Expert: Donovan Fandre - 4/11/2008

Question
I am doing a Future of Technology project on microwaves, and I haven't been able to fund any info about how microwaves will change in the future. Can you please give me some information on how microwaves will be like in the future? Also, if you can please send me some pictures. Thanks so much.

Answer
Hey Sarah, I am not aware of any dramatic changes being developed for the next generation of microwave ovens. There was talk of equiping the ovens with variable frequency controls so you could increase or decrease the megahertz range and allow for deeper or shallower penetration. Currently all microwave ovens use 2450 megahertz but If you started cooking, say a turkey, on a lower range, like 1000 megahertz, the center of the bird would cook faster and if you then shifted to a higher range, like 3500 megahertz, the energy would concentrate on the surface creating a very crisp skin. But problems with the FTC made this option    difficult to pursue. To be honest, Sarah, I am not the person to ask technical questions. I'm a cook and believe that the microwave should be the primary cooking appliance in every kitchen because it is energy efficient, convenient, fast, and the healthiest way to cook. For technical info contact Bob Schifman (microwaves@juno.com) who is the microwave maven on technical stuff. Tell him I referred him to you. Good luck.