A typical Microwave Oven

Microwave Oven


Most methods of cooking heat food from the outside in, and it often takes quite a while for the heat to penetrate to the center. A Microwave Oven heats evenly through the food, provided it contains water. It will actually be coolest on the outside surface. This is done by exposing the food to powerful high radio frequency electromagnetic radiation. This radiation excites water molecules in the food, causing them to vibrate which is evident to us as heat.

Since the radiation penetrates the food completely, it will heat it evenly, but, of course, there will be no browned crust or such niceties. The microwave really cooks by steaming - but it is fast, and is also useful for quickly thawing frozen foods.

Countertop microwave ovens can be had for 2022 US $80 to $250 or so. Since I don't have children or a husband demanding instant gratification, I have never felt the need for a microwave oven.   Photo by Consumer Reports distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike v4.0 International.

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