What is a Microwave Oven?

A microwave oven, or microwave, is a kitchen appliance employing microwave radiation primarily to cook or heat food. Microwave ovens have revolutionized food preparation since their use became widespread in the 1970s. However many chefs find microwave ovens to be of limited usefulness because the Maillard reactions (a type of browning) cannot occur due to the temperature range. History Cooking food with microwaves was discovered by Percy Spencer while building magnetrons for radar sets at Raytheon. He was working on an active radar set when he noticed a strange sensation, and saw that a peanut candy bar he had in his pocket started to melt. Although he was not the first to notice this phenomenon, as the holder of 120 patents, Spencer was no stranger to discovery and experiment, and realized what was happening. The radar had melted his candy bar with microwaves. The first food to be deliberately cooked with microwaves was popcorn, and the second was an egg (which exploded in the face of ... more

A microwave oven is a cooking device that can cook or reheat food much faster than a conventional oven. Using microwave technology, water and particles within the food are heated incredibly fast, turning cold or frozen food into steaming and hot meals. Although the technology behind microwave ovens has been around for nearly seventy years, many people still believe there are some health risks associated with using this type of oven for cooking. A microwave is a type of radio wave that can be absorbed by water and certain molecules, like those found in sugar. The absorption of these waves causes the atoms in the food to become highly active, effectively creating heat. Most microwave ovens use a common wave frequency of 2.5 gigahertz (2500 megahertz) that has proved most effective in the food heating process. This specific wave frequency cannot be absorbed in high quantities by glass, plaster or ceramics, meaning that in a microwave oven, only the food will be affected by the heat. Like ... more

A microwave oven is a cooking device that can cook or reheat food much faster than a conventional oven. Using microwave technology, water and particles within the food are heated incredibly fast, turning cold or frozen food into steaming and hot meals. Although the technology behind microwave ovens has been around for nearly seventy years, many people still believe there are some health risks associated with using this type of oven for cooking. ... more