There are three main types of microwave ovens:

A standard microwave oven - will allow you to cook by microwave only. It can be used to defrost, reheat and cook foods.

A standard microwave with grill - as well as all the features of a standard microwave oven, these models come with an internal grill fitting. This can be used exclusively as a grill, or in conjunction with the microwave, allowing you to brown and crisp your food.

Combination oven - by providing a microwave, grill and convection (hot-air) oven, a combination oven offers the most flexibility, allowing you to use the functions independently or together. It combines the best of all worlds, offering fast economical cooking from one space saving appliance.

Increasingly microwaves are falling in to two main areas - the 'compact' ovens and the 'family sized' ovens. The size of the oven you require will relate to how many people you will be cooking for. A larger oven (oven 0.7cu.ft) could contain a Sunday roast or large stew. A family sized oven will have a larger turntable and more interior height enabling you to cook more than one dish at a time.

Microwave power output is measured in Watts and standardised by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Wattage ranges from 600-1100. Buy the most powerful model within your budget, as the higher the wattage, the quicker the food will cook.

Multiple-sequence cooking - this automatically changes the power levels during cooking, for example, to defrost, then cook your meal, thereby ensuring optimum cooking time.

Sensor cooking - this system automatically detects food moisture an even oven humidity and then appropriately adjusts the power levels and cooking time.

Chaos defrost - this feature uses random pulses of microwave energy to dramatically reduce the usual defrosting time.