How Microwaves Work

In this fast-paced life, more and more people are becoming dependent on machines to get their work done. When we talk about a woman and her kitchen chores, a microwave oven becomes an indispensable home appliance. It has revolutionized the concept of making food. Apart from cooking, it can be used to heat leftover and frozen food as well. When it comes to its working, a number of people are confused about how cooking and heating is undertaken in a microwave oven. In case you are one of such people, know that the working of microwave oven is almost similar in every case, no matter whether the model is latest or dates back to a few years. Go through this article and know more on how microwaves work.

A microwave oven generates radio waves of about 2.5 gigahertz. When the radio waves are absorbed by food, the energy gets translated into atomic motion. In other words, the water molecules in food get "excited" by the radio waves a microwave produces. The friction caused, by the vibration of water molecules, in the food gives rise to heat energy, which in turn, cooks the food. Heat is distributed evenly throughout the food. However, certain food stuffs, like meat, poultry and eggs, do not allow uniform penetration of radio waves, leaving certain areas uncooked.

 

When food is not cooked uniformly in a microwave oven, it is suggested to cover the cooking dish with a vented lid. This prevents the growth of bacteria in the uncooked portions of the food. You can also use microwave-approved plastic wrap for the purpose. When the food is placed in such a container, the hot steam builds under the lid. This raises the temperature and kills the bacteria, thereby cooking the food more evenly. In case you want to cook a large piece of meat, you may also increase the duration of cooking, to a bit longer.

 

Although the design of microwave oven differs from one manufacturer to the other, the basic principle of cooking remains the same. The only difference between the different microwave models is the usage of power. Small, and relatively simple, microwave ovens usually use 500 watts of power, while the larger ones may use as much as 2000 watts, to cook or heat the food. The output of heat depends on the amount of power used.