HOW A MICROWAVE WORKS
Discover the ways microwaves work hard to deliver hot food fast.
Model shown: YMMV1175JZ
MICROWAVES COOK FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Microwaves get their name from their function: creating electromagnetic rays, like radio waves, that cook food. Rays are generated by a device called a magnetron and bounce off the oven’s walls. They’re absorbed by the water, sugar and fat in food, exciting molecules and creating heat.
Conventional ovens, on the other hand, cook from the outside in, migrating heat by conduction from the outside of the food toward the middle.
HOW MICROWAVE COOK SETTINGS WORK
Sensor Cooking
Microwave sensor cooking adjusts to your dinner with ideal time and power settings. A sensor in the microwave oven detects moisture released from food as it heats, and adjusts the cooking time accordingly.
Convection Cooking
Convection cooking is similar to baking in a conventional oven. A heating element heats the air and a fan circulates it around food. Some microwaves have a “combination” setting that alternates between convection and traditional microwave cooking, combining the benefits of outside-in and inside-out cooking.
TOP-DOWN HEAT
Some microwaves offer a kind of broiler-like, top-down heat for browning and crisping, bringing the benefits of a traditional oven to the microwave.
LOW HEAT FOR KEEPING FOOD WARM
Keep Warm settings use a heating element or the magnetron to keep finished dishes warm and ready to eat.
Model shown: YMMV1175JZ
MICROWAVES BUILT TO DO MORE
Many newer microwaves are expanding on how a microwave traditionally works. Maytag® microwaves with the Dual Crisp feature combine top-down heat from a crisp element with microwave cooking power to crisp up leftovers and frozen food.1
MORE ON MICROWAVES AND COOKING METHODS
Find out what to consider when shopping for your next microwave.
See what Maytag has to offer and zero in on the right microwave for you.
Learn about the benefits of cooking with either convection or conventional.
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1. Degree of crisp will vary depending on food thickness and type.
