Microwaves

How does a microwave work?

A microwave is a relatively simple device that many of us know and use, but how does it actually work?

The technology behind a microwave seems like pure magic to many, but it’s actually easier to understand than you might think.

Here’s a quick explanation of how microwaves work:

1. A microwave creates microwaves with an electric tube called a “magnetron.”
2. These microwaves are reflected around the microwave due to the metallic interior, which mirrors the waves at an incredibly high speed.
3. The food in the microwave absorbs these waves.
4. The microwaves cause the water molecules in your food to vibrate incredibly fast, generating high amounts of heat.
5. These vibrations continue until the food is completely warm, and you are now ready to eat.

Although some believe that microwaves are “radioactive,” this is not the case.

A microwave simply manipulates the molecules in the food, causing them to “shake,” which creates heat; it’s that “simple.”

That’s why you can’t live without a microwave!

The vast majority of people know and have a microwave at home, and there is good reason for that.

Microwaves have been a staple in most households for many years and continue to be in high demand.

A microwave uses heat waves to heat or cook food incredibly quickly compared to a conventional oven.

However, where a microwave cannot compete with a conventional oven is, for example, baking or if your food needs to be crispy.

Due to the heat waves a microwave uses, it cannot create the same crispness as a conventional oven, though some models can come quite close.

Heat food in minutes with a microwave

If you have a busy everyday life, with or without children, cooking can be a stressful affair.

With a microwave, you can easily and quickly heat meals in just minutes, and you don’t have to wait half or a full hour for the food to be ready.

This way, you can quickly get through cooking to have time for peace and quiet.

Use the microwave for defrosting

If you’ve forgotten to take the steaks or chicken out of the freezer before dinner, you can easily defrost your food with the defrosting program in a microwave.

This function is not as fast as regular heating, but after just 10-20 minutes depending on the food item you want to defrost, you can quickly have the food ready for preparation.

In other words, you get a safety net that ensures that you can always cook, even if you forget to take the meat out of the freezer.

Perfect for families or students - easily and simply reheat food from the day before

For students, where space may not always be available for an oven, a microwave is a brilliant alternative.

With a microwave, you can still enjoy delicious hot meals, but it takes up much less space than a conventional oven.

Some microwaves are even a combination of an oven and microwave, so you get the best of both worlds.

For large families, a microwave can also be beneficial for reheating leftovers from previous days.

Here, you can, for instance, make a large portion of food on Monday and have enough for the coming days.

You avoid the long preparation time and can simply place plates of food in the microwave for a few minutes, and then delicious food is ready for the family.

Best microwave for the price - look for these 5 things

When you choose a microwave, or technology in general, it’s always important to look for specifications that you need.

Microwaves are indeed relatively different across various brands and price levels, and you don’t always get everything if you choose cheaper models.

However, the cheap versions are perfect for those who simply want to heat food and don’t need all the other functions described here.

Read below to make sure you get the specifications, as well as the design and size you need for your and/or your family’s needs.

#1 - Size and design

The first thing you need to ensure is that the microwave you choose is large enough for your needs.

This especially applies to larger families, where you may need to heat food for 5 or more at the same time.

For this, a large microwave with plenty of space is the right choice, so you don’t have to heat food several times every time you enjoy leftovers from the day before.

At avXperten, microwaves come in various sizes such as:

• 20 liters
• 23 liters
• 32 liters

Besides the size, the design is also important.

You can advantageously choose a design that fits well into your home, with colors that do not stand out too much from the rest of your interior.

Additionally, the microwave should also fit into any placements built for microwaves, which often occur above the oven or at the top of a kitchen cabinet.

Always check the dimensions of individual products to ensure that the microwave fits into your kitchen.

#2 - Microwave with grill/oven

When you heat food in a microwave, it rarely becomes as crispy and delicious as in a conventional oven.

This is because the method a microwave uses to heat food is not “real” heat as a conventional oven generates, but more on a molecular level.

There are modern microwaves that have a built-in “grill function” or are a combination oven with both microwave and conventional oven.

These types of microwaves are particularly perfect for students who want the option to prepare food in both a conventional oven and a microwave.

The grill function ensures that your food gets a crispier and more delicious crust, which is advantageous for baked goods.

#3 - Microwave with sensor

In some modern microwaves, you will find a smart “sensor function” that can be incredibly advantageous.

The sensor function can recognize certain types of food and give it exactly the heat and time it needs.

In other words, you are ensured perfectly cooked food every time and will also not waste energy and time heating your food longer than it needs.

#4 - Features

Besides the overall specifications, most microwaves have a lot of buttons that most of us may not understand how to use.

However, some of these extra features are very smart and can be usefully utilized to make your use of the microwave a bit more efficient.

Here are some typical features you often find in microwaves, which are all useful:

• Defrost function. If you haven’t taken the meat out of the freezer the day before, the smart defrost function found in most microwaves can quickly defrost your meat or anything else you need for cooking.
• Display. Depending on the brand and model of microwave, you get a display with a range of information. Some displays are very advanced and show a lot of relevant information about the microwave's performance as well as the status of the food you are heating.
• Auto-programs. A number of microwaves contain preset programs for different types of food. For instance, some microwaves are designed to heat soup in one way and lasagna in another. These programs help ensure that your food is always perfectly cooked each time.
• Child safety lock. For families with children, it is beneficial to choose a microwave with a child safety lock. Often, you choose to place the microwave high up so the children cannot reach it, but if it is on the kitchen counter where some kids can reach it, it is beneficial to choose a child lock so they cannot open the microwave. This ensures that they do not get hot food spilled on them or interrupt the cooking unexpectedly.
• Quick start. Almost all microwaves are equipped with a “quick start” function, where you just press once to start cooking. However, this function is always preset to the same temperature and is not designed for specific food types.

#5 - Microwave's power consumption

The last thing you should look for when choosing a microwave is the power consumption.

You may easily find that you have two very similar microwaves, but the energy consumption is different.

It’s always an advantage to choose the microwave with the lowest power consumption, as long as it meets your other needs.

Some microwaves have a power-saving mode, which means they use significantly less power than other models without this feature.

You can always see the power consumption in the product description - look for how many Watts are indicated.

Also, find a wide range of other products here at avXperten, such as vacuum cleaner filters, slicers, meat thermometers, or a new pot.