Buying Guide: Microwaves

The microwave, it has been around for quite some time. Ever since I started working at a very well known home electronics reseller, I have learned many different things about appliances and various electronics. And it is with this knowledge I will share with all of you readers. Many of you, if not all of you know exactly what a microwave is - it is an item that is found in 98% of all homes, which heats up your food very quickly. Little do people know how a microwave actually works. So here are a few sentences about how microwaves actually work.

The microwave operates basically though an item called a magnetron, which literally heats the food from the inside out. The reason why all foods can heat in such a dramatic fashion - compared to the oven - is due to the fact that the food is cooked through friction. As the microwave is turned on, microwaves travel through the food and then cause reactions with the molecules, the constant "stirring" of these molecules are what "heats" the food, and changes the status from chilled, to warm. This is how food can sometimes become rather hot on the inside of the item, and cold on the exterior. Until recently, there wasn't much that could be done to treat this cause. However, now there are a plethora of new microwaves that are battling this outer-coldness.

So for you buyers out there, there are a few various considerations one must review. For one, there are two different kinds of microwaves - countertop and over-the-range. The latter of the two are the largest of the two (with sizes up to 2.2 cubic feet), and are exactly as they sound, they fit over an electric/gas range. The countertop microwaves are the more commonly found microwaves, with sizes ranging up to 1.8 cubic feet - however, these sizes are all subject to change as newer models are constantly being produced.