Foo - Do you guys use microwaves?

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?

I use mine every day, and don't have cancer yet

Why do you think they are unhealthy? They just heat up water and fat molecules in food.

My wife and I are the only people we know who have never had a microwave oven. We do use them at work for our lunches, but never seen a need for one in the home.

Why do you think they are unhealthy? They just heat up water and fat molecules in food.
how they do that is what makes me question the safey of such a device

We're already exposed to microwaves EVERYWHERE, so avoiding microwave ovens for health reasons makes absolutely no sense.

In any case, we're all gonna die anyway.

My wife and I are the only people we know who have never had a microwave oven. We do use them at work for our lunches, but never seen a need for one in the home.

Never wanted to boil water in 100 seconds?
Never wanted a cheese quesadilla in 45 seconds?
Never had a leftover chunk of meatloaf to warm up?

... Just a few reasons to use one at home. For me anyway. I'm impatient mostly.

And yeah, any bias against microwaves is pretty much unfounded. If somebody really wants to believe they're no good, I won't argue. But I've seen no reason to avoid them.

Somebody was telling me about how you chemically alter meat and vegetables when you microwave them. But... um... you do the same when you cook them on the stove top.

My wife and I are the only people we know who have never had a microwave oven. We do use them at work for our lunches, but never seen a need for one in the home.

They regenerate the goodness of Chinese take out and Mexican leftovers to their original quality. Hell, sometimes even better.

I use macrowaves. Bigger and more badass.

Is this a 1980 flashback thread?

Don't microwave your head or run it with your face pressed against the glass.

It was getting too close to a M.Wave while it was operating that spawned the rumors. There's no evidence of latent, lingering radiatio in the food itself.. FACT

My sisters, both of them had other but equally mis-guided notions pertainig to a M.wave's rendering of food less nutricious, another theory debunked. To the contrary, less vitamins are diminished in M.Waves than boiling for instance. Studies can be found on the net. All they do is heat-up the water molecules from within.

somebody else was trying to debunk microwaves, talking about the 'vibratory frequency' of the food -- properly cooked was above a healthy threshold, micro food was not -- f'n kevin trudeau is an idiot.

My wife and I are the only people we know who have never had a microwave oven. We do use them at work for our lunches, but never seen a need for one in the home.

Sure, if you aren't interested in heating food quickly, with minimum energy usage, then there is no need for on in the home.:twitchy:

Never wanted to boil water in 100 seconds?
Never wanted a cheese quesadilla in 45 seconds?
Never had a leftover chunk of meatloaf to warm up?


Nope to all of the above, at least while I'm at home. I can spend a few more minutes cooking or reheating meals at home, and still accomplish other things at the same time. Plus, out of all of the best meals I've ever eaten, exactly none of them came out of a microwave. To each their own I suppose.

We had a second hand convection oven/microwave when we first married, but haven't had one since.

We hardly ever have leftovers (I eat too much or take it to work), don't have takeout much either - and if we do, it is because we're out too, so it gets eaten then. It doesn't really speed things up when you're cooking from scratch.

About the only thing my wife misses is microwave popcorn - which is probably a good thing :)

We're already exposed to microwaves EVERYWHERE, so avoiding microwave ovens for health reasons makes absolutely no sense.

In any case, we're all gonna die anyway.

egggzacitally.....you probably get far more exposure when out in the sunlight.

Marge: Your meatloaf will be ready in eight seconds, Homer.
Homer: D'oh! Isn't there anything faster than a microwave?
(Homer watches dinner cook)
Homer: Four… three… two… one… Bing! We have meatloaf!

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?
What does your common sense say?

Oops, sorry, forgot this isn't the road forum.

Classic Simpsons!

skijor you must've seen Zombieland :). I HAD to have a pack of twinkies last night...


Marge: Your meatloaf will be ready in eight seconds, Homer.
Homer: D'oh! Isn't there anything faster than a microwave?
(Homer watches dinner cook)
Homer: Four… three… two… one… Bing! We have meatloaf!

I do not own a microwave. I reheat things in the oven or on the stove if necessary. I've been without one for 3 months and have not found a single instance where I said "I wish I had a microwave".

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?

Do you have a Cell phone?
Wireless internet?
Cordless phone?

They all operate in the microwave frequency range.

Not to mention microwaves that are buzzing all around you, pretty much everywhere, for phone and business communications, airport radars, police radar guns, etc etc etc.

How do you avoid them? Dig a deep hole in the ground and build yourself a house there and don't come out. Though... I'm not even sure that'll keep you from them.

how they do that is what makes me question the safey of such a device
I'm concerned about that yellow ball in the sky. It makes me feel hot even though it's over 90 million miles away. It also blasts me with radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. That just can't be good.

I love microwave ovens. so easy to operate over a conventional oven.

I love microwave ovens. so easy to operate over a conventional oven.
Microwaves generally have far more buttons, settings, and controls than a conventional oven. Do they even make dial microwaves anymore?

Microwaves generally have far more buttons, settings, and controls than a conventional oven. Do they even make dial microwaves anymore?

yes, they do. Apparently my employer thanks a simple turn knob is all the employees can handle. Not even a power setting option.

Just make sure any plastic vessels you use are microwave safe. Don't take your leftovers to work in a margarine tub and nuke it at work; nasty chemicals will leach into your food. I wouldn't worry about the device itself harming you, however.

I have a microwave at my shop, but not at home where space is limited and I typically have enough time to use the oven or stove.

The only complicated thing about microwaves is adjusting to a new one. As soon as I find the Minute Plus button, I'm ready to roll. Single button operation rules. Then I have to learn the optimum Michellinas zapping time. For my current Microwave, It's 3:44.

Microwaves generally have far more buttons, settings, and controls than a conventional oven. Do they even make dial microwaves anymore?

set oven temp, start. once it reaches desired temp it beeps. put your food in, count down the time until it's supposed to be ready.

They are fine as long as you stay on the outside.

I had a girlfriend once who yelled at her mother for using their broken microwave with the door open. So her mother opened the kitchen door to let the radiation out. :roflmao2:

We're already exposed to microwaves EVERYWHERE, so avoiding microwave ovens for health reasons makes absolutely no sense.

In any case, we're all gonna die anyway.

c'mon Nek, Death is constantly on our asses, why make his life?/death? easier? :)
Don't get me wrong I use ours a lot! I just leave the room when I press the start button! :lol:

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?

I blame the schools. Say what you want about the Cold War, but at least it led to emphasizing science education. Now that Nikita is no longer pounding his shoe at the UN, look at where science education is now.

how they do that is what makes me question the safey of such a device

FYI, the screen you are using to read the message is emitting lots and lots of electromagnetic radiation. Much of it in the 790 to 400 terahertz range. Oh the noes!

Microwaves generally have far more buttons, settings, and controls than a conventional oven. Do they even make dial microwaves anymore?

http://images.lowes.com/product/084691/084691125570.jpg
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=169473-83-SCA1001KSS&lpage=none

Now see..Microwaves are fine. But I think Convection Ovens are AWESOME! (I wish I had one)

Microwaves generally have far more buttons, settings, and controls than a conventional oven. Do they even make dial microwaves anymore?

The problem isn't the number of buttons, settings, and controls. The problem is that every single brand of microwave has different controls for even most basic functions. Sometimes even different models of the same brand are radically different.

I almost prefer the dial type because it's so much harder for the designers to complicate the operation of a dial compared to have 20+ buttons, half of which do different things depending on the order in which you push them.

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?

What you mean is you have no idea how a microwave actually works so it's akin to black magic to you, which you are instinctually suspicious of, so you think it may be harmful.

Use the power of the internets to banish your ignorance: http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm

Microwaves are perfectly safe when used properly (e.g. use microwave safe containers and don't put metal in them.)

For the record, microwaves do not emit any radiation through the window in the front. If you look closely, you will see a wire mesh on the inside of the glass. The holes in this mesh are smaller than the wavelength of the microwaves, so they cannot pass through the mesh. There is no need to leave the room when one is running, and watching your food cook through the window is perfectly safe.

But please, don't try to dry out your cat using one.

But please, don't try to dry out your cat using one.

NOW you tell me.:(

Something else not to do is try to heat a jar of marshmallow cream.
My klutzy roommate learned that the hard way.:mad:

Went without a microwave for almost a year and did not miss it all that much and now that I have one it does not see a lot of use... it is great for making the morning oatmeal, gets used for veggies, and warms up leftovers.

Popcorn needs to be made on the stovetop.

Microwave popcorn isn't even food.

OP, I'm with you. I just wear a tin foil hat to keep them outta my head.

We never unpacked our microwave after we moved into our current house, about four years ago. About the only thing we used it for was baked potatoes and squash -- everything else comes out tastier and more thoroughly heated in the oven or toaster.

We use a kettle for hot water, and make popcorn on the stove.

I really can't say I miss it. I understand how the technology works, I don't have any tinfoil-hat theories about the radiation being unsafe, but I just don't really see the need.

Popcorn needs to be made on the stovetop.

Microwave popcorn isn't even food.

Air popped FTW. :p

I avoid Microwave ovens. I believe that food cooked in a microwave oven isn't as healthy for you as food prepared in traditional ways.

Here's an interesting article, http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

In this article they debunk the sentiment that you get microwaves from many sources including the sun. Microwaves from the sun are DC. Microwaves from an oven are AC and this is an important difference.

Talking personally I remember when we first had microwave ovens back in the early 80's and the healthiness of microwave cooked food wasn't in question but it just tasted HORRIBLE to me. Later on in the 90's I did cook a lot of food in a microwave oven for the sake of convenience and in hindsight I was VERY ill back in the 90's. I cant say that the microwave oven caused this but I do believe that the lack of nutrients in microwave cooked food wasn't doing me any favors.

I did put a microwave oven to good use for a while decontaminating my cotton clothes but from endemic candida you have to be careful here. Its easy to burn them.

Anthony

Here's an interesting article, http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm


Sorry, but there is too much b*llsh*t in that article to even try to address it all.:twitchy:

My wife and I are the only people we know who have never had a microwave oven. We do use them at work for our lunches, but never seen a need for one in the home.

My wife and I don't either... :)

...and also not because of health reasons. We just don't want a noisy box cluttering up the kitchen counters.

Here's an interesting article, http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

Interesting perhaps if you stopped studying science at 5th grade. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/03/23/1597903.htm addresses some of the rubbish in the above article.

Sorry, but there is too much b*llsh*t in that article to even try to address it all.:twitchy:

Thats OK, pick just one point and quote references.

Anthony

I'm not a scientist, nor do I have any evidence proving that microwaves are unhealthy, but my 6th sence tells me to avoid them.

thoughts?
Scientific American once ran an article advocating the possible use of microwaves for more efficient home heating. No need to heat the whole house and furnishings if all you really need to keep warm are the people and pets inside.

This is no longer thought to be a good application for the technology. Which use did you have in mind?

Interesting perhaps if you stopped studying science at 5th grade. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/03/23/1597903.htm addresses some of the rubbish in the above article.

I read that article. The biggest gripe against the studies is that they weren't peer reviewed. Well, get reviewing them. Studies like these are just the beginning. There have to be large studies out there proving the safety of microwave ovens doesn't there? When they claimed positive benefits of microwave ovens they themselves gave NO references.

Anthony

Like any kitchen appliance, a microwave does some jobs better than others. Like:
Reheat Coffee
Warm cooked meat.
Heat canned soup.
Make quick Nachos.
Thaw frozen stuff (if you are careful)
Reheat biscuits.
Etc (basically reheat)

I read that article. The biggest gripe against the studies is that they weren't peer reviewed. Well, get reviewing them.If the studies are worth anything they will have been reviewed by experts in the field. The biggest gripe against the 'studies' was that they were poorly done.


Studies like these are just the beginning. There have to be large studies out there proving the safety of microwave ovens doesn't there? When they claimed positive benefits of microwave ovens they themselves gave NO references.Just the beginning?? Microwave ovens have been around for 50 yrs. How long do you think they need to study them? The positive benefits of microwave ovens are that they heat up food economically and quickly. You don't need a peer reviewed study to figure that out.