"microwave" news and stories

Happy Microwave Oven Day!

Pioneered in 1946, the microwave oven was yet another "accidental" discovery of sorts -- Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer happened to walk by a microwave tube and notice that a candy bar in his pocket had melted, spurring him to research its power to cook food. Officially named the Radarange (but comically dubbed the "Speedie Weenie," for its ability to heat hot dogs in a flash), the first microwave oven weighed a whopping 670 pounds and stood nearly five feet tall -- hardly appropriate for household use. A microwave oven suited for home consumption didn't hit the market until 1955, but by 1976 the invention was used in 60% of American homes.

According to one research company, microwave ovens cook 22.5% of main meals in the U.S. today. In light of the economic downturn, more and more Americans are eating at home -- and it's no surprise microwave use is on the rise.

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King Krinkz

One fast food chain won't even make you get in the car to enjoy fried fare.

Burger King announced Tuesday that it is teaming up with ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston to launch a line of microwaveable Burger King-branded crinkle-cut french fries nationwide this fall. It seems now, you can "have it your way" in the comfort of your own home.

Burger King's microwaveable seasoned crinkle-cut fries, dubbed "King Krinkz" will be the first product in the line to hit stores, including Wal-Mart, in early September. King Kolossalz extra-large crinkle-cut fries and King Wedgez seasoned potato wedges will be released shortly after the King Krinkz hit stores.

A curious thing happened Tuesday in New York City. A Michelin-starred chef fiddled with a microwave.

It might not be considered so odd as the chef in question was culinary experimenter Wylie Dufresne, who took to the dining room of his restaurant, WD-50, to make an egg dish with a microwave.

"I think microwaves are pretty neat," Dufresne said before his demonstration. The chef uses three standard microwaves in his kitchen and has been testing out this new model for the last three weeks.

"We realized we could poach in the microwave," he said. But it takes time ... 29 minutes to be precise.

Hear how he uses metal in the microwave after the jump.

My mom likes to tell stories about how, when she was pregnant, she would always put her food in the microwave, press the "start" button, and run away as fast as she could so as to not irradiate the fetus.

Of course microwaves do not actually irradiate anything (even my mom knew that, on a rational level), but a lot of people still consider them vaguely evil. At the very least they don't enjoy the best reputation for producing healthy or delicious food.

But they may be better for the environment, at least in certain circumstances. As an interesting Slate story found, using a microwave for cooking small portions is much more energy efficient than using an oven. Making a single baked potato in an oven took 9.5 times as much energy as it did in a microwave; making four portions of baked potato in a microwave took 2.5 times the energy. The efficiency ratios are skewed depending on whether you have a gas or electric oven -- gas ovens produce fewer carbon emissions per units of heat than electric ovens.

Good to know, though until they make microwaves that can brown the top of a half-eaten casserole, I'm going to have to stick to my oven for certain reheating jobs.

How often do you use your microwave versus your oven?

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Great news! Here's a kitchen gadget everyone can afford. Your popcorn just got way more awesome.

The Nordic Ware Microwave Corn Popper comes highly recommended by my very practical friend Shannon, who reports that it's really fast, doesn't need oil, and is a snap to clean. Sounds good to me!

This thing is $8.99 from The Kitchen Store, and microwave and dishwasher safe. You just put in the corn, put it in the microwave, and perfect, fluffy popcorn comes out. It's a stroke of Nordic genius.

I only wish it were pretty, so I could pass it off as a holiday gift. Guess I'll just have to get one for myself!

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