The Advantages Of Microwaves - Electrolux EMT38409AX Instruction Manual

6 ENGLISH

THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROWAVES

In conventional ovens, heat radiated
by electrical elements or gas burners
slowly penetrates the food from
outside to inside. On account of this
there is a major amount of energy is
wasted heating the air, the oven
components and the food containers.
In a microwave oven, heat is
generated by the food itself and the
heat travels from inside to outside. No
heat is lost to the air, the walls of the
oven cavity or the dishes and
containers (if these are suitable for use
in microwave oven), in other words,
only the food is heated.
Microwave ovens have the following
advantages:
Shorter cooking times; in general
these are up to 3/4 less than the time
required for conventional cooking.
Ultra-fast food defrosting thus
reduces the danger of bacterial
development.
Energy savings.
Conservation of the nutritional value
of foods due to the shorter cooking
times.
Easy to clean.
How a microwave oven works?
In a microwave oven there is a high
tension valve called a magnetron
which converts electrical energy into
microwave energy. These
electromagnetic waves are channelled
to the interior of the oven through a
wave guide and distributed by a
metallic spreader or through a
turntable.
Inside the oven the microwaves
propagate in all directions and are
reflected by the metal walls, uniformly
penetrating the food.
Why food heats up
Most foods contain water and water
molecules vibrate when subjected to
microwaves.
The friction between molecules
produces heat which raises the
temperature of the food, defrosting it,
cooking it or keeping it hot.
Since the heat arises inside the food:
This can be cooked with little or no
liquid or fats/oils;
Defrosting, heating or cooking in a
microwave oven is quicker than in a
conventional oven;
The vitamins, minerals and
nutritional substances in the food are
conserved;
The natural colour and aroma of the
food are unchanged.
Microwaves pass through china, glass,
cardboard or plastic but do not go
through metal. For this reason, metal
containers or ones with metal parts
must not be used in a microwave
oven.
Microwaves are reflected by metal...
... but go through glass and china...
... and are absorbed by foods.