Part of Lesson Plan: Microwaves, Friend or Foe...Home and Away?

Activity Overview / Details

Use the teacher's presentation to deliver the lecture.  Print out the student note pages by selecting "Handouts, 3 slides per page."  Be sure to highlight the fact that microwaves act solely on water molecules in food to heat it, therefore all food that is cooked in a microwave is essentially steamed.  This means that any food that you would choose to cook by steaming could be appropriately cooked in a microwave.  Any food that you would not choose to to cook by steaming could not achieve desired characteristics, such as browning, in a microwave.  For this reason most restaurants use a microwave in much the same way we would at home, for reheating or defrosting.