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USA
The Advantages of Microwaves
12
6 THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROWAVES
In conventional ovens, heat radiated by electrical elements or gas
burners slowly penetrates the food from outside to inside. On
account of this there is a major amount of energy is wasted heating
the air, the oven components and the food containers.
In a microwave oven, heat is generated by the food itself and the
heat travels from inside to outside. No heat is lost to the air, the
walls of the oven cavity or the dishes and containers (if these are
suitable for use in microwave oven), in other words, only the food
is heated.
Microwave ovens have the following advantages:
1. Shorter cooking times; in general these are up to 3/4 less than the
time required for conventional cooking.
2. Ultra-fast food defrosting, thus reducing the danger of bacterial
development.
3. Energy savings.
4. Conservation of the nutritional value of foods due to the shorter
cooking times.
5. Easy to clean.
6.1 How a microwave oven works
In a microwave oven there is a high tension valve called a
magnetron which converts electrical energy into microwave
energy. These electromagnetic waves are channeled to the interior
of the oven through a wave guide and distributed by a metallic
spreader or through a turntable.
Inside the oven the microwaves propagate in all directions and are
reflected by the metal walls, uniformly penetrating the food.
6.2 Why food heats up
Most foods contain water and water molecules vibrate when
subjected to microwaves.
The friction between molecules produces heat which raises the
temperature of the food, de-freezing it, cooking it or keeping it hot.
Since the heat arises inside the food:
This can be cooked with little or no liquid or fats/oils;
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