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The Microwave: Friend or Foe?

by Matthew Zuras on April 28, 2010 at 01:14 PM

Microwaves! According to statistics, almost all of us has one. In fact, Americans used their microwaves to cook 47 billion meals last year, which is roughly 1.1 meals-per-household every day. Next to televisions, computers and cell phones, microwave ovens may be one of the most often-used devices in the country -- and they don't even connect to Twitter (although this one has YouTube).

And yet, we have a love-hate relationship with our microwaves. The science behind them is esoteric; we had, after all, spent the entirety of human civilization cooking our food with fire before they came about. And, with the speedy ovens, the results are always mixed; our meals seem to turn out parched and rubbery, the flavors muted.

So how the hell do these contraptions work, and can they ever be made to cook good food? Follow us along this microwaved trail, and we'll explain how to best use your radiation box.


Tags: cooking, dangerous, features, kitchen, kitchen tech, KitchenTech, magnetron, microwave, microwaves, microwaving, switchedcooks, top, vitamins

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