Microwaves are a prime example that if something’s cool doesn’t mean it’s good for it’s job.
Btw, the part of microwave that turns electricity into microwave is called magnetron. Freaking magnetron. I didn’t know real inventions could have names as cool as that.
Microwaves are cool in theory but in practice the food is almost always soggy and mushy. Maybe I just don’t know how to use them, but I’m rarely happy with the result. Even reheating leftovers, I’d rather do in a saucepan
While I had to learn that Microwave ovens don’t magically work on the resonant frequency of water molecules, they do work by inciting motion in dipole molecules, and water with those little H atoms hanging off to one side is dipolar, so microwaves are rather good at heating them up. This means that you’re sort of working in the same realm of temperatures and humidity as steaming or even boiling, for good or (mostly) for ill.
Heating frozen food specifically engineered to come out okay from a microwave? Well, it’ll come out okay. Re-heating soup or re-steaming tamales (mmmmm. tamales…)? Pretty decent. Heating up anything that wasn’t meant to have “wetness” as a major part of its mouthfeel will go poorly, often disastrously if you don’t try to work around the microwave’s limitations.
Meanwhile a reliable full size oven can easily cost 1000$/€ and consumes much more energy. Not always cheap/easy to install either.
For people on a budget, who often live in a small/rented place, an air fryer’s a life saver. Plug it in, cook something, pop it away if you need some more space. Don’t even need a kitchen. Just use it next to an open window or vent.
A rice cooker is similarly useful. Cheap, but you can use it to cook far more than rice, keep stuff warm, and largely replace a stove top. Once again, often without the need for space or installation.
Things don’t need to be revolutionary to be life changing. Could I have used the convection oven for this one slice of pizza? Sure. Would I ever? Hell no.
But yeah, microwaves really are neat. We’re going to fling these electrons around in these very specific magnetic fields and out pops light you can’t see.
They’re closer to impingement ovens than convection ovens.
Convection ovens (or “fan forced ovens” in some countries) use a fan to gently and evenly circulate the hot air, whereas impingement ovens and air fryers use higher velocity fans to blow the heat directly onto the food.
There is no statistical evidence that AI helps any moneymaking process and there’s going to be a massive market correction over this pretty soon. I genuinely hope I’m wrong, but all the evidence points this way…
Ah, you’re a marketing drone, that explains a lot.
I use AI often enough and it’s just a shiny turd for anything complex. Good thing it’s good at stealing art, so that’s a big boon for marketing people.
When I was working in repairs, we got orders sometimes to repair those microwaves. And the only thing that I learned is that if magnetron (coolest technology name in my opinion) died, then it similar to TVs with dead display — price of repair would be basically close to price of whole device.
Microwaves are cool, sure, but they have a completely different utility. If I want a small amount of food hot, it goes in the microwave. If I want a small amount of food crispy, it goes in the air fryer. If I want a large amount of food hot or crispy it goes in the oven, with convection on or off depending on the end goal.
yeah you put it in a barrel, pump hotter oil through coiled pipe, hot (storage) oil floats to top, when you draw heat through another coiled pipe cold oil falls to bottom. just put mineral wool around it. much cheaper than batteries
solar water heaters work the same way except they use water
Hot oil piping between collector, storage and cooking appliance
I’ll take the solar panels which I already have wiring for, are useful when there’s a surplus (because I can sell the electricity) and which also power my computer. Not that I have panels at the moment.
They’re literally small convection ovens rebranded. They’re not magic.
Look up how microwaves work. Those are way, way fucking cooler. The way they generate the microwaves is cool as hell.
Microwaves are a prime example that if something’s cool doesn’t mean it’s good for it’s job.
Btw, the part of microwave that turns electricity into microwave is called magnetron. Freaking magnetron. I didn’t know real inventions could have names as cool as that.
Microwaves are cool in theory but in practice the food is almost always soggy and mushy. Maybe I just don’t know how to use them, but I’m rarely happy with the result. Even reheating leftovers, I’d rather do in a saucepan
While I had to learn that Microwave ovens don’t magically work on the resonant frequency of water molecules, they do work by inciting motion in dipole molecules, and water with those little H atoms hanging off to one side is dipolar, so microwaves are rather good at heating them up. This means that you’re sort of working in the same realm of temperatures and humidity as steaming or even boiling, for good or (mostly) for ill.
Heating frozen food specifically engineered to come out okay from a microwave? Well, it’ll come out okay. Re-heating soup or re-steaming tamales (mmmmm. tamales…)? Pretty decent. Heating up anything that wasn’t meant to have “wetness” as a major part of its mouthfeel will go poorly, often disastrously if you don’t try to work around the microwave’s limitations.
Great for vegetables, IME.
A more efficient and quicker small convection oven you can easily buy for 30 bucks and pop in a cupboard when you’re not using it.
The price really depends where you live, eg: where i live an air fryer can cost 20-40€ , a microwave is often on the 50€ price range
Same here.
Meanwhile a reliable full size oven can easily cost 1000$/€ and consumes much more energy. Not always cheap/easy to install either.
For people on a budget, who often live in a small/rented place, an air fryer’s a life saver. Plug it in, cook something, pop it away if you need some more space. Don’t even need a kitchen. Just use it next to an open window or vent.
A rice cooker is similarly useful. Cheap, but you can use it to cook far more than rice, keep stuff warm, and largely replace a stove top. Once again, often without the need for space or installation.
Things don’t need to be revolutionary to be life changing. Could I have used the convection oven for this one slice of pizza? Sure. Would I ever? Hell no.
But yeah, microwaves really are neat. We’re going to fling these electrons around in these very specific magnetic fields and out pops light you can’t see.
I almost never use my microwave or oven because of the air frier.
They’re closer to impingement ovens than convection ovens.
Convection ovens (or “fan forced ovens” in some countries) use a fan to gently and evenly circulate the hot air, whereas impingement ovens and air fryers use higher velocity fans to blow the heat directly onto the food.
So it’s an overkill blowdrier, got it.
Cheaper version.
And a blow dryer is just overkill evaporation.
deleted by creator
Just saying it’s not new or miraculous technology 🤷🏼 it’s just a clever and convenient consumer product.
The better we can differentiate consumer trends and marketing from actual technological innovation, the better off we’ll be. cough AI cough
deleted by creator
AI is more of a drug than an innovation, IMPO.
lol, this was their comment before they deleted all their comments in this thread:
What I said was a meaningful addition, IMO. It was related to the thread and added another perspective.
“I AM GIVEN REASONABLE ARGUMENTS AGAINST MY POINT AND I LASH OUT AND DELETE ALL MY COMMENTS”
lol. 🫶
deleted by creator
There is no statistical evidence that AI helps any moneymaking process and there’s going to be a massive market correction over this pretty soon. I genuinely hope I’m wrong, but all the evidence points this way…
Ah, you’re a marketing drone, that explains a lot.
I use AI often enough and it’s just a shiny turd for anything complex. Good thing it’s good at stealing art, so that’s a big boon for marketing people.
deleted by creator
Alright but hang on, let me preheat the oven first
When I was working in repairs, we got orders sometimes to repair those microwaves. And the only thing that I learned is that if magnetron (coolest technology name in my opinion) died, then it similar to TVs with dead display — price of repair would be basically close to price of whole device.
Meh.
I have an old NEFF microwave. Fixing that involved popping in some new mica paper for a few bucks.
Microwaves are cool, sure, but they have a completely different utility. If I want a small amount of food hot, it goes in the microwave. If I want a small amount of food crispy, it goes in the air fryer. If I want a large amount of food hot or crispy it goes in the oven, with convection on or off depending on the end goal.
If you want crispy, heat with the air fryer.
If want moist and hot, use a microwave.
Don’t cook soup in the air frier or toast in the microwave.
You’re allowed to mix and match your appliances a little bit, as a treat.
Microwave start to air fryer finish is leftover recover makeover.
you know what would be a lot cooler? same thing not needing electricity (concentrated solar can get hot enough and heat can be stored in hot oil)
But it wasn’t sunny today and I wanted fries and don’t have space to store hot oil :(
skill issue
For a rain enjoyer, you sure like spreading pro sun propaganda
There would be no rain without sun
skill issue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
That doesn’t sound right. But I don’t know enough about rain to dispute it…
Just power it using solar panels?
concentrated solar heating gets you there using 1/4 of that space and allows for simple energy storage
“simple” storage of burning hot oil mmhm
yeah you put it in a barrel, pump hotter oil through coiled pipe, hot (storage) oil floats to top, when you draw heat through another coiled pipe cold oil falls to bottom. just put mineral wool around it. much cheaper than batteries
solar water heaters work the same way except they use water
So now to cook something I need:
I’ll take the solar panels which I already have wiring for, are useful when there’s a surplus (because I can sell the electricity) and which also power my computer. Not that I have panels at the moment.
deleted by creator