The Microwave: Friend or Foe? (Blog Post #3)

The kitchen is a prime place for family gatherings. Usually, my family comes together in the evening and talk about our day. My parents will make dinner on Sundays and we will eat leftovers from the week on or until they run out. Those leftovers are cooked in our microwave.

Our microwave is a new addition to our family. We recently purchased it after our old, white one decided to stop working. The new one is bigger with a sleeker design. When we first started using it, I thought it was the best thing ever. The black and steel gray colors seem futuristic to me. Like most microwaves, we have multiple settings for different variations of cooking.

However, my favorite setting is for popcorn. I love making popcorn and microwave setting works for how I like to cook it. The microwave fulfills our commands at will. The microwave is our fourth member in the household. Yet, in comparison to my parents, I use the microwaves in subtle different ways then I realize.

My mom and I use the microwave the same way. We are always in the vicinity waiting for our food. I like to walk around the first floor of the house while waiting eagerly for the blaring sound of the microwave. However, my mom likes her food scorching so after the clock stops, she pulls the plate with the food, eats a little bit of the plate, and if her meal is a tad bit cold, she places the food back in the microwave. Sometimes, I stop it at 30 second intervals to see if it is hot already. Similar to Goldilocks, I like the temperature of my food to be just right. I take for granted by how much our microwave is very essential to the life of my family. I wonder how many ways can the microwave be improved to benefit our lives even more.

For starters, the design could be a lot smaller. Microwaves take up too much space. I think that it would be more efficient if you could make a smaller microwave with a lot of power similar to many of the other technologies that exist today such as cellphones, laptops, and tablets. If compact microwaves existed, that would be amazing. Imagine being able to pull out a portable microwave whenever you can. It would make things a lot easier.

On the other hand, microwaves are not terrible for the household. For many meals that can be instantly cooked, the microwave comes in handy. When I am in a hurry and I want to warm up a Pop-Tart or a bagel, the microwave can be quite useful. Many people believe that microwaves could cause cancer. Even I thought that standing in front of a microwave could cause for me to have cancer. Contrary to popular belief, microwaves have a small effect on people getting cancer.

“According to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, a unit of the Food and Drug Administration that regulates microwave oven safety, every microwave that reaches the market must meet a requirement limiting the amount of radiation it can leak in its lifetime to five milliwatts per square centimeter at roughly two inches away from the oven. According to the center, that is far below the levels of radiation that have been shown to harm humans,” (O’Connor, NYT).

This aspect can be seen as a positive. I never liked to stand directly in front of our microwave but knowing that it is not as much harm as I previously thought. Although the microwave can be very bulky in design, the multiple functions and convenience that it provides for a variety of dishes can be a great asset to any household. I am very grateful that my microwave exists to make some delicious popcorn.

Works Citied:

O’Connor, Anahad. “The Claim: People Shouldn’t Stand Too Close to a Microwave.” New York Times. Pub. Jul 10, 2007. Accessed. Sep 10, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/health/10real.html?_r=2