Kitchen Gadgets

I'm not sure what the problem would be with that. Trees are plants, too. It sounds like they needed a new marketing department. "Lovingly made from the heart of the Pinoideae pinus. A bread for all seasons." As a bonus, you can hang a slice from your rear-view mirror as an air freshener.

 

I was probably pushing 30 when I got my first microwave. I really don't do all that much with it except boil water and melt butter. I also make popcorn on rare occasion. I used to do baked potatoes in it but bought a convection oven that does a better job of it.I could live without it, but it is nice to have for the occasional convenience factor.

I know that microwave ovens contain shielding, but I've never sought out any independent tests to see how much leaks. I will say that knowing I can stand in a field with a TV antenna, a microwave antenna, an AM radio, an FM radio, a cell phone (voice and data), a shortwave radio, a HAM radio, etc etc etc and pick up a strong signal on all of them, it makes me wonder what is happening inside of me from the effect of all that energy.

 

Oh, yeh. But you think of all the transmissions going on around (and maybe through) us, and it gives you pause.

 

The microwaves that are transmitted from satellites (for communication and for television) are more of a concern than wifi signals. It's more about the frequency of the signal than it is the strength, although both matter.

 

I have never liked microwaves and use them sparingly, maybe to reheat a cup of coffee or to cook an occasional microwavable frozen dinner, although if the dinner can be cooked in a regular oven, that would be my preference.

While I have had people question the accuracy or probability of this, I can feel a microwave if I'm standing anywhere near it while it is running. Although it's difficult to describe the sensation, it is subtle but uncomfortable. I mentioned this to my radiation doctor when I was first scheduled for radiation therapy for prostate cancer, telling him of my concerns, given that I don't even like being near a microwave. He asked me if I had trouble with watches. That was interesting because, other than windup watches, I have never been able to find a watch that didn't have to be replaced within a few months. He said that he had spoken to several people who could detect microwaves coming from a microwave oven, and they all had trouble with watches too. Credit or debit cards and hotel entry cards often quit working if I carry them in my pockets, and static electricity is a major problem for me in the winter; they're not just mild shocks but very painful.

While I have had to adapt to a microwave since my wife uses them far more often than I do, I don't like them. I did have one though, even before I was married, but I leave the room while they are in use.

 

I have no problem with that decision. If my life were completely up to me, I'd be cooking on a wood stove.