Information about microwaves
Page EN-12
What are microwaves?
Microwaves are electromagnetic waves. As
with radio and TV, microwaves are also invi-
sible and intangible.
Microwaves
– are reflected by all metals,
– can penetrate glass, porcelain, plastic and
paper,
– are absorbed by foodstuffs.
What effect do microwaves have
on foodstuffs?
– The microwaves penetrate foodstuffs to a
depth of approximately 3 cm.
– The water, fat and sugar molecules are he-
ated up (dishes with a high water content
are heated up most quickly).
– This heat then slowly penetrates the entire
dish and leads to the dish being defrosted,
heated and cooked.
– Due to the fact that the individual elements
of the dish are heated unevenly, it is import-
ant to stir or turn the dish over to ensure that
it is cooked through evenly.
– The cooking compartment and the air in
this compartment are not heated. The food
container is primarily heated by the hot food
itself.
– When heating liquids, a so-called “boiling
delay” can occur. The liquid then reaches
boiling temperature without any outward
visible sign of boiling. Even a small vibrati-
on may cause the liquid to suddenly spray
out, for example when removing it from the
microwave oven.
– Every dish requires a certain amount of
energy for cooking or defrosting – a good
rule of thumb is “high-power, low time” or
“low power, high time”.
How does a microwave oven
work?
– A microwave generator, the so-called ma-
gnetron, generates the microwaves and
disperses them into the cooking chamber.
– The cooking chamber walls and inner
screen reflect microwaves, preventing
them from being emitted out of the cooking
chamber.
– The turntable ensures that the microwaves
are distributed evenly to the food.
– The microwave’s power can be set to vari-
ous levels.
– The appliance switches off
– after the selected time has elapsed,
– when opening the cooking chamber
door (1).
Applications
The appliance is ideally suited to defrosting
smaller portions as well as the preparation of:
– Stews, soups, sauces
– Meat without crusts
– Steamed fish
– Vegetables
– Side dishes (rice, boiled potatoes, some
pasta)
– Hot drinks
Information about microwaves
