With the advent of the microwave in the kitchen simplifies and speeds up the cooking process. You can heat food in a short period of time, defrost food and cook a variety of dishes. Unfortunately, any technique sooner or later breaks down, and the microwave is no exception. And only after the breakdown do we become interested, how long is the service life of a microwave oven and how to extend it.
How long can a microwave work?
To extend the life of the device, certain operating rules must be observed. Regardless, you have a built-in microwave or freestanding, what firm it is and what functions it performs, the rules of care are the same. If all care procedures for the device are performed on time and regularly, then it will not take much time and effort, but will only extend the life of the microwave oven. The manufacturers claim, that the microwave oven can work without problems 6 years. But this is not the limit, you only need to periodically give the device some time.
Service life of the device, primarily, depends on its quality, which you need to pay attention to when buying a microwave. If we talk about the coverage of the inner chamber of the device, then the ceramic will last the longest, in addition, it is easy to wash.
The presence of the function "Steam cleaning" will help to simplify the process of washing the microwave oven.
correct installation
It will also depend on where the microwave is installed, how long it will last, after all, some "neighbors" adversely affect the operation of the furnace (more details - in the article rules of installation of a microwave oven: proximity to other equipment).
The proximity of the microwave oven is undesirable with such equipment and devices, as:
- Refrigerator.
- Washing machine.
- Dishwashers.
- Plate.
- Heating system devices.
Such a technique, like a refrigerator, washing machine and dishwasher vibrate during operation, this can lead to microwave failure. Do not install the microwave oven close to the walls of the kitchen set, this will close the ventilation holes, which can provoke failure of the heating device. The distance between the walls of objects should be at least 10 cm.
Moisture getting inside the device is not allowed. Therefore it is not recommended to put the device for heating of food on a window sill because of emergence of condensate in a cold season..
If the microwave is placed near heaters or other heated appliances, this will cause the device to overheat, which is also not the norm. When installing a microwave oven, take care of a flat and stable horizontal surface, and air access to the ventilation openings of the device.
Operation tips
From that, how well you use the device, also depends on its service life:
- Reheat food only in that dish, which is specified in the operating instructions - from heat-resistant glass and the burnt ceramics. Do not use metal utensils, as well as containers with silver or gold coating. Ignoring this advice can lead to fire, as there is an electric arc between the dishes and the metal parts of the microwave, as a result, cracks and sparks occur.
- Before placing plastic utensils inside the chamber, make sure of its quality and purpose. Some plastic plates can melt under the action of high temperatures.
- Never switch on an empty microwave oven. This will break the main part - the magnetron, which costs a little less than the device itself. Think about it, do you need extra costs, before conducting experiments.
- Do not leave the device unattended. When products overheat, they may catch fire.
- If the appliance does not support the steamer mode, high humidity is contraindicated, so cook the first dishes on a regular stove.
- Do not place utensils outside the size of the oven chamber, which can scratch the inner coating. As a result, the microwaves are reflected incorrectly, which can disable the magnetron.
- Don't get in the habit of leaning on the microwave door. It will sag and begin to pass waves, which will affect the quality of the device.
Recommendations for cooking
Following the basic recommendations for cooking, you will be able to extend the service life of the appliance:
- Each product or dish takes some time to prepare. Do not exceed it. We pay attention, that after turning off the microwave, the cooking process does not end, and continues 5-10 minutes.
- Do not exceed the allowable weight of heated products, which is specified for each model separately - in the operating instructions. However, products with low weight (to 200 G) also do not benefit microwave ovens. When heating one sandwich or pie, place a cup of water inside the chamber.
- Do not try to heat products in a shell with a high liquid content, example, eggs and tomatoes (full list - in the article which dishes and products can not be used in the microwave). Otherwise, they will explode and contaminate the entire chamber.
- Do not reheat food in containers with closed lids.
- Before cooking vegetables, they need to be pierced with a knife or fork in several places - to get the steam out.
- The sausage must be peeled off before heating.
- It is forbidden to dry vegetables, fruits and herbs in the microwave.
Microwave care
Proper care is important to extend the life of your microwave oven. Do not procrastinate with cleaning the microwave, otherwise it will be difficult to deal with fat deposits. If you could not wash the camera in time, and the fat had dried up against its walls, put minutes on 5 a glass of water and turn on the oven at maximum power. A few drops of lemon will help to get rid of the unpleasant odor, added to water. Under the influence of steam, the dirt will soften, and you can easily remove them.
Spinning plate should be washed with warm soap solution. Do not use scrapers when cleaning the device. They can damage the camera cover.
Ideally, You need to wipe the walls of the camera with a soft cloth or sponge after each use, and heat the heated food with a special lid.
Read also: remove the unpleasant odor from the microwave.
Following simple rules for heating and caring for the microwave, you will prolong the life of your indispensable assistant at least twice.