How does a microwave oven work?
A microwave oven works by using vibration to create friction at the molecular level of your food to cook it. The microwave oven produces a radio wave that oscillates the molecules back and forth at 2500 MHz. Now what does that mean in English?
Using the palm of your hand, place it on your pants just above your knee. Move your hand up and down on your pants as fast as you can. If you do it long enough, you will notice that the palm of your hand and your pants will get warm. That warmth is caused by the friction. Now imagine that you could do that 25,000 times a second. It wouldnt be very long before your hand would start to cook.
The magnetron in a microwave oven produces an invisible radio wave that vibrates the moisture molecules in your food. This vibration is so intense the friction actually cooks the food.
Do microwaves cook from the inside out?
No, microwave energy can only penetrate the food about 1 inch. If the food cooks in the middle its because the heat migrates from the outside in.
How does popcorn pop in a Microwave oven?
Popcorn pops because the microwave energy excites the moisture inside the popcorn kernel causing it to change from a liquid to a gas. The expansion of this gas that is now steam expands inside the kernel forcing it to erupt. If a kernel cracks during packaging or transportation the moisture in it will dry up. No moisture = no steam = unpopped kernels.
Burned popcorn smell
Place balls of newspaper in your microwave to absorb that burned popcorn odor. The bigger the balls the better! DO NOT turn the microwave on with paper in it as this will cause an even more disgusting odor when the inside of your microwave catches on FIRE!
How to clean a microwave
First determine how much cleaning needs to be done. If there is an excessive amount of food that has boiled over you will need to use a soft scraper to remove that first. Next fill a microwave safe glass container with equal amounts of distilled vinegar and water and set the microwave long enough to allow that solution to boil for about two minutes. The amount of time that is depends on the power output of your microwave. Then all you have to do is use a mild solution of soap and water to wipe the inside of your microwave clean.
Hint, always keep the food in your microwave covered and there will be less cleanup. There are very few foods that you put in your microwave that need to be uncovered.
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