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The techniques and procedures utilized in preparing our food for eating have notably evolved throughout the years.
Humankind has gone from lighting up a fire every time they want to cook to using high-tech appliances such as a microwave, an induction, or pipe gas.
We have come a far way.
Ever since the pandemic hit, there was a shortage of fuel sources of energy, making it much more favorable to use a microwave.
A microwave can be used just by plugging the wire into a socket, and it is done in a few minutes!
Another benefit of using a microwave over traditional cooking methods is that one doesn’t have to constantly monitor the food to make sure it doesn’t get overcooked or burnt.
You can just set a timer, sit back and relax.
There have been claims that microwaving the food can kill the bacteria, if any, and thus, makes the food 100% hygienic and safe.
During the initial Covid-19 era, people also believed that using a microwave for cooking could kill the virus if it was present in the food.
These claims were debated a lot over the globe, and many people still believe it works.
Coming to our main question, does a microwave kill bacteria?
At first glance, one might say yes.
Microwaving the food does heat it up at a very high temperature, in which bacteria cannot survive.
But does that mean the microwave killed the bacteria?
No.
The oven used by the person-generated tremendous heat, which in turn killed bacteria and made the food safe for eating.
The microwave didn’t play a direct role in the process.
How does a microwave work?
A microwave uses electromagnetic radiation for cooking food.
There is an electron tube present in the structure of the oven named ‘Magnetron.’ When one turns the oven on these are the points you must take care of:
There is a common misconception amongst people that a microwave cooks food from the inside out. It actually starts to heat the food up from outside to inside.
What temperature is used for cooking in an oven?
According to Wikipedia, oven temperatures are described by using words like “cool” and “hot” or “very slow” or “fast.”
A moderate oven has a range of 350–375 °F (180–190 °C), and a hot oven has a temperature set to 400–450 °F (200–230 °C).
If you’re unsure about what temperatures to set your food at, go for this trick.
Over time and with experience, one learns that loaves of bread and cookies are usually set at 220°C (430°F), cakes at 160°C (320°F), and meat in the oven is often cooked at 180°C (355°F).
This has no scientific explanation, but it is what chefs and experienced cooks do.
Preheating the food is a must for most foods because it speeds up the process of cooking and thus saves time later.
A signature rule when using an oven is that if you are setting a higher temperature, the time for which you bake the food should be less and vice-versa.
What guidelines should you follow?
Using an oven can seem like a complicated process at first, but with suitable precautions, you can avoid overheating, burning of food, undercooked food, heat emission, and other common mishaps associated with a microwave.
Some of the guidelines to follow are:
How to clean up the microwave?
The most important thing to ensure a clean and bacteria-free microwave is to ‘clean on the go.’
It means that you should clean it immediately after you’re done using it. It will take less time and effort since the stains won’t sit for long.
Once the stains are stuck on the surface, it becomes hard to clean the oven.
Another way to clean the oven is to take water in a bowl, add some lime juice to it, and heat it in the oven.
It will soften the food stains, which can later be cleaned with a moist cloth.
This method is better than using cleaning compounds and chemicals as it may ruin the inner surface of the oven.
A clean, hygienic oven will ensure that food residuals will not go into the container in which you’re cooking.
What else can an oven kill other than bacteria?
According to studies conducted globally, researchers have found that heating the food in an oven can get rid of other germs than bacteria.
An oven kills most of the viruses, microbial organisms, fungi, spore formers, and even coronavirus.
Even if it doesn’t kill the bacteria 1-2% of the time, it renders it harmless.
So even if you consume the food, mishaps like food poisoning or vomiting will not happen.
Why should you prefer a microwave over traditional cylinders or piped gas?
Here are certain benefits of using a microwave oven:
What are some foods for which one should avoid using the microwave?
Even though cooking in an oven has so many benefits, as listed above, there are some foods for which one should avoid using a microwave. They are as follows:
Conclusion
So, from all the above information, we can conclude that microwave doesn’t directly kill the bacteria; it generates a temperature in which bacteria cannot survive.
A microwave kills up to 99% of any bacteria, fungi, and viruses that may be present in the food, or in the oven, by spillage, etc.
It can be used as a safety procedure to make sure your food is entirely hygienic.
