Microwave ovens

[chefdiva]

My mom won't have a microwave oven in the house because she feels they are dangerous. How do you know your microwave is not leaking radiation into your house? Also, I've heard that when you nuke (a word that makes me uncomfortable) your food, you kill all the vitamins. How do you feel about microwave ovens?

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

Those thoughts have all been put to bed by top officials.

I DO have a microwave oven leak detector that I use from time to time to make sure that no
radiation is leaking from the oven.

I once had one that came on when the door was opened. The one that I have now replaces that one.

[CanMan]

OSH Answers: Microwave Ovens and their Hazards

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I use my nukro-wave mainly for re-heating leftovers, melting butter & chocolate, and making popcorn. Lotsa folks even actually "cook" in them- and more power to them!

Micro-waves are no longer a new gadget. They've been around for 30 years or more. The whole nervousness-thang about them may have been warranted when they were new and first came out- but show me an article that tells of ONE victim dying in a kitchen after micro-wave oven radiation poisoning incident, and I'll eat my hat! (of course- after I heat it up in the microwave!)

[Mama Mangia]

No microwaves in mama's house - nope - nada - never.

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

I think that the only way a person can hurt himself or herself is to try to remove the cabinet from the unit to gain access to the inner workings or machinery, and that could be POTENTIALLY DEADLY!!

There is very SERIOUS high voltage inside there!! You might just as well go to the subway station and step on the third rail!!! Not that you would, but you know what I mean.

[mrsjimmyp]

I have one but use it only to heat things up or melt things.

[Big Daddy's Kitchen]

That's mostly what I use mine for.

But it's also great for steaming veggies as well!

[jglass]

I use mine to reheat leftovers and make popcorn.

[KYHeirloomer]

I don't even use mine for popcorn. Seems to me it comes out dry and crumbly when cooked that way.

Mine is used for defrosting frozen stuff, reheating leftovers, melting butter. And as an insulated box for keeping stove-cooked things warm (that is, the nuke isn't turned on).

I can't imagine cooking in one of them. All you're doing, actually, is steaming the food. That might work for some veggies (having never done it I'm guessing). But actually cooking something? I don't think so.