Skip to content

Using the Microwave

What is a Microwave

The microwave was invented in 1945 by Percy Spencer.

He came up with the idea and invented it while working as a radar systems engineer when he noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket began to melt whenever the radar was turned on.

How It Works

Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 2.45 billion hertz (2.45 GHz) generated by a magnetron. This frequency causes water and oil molecules to vibrate and generate heat.

Process

Microwaves perform exceptionally well in many cooking tasks.

High power is suitable for:

  • [Cooking] Cooking vegetables
  • [Cooking] Softening hard vegetables with high water content (such as potatoes, onions, and artichokes)
  • [Puffing] Popping snacks, such as cream puffs, Indian papadums, and popcorn

Medium power is suitable for:

  • [Cooking] Seafood (e.g., Microwave Black Cod with Green Onion and Ginger)
  • [Cooking] Softening meat
  • [Dehydrating] Drying fruit and vegetable peels
  • [Dehydrating] Making beef jerky
  • [Frying] Crisping spice plants
  • [Frying] Softening leafy vegetables
  • [Heating] Reheating leftovers

Low power is used for:

  • [Thawing] Thawing food
  • [Thawing] Melting butter and chocolate

Precautions

  • Microwaves should not be used to heat water, as this may cause superheating and pose a safety risk to you.
  • Never heat eggs in a microwave unless they are raw eggs without shells and the yolks have been pierced. Heating causes gases inside the egg to expand, which can lead to an explosion.
  • Regardless of your purpose or curiosity, do not heat whole fruits (such as grapes, blueberries, or cherry tomatoes) in a microwave, as this may cause them to explode.
  • Since the wavelength of microwaves is 12.2 cm, they heat small objects more slowly than large ones. Therefore, if you are heating very small ingredients, it is recommended to group them together for more even heating.
  • Microwaves only penetrate a few centimeters into food, so sometimes the outside may be hot while the inside remains cold. To address this, add a small amount of liquid to the ingredients and place them in a sealed bag, or cover a bowl with plastic wrap to generate sufficient steam, compensating for the microwave's tendency to cook unevenly.
    • Tip: Be careful of steam when opening the sealed bag.
  • Microwaves only heat objects containing liquid molecules, such as water and oil, so plastic wrap and sealed bags will not be heated by microwaves.
  • Metal reflects microwaves and does not get heated. Avoid using containers with gold trim or metallic patterns, as uneven heating may cause the container to crack. Always use ceramic, glass containers, or microwave-safe baking dishes.