Why doesn’t the food get evenly warm in a Microwave?

The microwave makes it possible for food that was just in the refrigerator, ready to be eaten at the dining table in a few minutes. Frozen food or a meal prepared the day before or in the morning is warmed up within a very short time. But some places are often hot, others are almost still cold. But Why doesn’t the food get evenly warm in a Microwave? Let’s find out.

First, Is microwave food unhealthy?

Heating is ensured by the microwave radiation with a frequency of 2.45 gigahertz inside the device. It sounds dangerous, but it’s not. Microwave foods are harmless to health. In theory, you can heat food or drinks in the microwave every day. However, anyone who believes that they can freeze freshly prepared vegetables in portions and eat food with all the vitamins in them, after heating them up in the microwave, is wrong, as most vitamins are sensitive to heat. By temperature, light, and oxygen, the vitamin content is reduced in food and ready meals. If you often heat or cook your meals in the microwave, you should also eat raw fruits and vegetables every day to optimize the vitamin content.

Why doesn’t the food get evenly warm?

There is a so-called magnetron in every microwave. This transmitter generates electromagnetic waves. They are directed into the interior of the appliance, reflected by the walls of the cooking space, and distributed as evenly as possible in the housing.

The electromagnetic waves especially excite the water molecules in the food to strong vibrations. Because of these vibrations, heat is generated. Foods with high liquid content, therefore, heat up faster than dry ones.

A turntable, which is available in microwaves, is supposed to ensure a better distribution of the heat in the food and to reduce the hot areas and cold spots. These occur particularly often when heating, because when a frozen food melts at one point, water forms and becomes particularly hot.

Properly warm up food in the microwave

With a few tips, consistent heating of food and drinks in the microwave becomes easier.

– To prevent food and drinks from splashing or becoming dry on the surface, you should protect them with a cover.

– You should stir the food before heating or cooking and leave it in the appliance for a few minutes in the end. This is the best way to distribute the heat in the food. 

– The fact that food is often heated unevenly in the microwave also means that a glass of chocolate milk can only feel lukewarm when it is drunk at first and can burn the mouth the next moment. It is therefore important to stir first and then drink.

– Spread the food as evenly as possible on the plate and not pile it up to equalize heat distribution.

– Add a splash of water to sauces, pasta or other dishes so that they don’t dry out so quickly.

Use the right dishes for the microwave.

The choice of dishes is important when heating food in the microwave. Specially made microwave dishes are of course best, but porcelain and glass are also alright. Kitchen utensils made of melamine resin, such as bamboo dishes, should never be used for roasting, cooking, and heating in the microwave. The reason is that if these kitchen utensils are exposed to the high temperatures in the microwave, higher amounts of melamine and formaldehyde can be released and can pass into food and beverages which can be harmful to health.

Radiation – how safe is the microwave?

Protective devices ensure that very little radiation is released to the outside during operation. Nevertheless, small leakage radiation can occur in the vicinity of the screen and the doors. The limit value is set for this in safety standards. It is five milliwatts per square centimeter at a distance of five centimeters from the device surface.

Also Read – Why does Aluminum Foil have Two different sides?

There is no health risk with these technically perfect devices. In principle, however, unnecessary exposure to high-frequency fields should be avoided. It is therefore advisable not to stand in front of the microwave all the time while preparing the meal and to look through the glass of the appliance.