Microwave ovens are highly versatile. They can be used to cook, defrost and re-heat foods and beverages. Microwave ovens use high frequency electromagnetic waves. These high frequency waves cause molecules of liquid naturally present in your food to vibrate. This friction is what heats and cooks your food. Microwaves heat and cook your food from the inside out rather than going through your food, from the outside in, which takes longer.

Microwave ovens work quickly and save energy when compared to other conventional cooking methods. Using a microwave oven requires less supervision than other conventional cooking methods. You can set the timer and walk away while your food is being prepared. Cooking in a microwave oven results in heating your food without heating up your kitchen or your oven.

You can use your microwave oven along with your conventional oven in order to reduce cooking times. Foods can be both thawed and immediately cooked in your microwave oven. This reduces your risk of food-borne illness from foods that are set out too long at temperatures ranging from 41 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a microwave oven can prevent the loss of important vitamins and minerals in your food. Vitamin C and potassium are often lost in liquid used to boil food. Cooking broccoli in your microwave oven may prevent the loss of glucosinolate, a compound in broccoli which may be responsible for its cancer-fighting properties, and which is lost in boiling. Since proteins don't brown in the microwave oven, fewer nutrients, such as vitamins A and E, are likely to be destroyed by oxidation.

You must check the food you prepare in the microwave oven to make sure it is completely cooked. Food prepared in the microwave may cook unevenly. Food cut into small pieces tends to cook more evenly. Because your food will continue to cook until the molecules inside the food stop vibrating, it is a good idea to let food sit in the microwave for a few minutes to cool before handling.