Scientist Percy Spencer was conducting research on radar and performing some tests on a new vacuum tube, he noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted.

When he realized, he placed in front of the magnetron some corn seeds that after a few moments turned into popcorn.

In a few years, microwave ovens became very popular in homes without the users necessarily knowing how they work.

These ovens operate thanks to electromagnetic waves produced by a magnetron. These waves collide with the water molecules inside the foods making them vibrate and increase their temperature. This heat is transmitted by conduction to the adjoining molecules until the food is heated.

Once the microwave oven door is closed and put into operation, the magnetron generates waves that propagate in all directions and bounce off the oven walls to reach different parts of the food and cook it from all angles.

The internal plate rotation system also helps the food to receive waves evenly.

The main difference with a conventional oven is the rate at which this temperature change occurs. This also results in a faster cooking.

Another difference is that the device is designed so that the waves are only absorbed by food so many special containers for microwave ovens are only heated by contact with food and not by the effect of waves.

This is why we must be very careful with the objects that are put into the oven, as we will see later.

Broccoli. A study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli after cooking in microwaves with a little water lost up to 97% of its antioxidants.

Liquids. Take special care with liquids because they follow a different process than when boiled regularly. Even sometimes you can drink and see that the water is not as hot as we imagine but when taking a couple of turns with the spoon is magically at the perfect temperature. If a liquid is very hot, be very careful how you handle it because all the liquid content can jump burning your arms and face. I leave you a video that shows you how it happens:

Always introduce food along with a bowl of water. In this way, the heat produced does not focus only on the food and the water that gets evaporated gives a certain effect of steam cooking.

Some special plastics for microwaves and non-metallic materials (such as glass or wood) are not affected by the furnace waves and are not heated. That's why it's always best to avoid normal plastics (which are toxic and could melt) and use containers designed for microwaves.

Follow the instructions. Both the product on how the microwave oven is used and what to prevent to prevent deterioration, as well as the recipes that indicate a temperature and a certain time (the already known: in frying pan ten minutes and microwave oven five ).

Watch out for burns. Many times we spend the time necessary to cook or heat food so it is very important to take care when removing it from the microwave oven. Remember that in a traditional oven you notice the heat when you approach, which is not the case with a microwave so it gives the feeling that the container is not hot.

Never use abrasive substances or detergents when cleaning because these substances can deteriorate the operation of the oven.

When cooking vegetables and fruits we have to watch that the cooking goes in relation to the volume of what we are going to prepare and not the type of food. If we do not follow this advice we only manage to pass the time and the food loses some of its nutrients.

When you have to reheat the food when you get home, it is important to move the food one, two or three times while you warm it so that the food does not cool quickly. It may also help to leave the food an extra minute in the microwave, even when it is not on.

When cooking meat and fish, try not to do it in very large pieces, because it will cost a little more to obtain a uniform cooking in the food. If you do not have another outlet, try to put half the power in the oven and leave the food longer.