Microwaves use radiation to specifically target tiny food particles and heat meals quickly. Since microwaves operate via radiation, some might wonder, “are microwaves bad for you?” or “do microwaves cause cancer?”. You can be sure that microwaves are completely safe. The Food and Drug Administration stipulates that radiation levels emitted from microwave ovens should be at safe levels for humans, so you needn’t worry. Microwaves are a ubiquitous sight in office break rooms, college dorms, and almost every home kitchen in the United States. 

One of the biggest attractions of a microwave oven is that it heats food quickly. But this convenience may come with a price — namely, unevenly cooked food. When food is heated up so quickly, and generally from the inside out, the final product can be mushy and inconsistently cooked. When you eat a chicken pot pie warmed in a microwave, there’s always a risk of burning your tongue on the inside of the pie because it has the highest water content — even though the outside crust is lukewarm.