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Percy Spencer first came up with the idea for using microwaves to cook food. And in 1946 the company Percy worked for Raytheon patented the microwave process. The problem with the first microwaves was the price, around £2000. Soon Raytheon licensed its technology to other companies who tried to lower the price. It was only until the late 1970s that the technology had improved to where prices were falling rapidly, and within the budget of the man in the street. And the the late 1980s the microwave was almost universal in UK households. The most basic microwave consists of a magnetron, the magnetron control circuit, a waveguide, and of course the cooking chamber. Basically a microwave oven works by passing microwave radiation at a frequency of around 2450 MHz. Currently the three main types of microwaves are the standard microwave oven, the microwave with a grill and the combination microwave oven. The most expensive is usually the combination microwave, which can use hot air to cook food in the same way that a cooker cooks food, but is also a microwave as well. The power of the microwave is an important factor, the power is measured in Watts. With the more Watts of the power the quicker the food will cook. Generally the the more powerful microwaves are a little more expensive. Many microwaves also features such as multiple sequence cooking, where a microwave will first defrost the food and then cook it. Some also have a cooking sensor to alarm you when the food is cooked. You can however find a good standard microwave for as little as around £30.

Selected Products

• The Electric Shop
  The Electric shop also offer a wide range of electrical household products such cookers, microwaves, fridges, juicers, toasters and kettles.
• Co-op Electrical Shop
  Co-op Electrical Shop supply a wide range of Microwaves at cheap prices. Co-op Electrical Shop currently stock these brands of Microwaves such as Bosch and Zanucci.
• The History of the Microwave Oven
  Network, Who Invented Microwaves?
• How Things Work - Microwave Ovens
  A service providing answers to questions about physics, science, and how things in the world around us work.

Posted on 07 / 01 / 2006

LG MC-806BL

I picked this model after reading a 'Which' magazine review, I have now owned this microwave for around one year. I would have recommended it to anyone interested in a low cost microwave which
can also be used as a small convection oven. I often cook frozen pizza's in it and the auto-cook feature always nicely browns the top of the pizza, but never burns the edges. What more it also comes with a comprehensive recipe.

User Rating -
Sally

Popularity
Value for money
Ability to find on the Net
Better value than high street

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Since their introduction in the early 1980's Microwaves have dramatically come down in price. You can now pick up a low cost microwave for £40 and an expensive one for over £400. The features microwaves now come with is massive, some being grill microwaves or combination oven / grill microwaves.

Microwaves now come in a range of types such as the standard microwaves we have used plenty of times, and then there is grill microwaves which act more like a oven and finally the combination microwaves which do both. There are all sorts of sizes, colors, and styles, not to mention brands. You find yourself looking at cost first, then when you see one you can afford you look at it. Some options on a standard microwave are touch controls offer the highest precision and flexibility of settings, followed by jog and then manual controls for chaos defrost for up to 40% quicker defrosting.