Microwave Cooking

One of the little ironies of modern life is that many people use electronic gadgets around the home without the slightest idea how they work. If asked to explain microwave cooking or satellite television, our answers would sound more magical than scientific. So for those who've always wondered how a microwave oven works (or if it's slowly and secretly killing you), here's a quick education in microwave cooking.

How does microwave cooking work?

Microwaves use microwaves to heat food: thus the name. Microwaves are radio waves. The radio waves your microwave uses are around 2,500 megahertz. At this frequency, the waves are absorbed by food, but not by glass or plastic. They are created by a magnetron tube inside the oven that converts electricity into radio-frequency energy.

As these radio waves penetrate your food, the molecular movement creates heat. Where conventional cooking relies on heat transference, microwave cooking gets all the molecules hot at the same time. That's why microwave cooking doesn't produce an external bread crust or pastry crust like you get from standard ovens.

The one potential downside to microwave cooking is that thick pieces of food don't always allow even penetration by microwaves. When you're making steak, even microwave cooking can't match a traditional fire grill.

Is my microwave trying to kill me?

No. However, you may have been exposed to a few of the urban myths that have circulated about microwave cooking, such as harmful chemicals and carcinogens, and be wondering if they're true. The answer is: probably not.

If your grandmother has ever told you that staring at the microwave while it's cooking will expose you to radiation, there's no need to worry. All microwave ovens must meet the FDA requirements for radiation leakage. These exposure limits are far below the level that's harmful to humans. What's even better is that microwave oven radiation is non-ionizing, which means it doesn't present the cancer risks that you'd get from getting too many X-rays or playing with decayed nuclear material.

Another rumor about microwave cooking is that plastics will leak carcinogenic dioxins into your food. This is also untrue. The FDA has found that certain kinds of plastic may leak trace elements of substances during microwave cooking, but nothing that poses a threat to your health. If a plastic wrap or container is being advertised as safe for microwave cooking, the FDA has reviewed and approved it.