Michael Siemon wrote:
> In article >,
> Bob Pastorio > wrote:
>=20
>=20
>>TonyP wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 18:38:01 -0400, Bob Pastorio wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Dan Abel wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>In article <hW%kb.597876$Oz4.596500@rwcrnsc54>, Julia Altshuler
> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Microwave ovens cook from the inside out.
>>>>>
>>>>>But this one is true! It may be over-simplified, but, in comparison=
to
>>>>>regular ovens, which heat only from the outside, microwaves penetrat=
e the
>>>>>food and heat it from the inside also.
>>>>
>>>>Not really. Microwaves are energy sources and, as such, need to=20
>>>>penetrate from the outside. They do penetrate more deeply (in meats, =

>>>>no more than about 1 1/2 inches) than radiant heat or convected heat =

>>>>in conventional cooking sources.
>>>>
>>>>It means that they're heating a bit under the surface simultaneously =

>>>>as the surface. But there's still more energy at the surface.
>>>>
>>>>Pastorio
>>>
>>>
>>>Come on, if your really interested do some reasearch. The blind leadi=
ng
>>>the blind here. Microwaves concentrate on the water content. That's w=
hy
>>>the ends of your frozen burrito is 5X hotter than the center (all that=

>>>folded tortilla). Ever notice when you nuke bread or a bagel the heat =
is
>>>even through out? No hot spots to speak of, it's because the
>>>bread has about the same moisture content throughout. Put a hotdog on=
a
>>>bun and nuke it, you'll have a toasted (or mushy, ****ing hot) bun bef=
ore
>>>the hotdog is even warm, it's because the moisture (WATER) content is
>>>higher in the bread.
>>>=20
>>>Damn I'm buzzed tonight.
>>
>>It sounds like it. Lousy physics.
>=20
>=20
> Sez who? Microwaves are just photons, bouncing around in the oven until=

> absorbed. I believe that, whatever the state of the buzzed poster, the
> frequency (or distribution of frequencies) in a microwave oven _is_, in=

> fact, designed for the absorption spectrum of water. Other stuff (anima=
l
> and vegetable tissue...) will also absorb some of the photons (and heat=

> up accordingly), but the bulk of the heating does (IIRC) come from
> absorption by water.

Then why the caveats about putting metals in the mike? Why and how do=20
browning trays work?

Waves, photons...

Here's an article I wrote a while back about microwaves.

Microwave mysteries exposed

Here's one of the new, persistent falsehoods - microwaves cook from=20
the inside out.
That's just plain wrong. Period. Not my opinion, here; the laws of=20
physics.
Microwave energy has to pass through the outside of food before it=20
can get to the inside, just like any other kind of energy and the=20
normal penetration is between 3/4 and 1 =BD inches. No more. Don't=20
believe me? Try this. Put a five-pound beef roast in the mike and=20
fire it up. After about five minutes, pull it out, cut it in half and=20
feel the cut surface. Here's what you'll find: the outside is hot=20
and the center is still cold.
So, what are these microwaves, anyway? This is a small joke... a=20
microwave is a really, really tiny shake of a hand. A micro-wave, get=20
it (elbow in the ribs), get it? I said the joke was small.
So, what are these microwaves, anyway? Here's an oversimplified=20
explanation. Textbooks on physics say that "microwaves" are very=20
short waves of electromagnetic energy. Short compared to what? The=20
light of the sun or radio waves, both of which are also=20
electromagnetic energy. Those tall radio station transmitter towers=20
we see around the area send out invisible waves that your radio=20
converts to sound. (Don't ask!) Radio waves range from about three=20
feet to several miles long. When you listen to Jim Britt and me on=20
WSVA tomorrow (10 to noon), the waves coming to your radio will be=20
about 1,800 feet long. Microwaves are less than five inches long -=20
4.81 inches, about. Microwave ovens have transmitters, too, except=20
they're enclosed and contained by the cabinetry of the oven.
The oven creates an energy field that alternates between positive and=20
negative poles. Remember those magnets in school? These changes in=20
polarity very slightly move the positive and negative particles in=20
food. Engineers say the molecules are 'excited'. Here's the real=20
deal - 2,450,000,000 times a second these waves switch back and forth=20
between the poles. This makes the molecules of food vibrate and bump=20
into each other and the vibration causes heat. Two and a half billion=20
times a second! The places where the waves have penetrated get hot=20
first and by conduction the other parts of the food get hot, too.=20
Conduction is how the traditional cooking methods work. In your=20
broiler, you heat the outside of a steak and the heat is carried=20
(conducted) through the meat to the center. Same with microwaves -=20
with the one condition that, misunderstood, may have helped create the=20
error mentioned at the beginning of the article. Where the microwaves=20
penetrate food, there is heating going on both at and right under the=20
surface at the same time.
Let's get away from all this theory. A microwave oven is another=20
kitchen tool. That's all. Like all tools, it was designed to=20
properly perform a certain series of tasks.
Like all other tools, people use them for other things as well. Most=20
uses not endorsed by the manufacturers make me nervous and I=20
specifically recommend against them. This is an appliance with the=20
very real possibility of hazard if used unwisely. We've all heard=20
stories about someone doing something stupid in the microwave -=20
ranging from the relatively harmless (if messy) exploding of an egg or=20
a plate of beans (took me forever to clean up) to gruesome stories of=20
someone trying to dry a freshly washed cat or dog. The food ones=20
sound believable; the others stretch the old imagination and make me=20
shudder. Here's my position - I don't ever want anyone who thought=20
that drying a dog in a microwave was a good idea to tell me about it.=20
Or anything else. Anybody that stupid should only be permitted to=20
eat with rubber utensils.
Like all tools, there are opportunities and limits with microwave=20
ovens. The first and most important limit is that it needs a cook to=20
attend it. On the face of it, this would seem obvious, but watching=20
people use them tells you it isn't. People set the timer to run for=20
some amount of time and then stand there waiting for it to finish as=20
though the time were ordained in heaven. As though you can't even=20
open the door to look at what's going on until the bell rings or that=20
obnoxious buzzer runs its fingernails down your personal blackboard.=20
As though the manufacturers of convenience foods designed their=20
products for your house only. Think of the timer as an on-off switch=20
instead. If you want to know what's going on, stop it and look. It's=20
your machine; do it. Somewhat off the subject but fascinating - have=20
you ever watched someone rush over to a ringing phone and wait for the=20
ring to end before picking it up. What's going on here? Huh?
One big limit to our getting maximum benefit from our mikes is what=20
we want to believe. I've had people tell me they could taste the=20
difference between teas and coffees made with micro-heated water and=20
stovetop heated water. Right. And this bottle of wine is an amusing=20
example of a presumptuous upstart with good lineage, an attitude=20
problem and the clear scent of Wyoming boysenberries. Hey, really?=20
You can taste the difference?
Another limit is to think it's an oven, someplace to roast,=20
because it looks like one. Appearances can be deceiving.=20
Essentially, what you have is a giant steamer. It's a 'moist' cooking=20
process as opposed to the 'dry' cooking that takes place in the gas or=20
electric oven in your stove. That's why baked potatoes don't have a=20
crisp skin when they're cooked in the mike. It's not bad, just different=
=2E
Here's the other major microwave issue. Not all microwaves are=20
alike. I don't mean the cabinetry or the bells and whistles. I mean=20
the workings. Some put out more power than others. I have a 1,400=20
watt commercial unit. Little more powerful than your average home=20
unit. Boils a cup of water in 30 seconds. But it even gets more=20
complicated than that. The voltage of your house determines how fast=20
and consistently you'll cook. The voltage will differ depending on=20
which power company provides your electricity. It will also change=20
depending on time of year, time of day and other Murphy's Law=20
variables. Not only will your mike not cook like everybody else's, it=20
won't even cook like yours - all the time.

Here are a dozen microwave considerations -
* Like all cooking processes, you need to supervise it, check on=20
things, see how it's going. Like all cooking processes, whether they=20
involve roasting, skillets, charcoal or anything. Some things need to=20
be rotated. Everything needs to be looked at periodically.
* Big pieces take longer than small pieces. A beef roast will take=20
longer than the same weight of beef cubes. And one needs to be=20
turned, the other needs to be stirred.
* Small amounts cook faster than large amounts. Sounds obvious,=20
doesn't it? Two potatoes take almost twice as long as one. Except,=20
in a conventional oven, one or 10 potatoes bake in the same amount of=20
time, don't they? Yes.
* Dense foods take longer than airy ones. Cake heats faster than a=20
potato. Now, let me halfway contradict myself: meat with bones cooks=20
faster than boneless cuts, but boneless cooks more evenly. Bone=20
conducts heat faster than meat. Same with fat: the more fat the=20
faster it cooks.
* Moist foods cook faster than dry foods. We're talking about the=20
contents of the food, not the surface. Microwaves excite water, sugar=20
and some fats better than anything.
* Foods at room temperature cook faster than chilled or frozen foods.=20
Another obvious one. When the frozen entree says a total of 10=20
minutes and the fresh equivalent would only take 5 or 6 minutes, it=20
isn't a mistake. First you thaw, then cooking starts. Microwaves=20
don't do much to ice; they work a whole lot better with water.
* Round shapes of food and containers cook more evenly than square or=20
rectangular. With squares, more energy gets to the corners and that=20
may overcook them. For a solution, keep reading.
* Tall foods (whole chickens, roasts, etc.) might need to be shielded=20
or turned. This is one you don't hear about but makes sense when you=20
think about it. The energy comes through a hole in the top of the=20
oven. The closer anything is to the hole, the more energy it will=20
get. And the more quickly and unevenly it will cook.
* The same food cooked in two different casserole-type dishes will=20
cook faster in a shallow, wide one than a deep, narrow one. It's=20
simply a matter of how much surface area is exposed; wide lets more=20
surface show. Sloping sided casseroles may cause food to burn because=20
the food at the top parts of the side is thinner than the food in the=20
middle of the plate. Use straight sided, round, shallow dishes for=20
the best situation.
* Here's where we bump into another microwave misconception. You can=20
shield parts of what you're cooking by covering with foil because=20
microwaves don't penetrate metals. Stop shouting. You can (and there=20
are occasions when you want to) put metal in your mike; you just have=20
to know how. Think about this for a minute. Did your mike come with=20
a probe? What do you think it's made of? Right, metal and plastic.=20
The walls are metal and so are some parts of the turntable. Here are=20
the rules for using aluminum foil in your oven: 1. Keep it at least an=20
inch away from the walls and other pieces of foil to prevent sparking=20
(arcing). 2. Have at least the equivalent of a cup of food in the=20
oven when there's foil in it. 3. No gold or silver - utensils or=20
plate rims. It makes some of the prettiest fireworks right there in=20
the oven. Now, back to the food. Put a strip of foil down the center=20
of a chicken breast, covering the keel bone. It slows the cooking at=20
the bone and prevents overcooking the delicate breast meat. The strip=20
of foil should be about an inch and a half wide. Wrap a small piece=20
around the narrow end of a chicken leg and around wing tips. The legs=20
and wings look prettier when they're done. Put foil pieces on the=20
outside of the narrow ends of glass loaf pans when baking quick breads=20
or cakes. Protects against too-fast cooking. Same with corners on=20
square glass cake pans - just wrap/drape a piece of foil around each=20
corner. In every case, remove near the end of cooking.
* To test any of your plates to see if they're microwave-safe, put=20
them (one at a time) into the mike alongside a cup or two of water in=20
a glass or plastic measuring cup. Run the oven for a minute or so.=20
Very carefully, feel the plate. If it's hot or even warm, don't use=20
it in the mike. Cool means it's ok.

Microwave ovens are wonderful tools but they need to be treated like=20
our other kitchen helpers. Exactly. Each tool in its place and with=20
a specific purpose. Don't ask about the "papier-mache' for the school=20
project" incident with the Cuisinart. Right. Just like in real life.
You know somebody will try to soften too-hard modeling clay in it.=20
Or dry the paint on a model airplane. And maybe they'll have their=20
own personal meltdown in their very own kitchen. Still, maybe=20
somebody will find a way to dry flowers in it or dehydrate some of=20
this summer's tomatoes...

> <http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/June96/iftdatta.bpf.html>

Pastorio