Microwave ovens operate in a totally different way to the conventional type of oven. The food within the microwave which requires cooking or heating, is bombarded with electromagnetic waves. This induces vibrations of the water molecules which make up the foods bulk. In turn, these vibrations generate heat which penetrates through the whole food mass and cause the food to cook more rapidly than in an ordinary oven.
The component which creates the microwaves is called the magnetron. The microwaves are then transmitted along a wave-guide to the microwave circulator. As the name indicates, the microwave circulator presents a constant distribution of waves around the oven. The turn-table within the microwave rotates at a slow speed, allowing the food to be cooked evenly. Another important component which also assists in the cooking of the food is the convector fan. This ensures that the hot air circulating within the oven during cooking is distributed equally to all areas in the oven and can cook the food evenly.
Due to the fact that microwave ovens do not `brown' foodstuffs, ie. meat remains red, models have been developed which combine both microwave and conventional ovens in one unit.
