Are old microwave ovens built better than the new ones?

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Fri 26 Sep 2008 06:35:01a, AZ Nomad told us...

There are lots of things that I cook at power 2, 3, or 4. I also cook virtually everything covered, so there's no mess in the oven cavity regardless of power setting. However, full power at high wattage is great for quickly bringing liquid based items to a boil, then lowering the setting for longer cooking. Not to mention that the higher the wattage, the better popcorn pops and with virtually no unpopped kernels. This is true whether it's prepackaged m/w popcorn, or using a m/w popcorn popper with regular popcorn, with or without oil. Cooking bacon is no messier at high power than at lower settings.

Today, cooking times for packaged frozen foods are usually calibrated for ovens of 1000-1200 watts. Take a look at the packages. The final product cooks better at the appropriate wattage, rather than having to adjust the timing up to compensate for low power.

We jave 650 watt Amana microwaves in our break room at work. I *hate* cookingin them.

[AZ Nomad]

No shit sherlock.

However if one has to run it at a 50% duty cycle instead of a 70% duty cycle to prevent the food from ending up along the walls of the microwave oven, then the increased power isn't providing the slightest benefit.

[salty]

I don't seem to have those problems, sherlock.

Modern recipes as well as instructions on packaged foods are all based on higher wattage ovens, not what some dopey hermit in the woods uses.

[HeyBub]

I had the same problem until I discovered food-covers.

For example, a lid from a Folger's plastic coffee "can" fits neatly over my soup bowls. An upside-down tupperware bowl fits over saucers. And so on. When the food explodes, bumps, or turns inside-out, the mess ends up on the covering device, not on the MW's walls.

[AZ Nomad]

All irrelevent.

[AZ Nomad]

The the lid pops off, and the food ends up on the tray.

Sorry. I prefer my food in a dish, not scraped off the tray.

Variable power (duty cycle for salty's anal analysis) has been around since the 70's with good reason.

[Ron]

:

Oh good lord, just cover whatever it is with a paper towel...."problem" solved.

[aemeijers]

Chuckle. Not always. This house came with an over-the-stove micro, which I hardly ever use, in favor of my old Samsung. I tried covering a dish with a paper towel once, at a medium power setting, and the paper towel caught on fire.

-- aem sends...

[Ron]

ote:

I've been using paper towels for YRS and have never had one catch on fire. Were you heating up Mexican food? :)

[AZ Nomad]

Bullshit. And what the f*ck problem do you have with the concept of somebody using the variable power setting? Why does using a microwave oven at anything but full power give you such a hernia?

[terry]

Hi there sa......@ dog etc.

And probably way more than I have also, so I will defer to your greater technical/electronic expertise.

But it really does worry when someone who possibly doesn't know DC from AC; the kinda of competent, perhaps, do it yourself person, but who posts on this news group that they are measuring 38 volts using a DMM on a dead wire due to capacitive pickup of AC voltages etc.

And then opens up a 1000 watt microwave (essentially a very high frequency radio transmitter inside a metal box) with DC voltages of up to 5000* volts and ampere capacity of at least 100* milliamps or more (certainly enough to kill somebody) and starts tinkering and exposing themselves to microwave radiation.

Also if they do fix it perhaps not getting the cover back on with those RF sealing edges, and not realising that it matters?

For example: One person said something about getting a few screws to put a microwave cover back on. That's rather like digging around in the garage and putting whatever kind of old engine oil one finds into a perfectly good car motor! Most wouldn't do it eh?

So yes; while I am an older and somewhat out of date (tube era) electronics technician and I've fixed a few m.waves, if my neighbour (who has only a few clues about 'any' electrcity) started messing with his microwave I'd stop him for his own safety.

Safety first? Reference ' * '; that's 43 times the voltage and at least some 3 times the current that GFIs are required to operate for human safety. In other words while most posters are no doubt smart and sensible and apart from microwave radiation (you wouldn't stand in front of a radar!) they can kill you.

So; not preaching just warning. OK?

[terry]

Boy do I agree with Pat (posting #51). terry

[aemeijers]

Don't remember for sure, but probably some sort of canned pasta glop, or chunky soup. It was a corner that lit off, not a grease smudge. Almost like a kitchen match would do.

No, I'm not curious enough to try to recreate it. That damn smoke alarm is LOUD. What would Mexican food have to do with it?

-- aem sends...

[Ron]

WTF is your problem???? I don't give a shit WHAT power setting someone uses. I just merely made a suggestion. I've been using a paper towel for YEARS and have NEVER had to clean the inside of MY microwave, asshole.

[Ron]

Was just joking....Mexican food - hot sauce.

[Dave Martindale]

True of conventional microwave ovens, but not the Panasonic Inverter models. All power settings from 30-100% run the magnetron continuously, but vary some tube operating parameter to adjust the RF output. The 10% and 20% settings are implemented by 1/3 and 2/3 duty cycle at the 30% power level.

I can cook a single egg in an open bowl in the Panasonic at 30% power without it exploding.

Dave

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Fri 26 Sep 2008 10:29:48p, Dave Martindale told us...

I *love* my Panasonic Inverter. I've had my countertop model for about 5 years. When we moved into a new house a year and a half ago, it was equipped with a very nice full-featured over-the-range microwave. I kept the Panasonic since we had plenty of counter space, and I rarely use the other unit unless what I'm cooking calls for full power, or using just the "keep warm" setting, which works quite well.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 9/26/2008 4:38 PM terry spake thus:

Keep in mind that not all of us (in fact, hardly any of us) view this newsgroup through Google Groups, and therefore message numbers mean nothing.

[HeyBub]

That could be you used a paper towel made out of earth-friendly, eco-pure, save-the-whales, GoreGod, recycled materials.

Sometimes there are warnings on these products to NOT use them in a microwave because they contain metal particles. For example, cardboard thrown into the recycle vat often has staples remaining in them. Foil labels and other sources of metal abound.

These metals are ground into undetectable bits and mixed with the good stuff. When the result gets to the microwave, well, there you are.

[hallerb]

once i put a bag of m&Ms that were frozen in our last microwave.

the wrapper had metal min it, brite sparks oven fried.

wouldnt do that again

m&M compaNY SAID THERES METAL IN THE WRAPPER:(