Microwave ovensa part of daily life

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 27

Microwave ovens—a part of daily life

The microwave has come to stay; in fact it may not be long before it is considered just as much a necessity in the kitchen as the conventional cooking range, the refrigerator, and the host of many small appliances which have become an established part of today’s lifestyle.

For those who are still contemplating buying a microwave oven, or those who want to improve on an early basic appliance, look for the features that will provide the most practical use for the type of cooking you will be doing. If you plan to use the oven just aS a speedy cooking aid which defrosts foods or quickly reheats cooked meals, then look for a simple, variable-power oven. For those who plan to use the oven for most of their cooking needs, the choice need only be limited by how much you wish to spend. Look for the microwave ovens which offer the most flexibility — multivariable settings, sensor or automatic controls, microwave convection or the newer memory bank and combination models. Microwave ovens should be used as a cooking aid — in conjunction

with, but not entirely in place of — other conventional appliances, to provide the simplest, quickest, most efficient, most economical and certainly the most versatile and nutritious methods for food preparation and cooking — with the special bonus of greatly reduced clean-up chores. No longer the playthings of the wealthy or of gadget lovers, the microwave is now accepted as a kitchen appliance which really does make life easier. Already about 35 per cent of homes in New Zealand have a microwave and it will probably become as commonplace as the home freezer and the food processor in our daily lives. They are especially useful for families whose patterns of life demands quick meals at varying times — for example when the parents both work, and busy teenage children need to fit meals in between school, sporting and social activities. For people living alone, and for couples, the microwave allows them to prepare food in larger amounts and heat up small portions — they save power and enjoy the varied menu.

A microwave will not replace a conventional

oven, but used together, the two enable a cook to plan food preparation so as to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family and friends.

With the removal of duty on microwave ovens, prices have dropped considerably, making them affordable for more families. The more sophisticated models are popular as people trade up or choose the model offering more automatic features for the price they would have paid last year for a basic model.

Buying a microwave should be seen as something like buying a car, and should be done with the help of an experienced consultant.

Noel Leemings have been selling microwave ovens for many years and in 1980 opened the first specialist microwave shop. Since then, their expertise has grown and they now employ several microwave consultants, run their own microwave cooking schools, and stock a wide range of makes and models of microwave ovens in their shops at Blenheim, Nelson, Rangiora, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and Christchurch.