How Does a Microwave Oven Cook Food?
Microwave Basics A combination of electrical and mechanical devices control the microwave energy used for heating and cooking foods in a microwave oven. Electricity from the power cord enters the oven through a series of circuits and fuses. The energy reaches the food from every direction due to the design of the microwave. A microwave oven cooks food with radio waves. The frequency used in many ovens is 25,000 Mhz. These waves are absorbed by the water, fat and sugar in food. The waves are converted to energy or heat, which reacts with most plastic, glass or ceramic. Metal reflects this heat, and that is why you cannot use metal pans in a microwave oven. The Cooking Process In a microwave oven, the radio waves heat or penetrate the food almost immediately through the water and fat molecules. The heat spreads through the food evenly right away. It does not heat from the outside to the center as in a conventional oven. However, radio waves penetrate unevenly in some thick pieces of food
