most popular.
While its features may seem inferior to other products placed higher on this list, it won’t be a bad option at all, considering that IFB is well-known and their products always have quality.
Down below, we listed down all its qualities, specifications, advantages, and disadvantages that you should be aware of.
- It has a capacity of 20 liters. This makes it suitable for bachelors and small nuclear families
- It is a solo microwave and hence consists of only one magnetron
- It can perform cooking, defrosting, and reheating operations. Baking and grilling can’t be done as it doesn’t consist of heat coils and fans
- It consists of power range control, which is hardly found in solo microwaves around this price
- There are six power ranges, and one is dedicated especially to defrosting
- The maximum time you can set on the oven is 30 minutes
- A reputed brand like IFB manufactures it, and hence you will get a high-quality product
- The power range technology will prove to be a time-saver for many people
- It has a child safety lock to prevent children from misusing it
- It is a solo microwave, meaning you can’t bake bread, cakes, muffins, etc
- Mechanic mechanical buttons should have replaced knobs to give it a modern look
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which type of microwave oven is best for home use?
Convection Microwave is the best option for home use.
2. Which is the best microwave oven with the grill?
The best microwave with a grill is the Bajaj Grill microwave oven.
3. Which microwave oven is best – convection or grill?
A grill microwave oven is best suited for reheating various food items, cooking, or grilling. Thus, one can be able to enjoy starters such as tikkas and kebabs.
If you are buying a convection oven, it has various functionalities such as baking, which helps you cook different food items such as cakes, cookies, pizzas, etc.
So, considering these facts, the best oven is the convection oven.
4. What kind of utensils can we use in microwaves?
Only microwave-safe utensils need to be kept inside the oven.
This special cookware is made of pyrex or non-pyrogenic substances. Using normal cookware can damage both the utensil as well as the microwave
5. What is the proper way to clean a microwave oven?
Cleaning an oven is very much required as the food spilled inside accidentally can cause fires and affect the taste of other food items kept inside the microwave.
The best way to avoid this is to regularly clean the spilled food and wipe the whole insides with baking powder and vinegar
6. How to know if a utensil is microwave safe?
Containers that have squiggly lines indicate that they are microwave safe.
Even if you don’t find any symbol, just keep the container in a microwave and set the lowest temperature possible for less than 1 minute.
Take it out and see if it is warm. Warmness indicates that it isn’t microwaved safely.
7. Do microwave ovens need setting-up or installation?
For most free-standing microwave ovens, no installation is required at all. You just would need to plug it into an appropriate socket.
However, if you are buying a wall-mounted variant, it would definitely need installation from an expert
8. What kind of cookware can’t be used in microwaves?
All normal containers used in day-to-day life, like those made from plastic and metal, can’t be used in a microwave.
But you can easily get microwave-safe cookware online or in the market.
Conclusion
Microwave ovens have become an important kitchen item. They save time, are easy to clean, compact, and heat food easily and quickly.
The above-mentioned microwave ovens are all a good choice, but our top three include Godrej 20 liter convection microwave oven, Amazon Basics convection microwave, andWhirlpool 20 liter convection microwave oven.
Whether you live alone or with a large family, these microwave ovens will make your life much simpler. You do not need to spend a lot of money to buy such a product that will be very useful to you.
