Despite all the hammerings of information related to technology-driven devices for cooking, many are often left confused when it comes to buying a Microwave or OTG. In this article, we try to highlight the differences between the microwave and oven (Microwave Vs OTG), which may help you to decide what suits your requirement.
Let’s dive in further to understand in detail.
Microwave
If you are looking to cook or reheat your food instantly, then the microwave oven will be your blue-eyed boy. It allows you to reheat leftovers instantly before you want to dispose of them.
You can instantly cook cakes, pizzas, omelettes, and even idlis and dhoklas and feast on them.
OTG
When it comes to baking, it’s all about OTG. You can bake, toast, broil and grill your food. You can make kebabs and grill food with its unique rotisserie function. If you are looking to bake a perfect cake, then OTG is the only option.
With an OTG, you can bake cakes, bread, cookies, pizza, muffins, tarts, chicken, fish, vegetables, kebabs, etc.
Microwave v/s OTG – Cooking Time Comparison
Today’s microwave has many enhanced features than an OTG and therefore it offers more versatility. It cooks food fast as compared to the OTG. Modern microwaves also have grilling and low-oil frying or air-frying options. With the auto-cook options in some microwaves, you can pre-set the time and temperature settings for cooking depending on the food.
An OTG doesn’t have all the above features. It will bake, toast, broil and grill your food. In the real sense, OTG doesn’t cook anything. So, if you are looking for some cooking aid to save your time, OTG won’t suffice.
The time taken to bake on both devices is the same.
Microwave vs OTG – Capacity
A convection microwave has a max capacity of 32 litres while the OTG can reach up to 60 litres. In addition, the rotating surface in a microwave is small, which limits us to put large plates into it. On the other hand, an OTG has a larger space and is easy to handle due to its lightweight.
So, to bake large quantities of food, an OTG can be an ideal option, beating the microwave in this area.
You may like: OTG under Rs. 5000
Microwave vs OTG – Mechanism
A microwave heats the molecules in the food to cook it. Food is evenly cooked due to the rotating plate and microwaves.
In OTG, a heated coil passes the heat to the food and a fan present in the device distributes the heat to different parts. \
Microwave vs OTG – Preheat time
A microwave takes only 5 minutes to preheat, while the OTG takes about 15-20 minutes.
Microwave vs OTG – Price
A microwave may come for around Rs. 16,000/-, while an OTG may come for around Rs. 10,000/- approximately.
| Microwave | OTG | |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Electromagnetic waves oscillating the food particles | Electric coil |
| Distribution of heat | Perfectly uniform | Not uniform |
| Heating time | 5 minutes | 15-20 minutes |
| Energy consumption | High | Low |
| Auto-cooking | Available | Unavailable |
| Container that can be put in | Glass, ceramic, silicone. Metal containers can’t go in. | Glass, ceramic, silicone and Metal |
| Weight | Heavy | Light |
| Suitable for | Baking, cooking, and defrosting | Baking, toasting, grilling |
| Digital Display | Available | Unavailable |
How can you use Microwave to bake?
If your microwave has a mode called “Convection” mode, you can bake in the same way as an OTG. These ovens are called convection ovens. If the microwave doesn’t have this kind of utility, they are called solo ovens.
Solo ovens are cheaper than convection ovens, so you can go for a solo oven if you don’t require baking functions frequently.
Buy: Best Oven for Baking Cakes
Conclusion
It may be hard to find the difference between microwave and OTG. The above information will help you to identify the differences between the two and help you to select one that suits your requirement.
A microwave is much superior to OTG in terms of versatility and saving time. With a convection oven, you can have the functionalities of OTG within a microwave, expanding your cooking range.
On the other hand, if you are baking cakes frequently, the OTG is going to be your first choice. It is cheaper than the microwave and portable due to its lighter weight.