Microwave
Are Microwave Ovens Good for the Environment?[[1]]
Your foodie friends may cringe at the thought, but cash-strapped grad students and single urbanites have had it right all along: As a general rule, microwaves are more eco-friendly than conventional ovens. However, that doesn't mean you should consign yourself to a life of gummy casseroles and dry chicken just to save the planet.
Microwave-Oven Image[[2]]
First off, a little perspective. According to the Department of Energy, cooking accounts for a little less than 3 percent of an average home's energy use [[3]](PDF). So any changes you make aren't going to add up to much—you'll have a much bigger impact by looking to your light fixtures or your thermostat. On the other hand, it is fairly easy to cut energy consumption in the kitchen, so why wouldn't you?
As a general rule, any oven powered by electricity—whether or not it's a microwave—is going to cook food more efficiently than a gas-powered appliance. About 12 percent to 14 percent of the energy drawn by a standard electric oven goes toward cooking your food. With a gas-powered oven, that number drops to a little less than 6 percent. (Microwaves handily beat both, directing about 60 percent of their energy toward cooking.) Still, when compared with conventional electric ovens, gas-powered ovens are usually considered more efficient overall, since there are significant energy losses associated with generating electricity and then transmitting it to your home. So if you have a gas oven, use it with the Lantern's blessing.
That's not an option for the majority of American households, though. About 60 percent of our conventional ovens are powered by electricity, not gas—and they're less efficient than standard microwaves. In the first place, conventional ovens operate at a higher wattage—about 3,000, compared with something between 600 and 1,650 for a microwave. They also cost us energy by cooking food more slowly. One University of Bristol study [[4]]found that a chicken cooked in a convection microwave[[5]] resulted in energy savings of 30 percent over a conventional electric oven.
You'll see the greatest energy savings when cooking up small portions. One Swedish study, for example, found that cooking a single portion of baked potatoes in an oven took 9.5 times as much energy as it did in a microwave. When that was increased to four portions, however, the oven used only 2.5 times as much energy per serving [[6]](PDF). When the meals get big enough—a pot roast plus vegetables, for example—you're better off skipping the microwave altogether.
Microwaves do have a few other environmental advantages. For one thing, they produce a lot less indoor air pollution [[7]]than other cooking methods. Plus, they don't heat up your house the way an oven can, which means lower energy costs associated with both your A/C and your refrigerator. Heating up a meal on the plate you intend to eat off of also means fewer dishes to wash—although regular use of your microwave might encourage higher consumption of ready-to-eat convenience meals and all their extra packaging.
Whichever cooking method you choose, there are plenty of little things [[8]]you can do to save energy. With a conventional oven, avoid preheating and turn the heat off a few minutes before your food is done. If you switch from metal pans to heat-retaining glass or ceramic ones, you'll be able to turn your oven down by 25 degrees. Microwave ovens can be made more efficient by keeping them clean—the appliance can't tell the difference between your dinner and old cheese splatters, so it'll expend energy heating up both. Also remember to keep the appliance unplugged when you're not using it. (Over its lifetime, the average microwave will use as much energy in standby mode as it will in actually cooking your food.)
In the end, though, the greenest way to cook your food is the one that produces the tastiest meal. As we've discussed here before, food waste [[9]]is an important environmental consideration: Not only does it mean more garbage, it also means squandering all the resources that went into growing, storing, and preparing that food. Let's say you roasted your Sunday-night chicken dinners in the microwave rather than the oven for a whole year. Over 52 weeks you'd save 15.6 kilowatt-hours—or about 0.14 percent of your home's annual energy use. If saving that teeny bit of energy means you'd be more likely to toss your soggy leftovers, then by all means, fire up the big boy and cook that chicken right.
Commercial Microwave oven[[10]]
Amana Commercial Microwaves
Is the Grass Really Green on the Other Side?[[11]]
The microwave was discovered by Percy Spencer. It so happened that while doing one of his experiments on active radar, he noticed a weird sensation and found that the peanut chocolate bar kept in his pocket had started to melt. The radar had actually melted his candy bar with the microwaves. This concept of the development of the microwave came from this thought. He designed a high density electromagnetic field metal box with an opening in which he fed the microwave power. Now, when the food was kept inside this metal box, the temperature of the food rose considerably.
After years of experiments and some failures, the scientists finally came with the first microwave oven in the year 1947. The first food to be deliberately cooked with microwaves was the popcorn. Today, all the modern microwave ovens use microwave radiation for cooking and heating food.
There are several types of ovens available in the market. Basically, there are three basic types with different capacities and mechanical & electronic control options. The basic microwave oven, the microwave with grill/ browning option and the microwave with grill/ browning and fan based convection are the three varieties of ovens. These small wonders can be used for reheating, defrosting, cooking, dehumidifying, baking, roasting as well as browning/ grilling the food.
In this competitive environment when people don’t have anytime to spare, they look for alternatives that can shorten out their cooking related problems. The invention of microwave oven is one such tool in the hand of the users. As compared to the traditional cooking tools, it saves a lot of time. On the one hand, while some people are saving their time by cooking food in it, on the other, some of them are conscious regarding their health issues. Well, just to satiate this conscious group, the researches have put forward many theories on the basis of which we can say that micro-waved foods are safe to consume. The rays are non-ionizing and can't change the basic structure of the molecule. Still there has been no proven case worldwide to substantiate that they are harmful.
If you are looking for the best microwave oven, then you must go for the eminent brands. Today, Samsung C108TF and Whirlpool MagiCook are considered as the latest microwaves ovens in the market.
Green Design - 12 Easy Ways to Efficiently Upgrade and Green-up your Bathrooms and Kitchens!
No matter what your favorite color is . . . when thinking of your home, it needs to be GREEN! With growing concerns over rising energy costs, global warming and protecting our environment for future generations, the desire to "Green-Up" has dramatically increased.
There are affordable ways that homeowners can upgrade their bathrooms and kitchens to make them more water and energy efficient. The following are some easy ways that have been suggested by the National Association of Homebuilders to "Green-Up" when remodeling:
Water Heater - Replace your existing water heater with a money $aving, energy-efficient tankless model.
Showerhead - A high efficiency showerhead can help you $ave on your water bill each month, making it a simple choice when remodeling.
Toilet - With the addition of high efficiency toilets to your home, you again are $aving on water usage.
Ventilation Fans - Home owners will $ave electricity by using energy-efficient exhaust fans. When remodeling your bathroom, remember to look for an Energy-Star-Rated fan which will $ave you both money and electricity over the lifespan of the product.
Bathroom Faucets - High-efficiency water faucets for sinks and tubs have been designed to give you better performance as well as $ave water consumption.
Refrigerators - Energy-$aving fridges have been designed to perform more efficiently, and for more years than older models.
Dishwashers - Again, look for Energy-Star-rated models which will use 41 percent less energy than other dishwashers.
Microwave Ovens - Energy-efficient microwaves cook much faster than conventional ovens, but also can use up to 80% less energy. While not appropriate for all types of cooking, they can save you both time and money!
Oven Ranges - Gas burners use 55% of the energy produced compared to 65% for electric cooktops. Additionally, self cleaning ovens tend to have more insulation, making them more efficient as well.
Countertops - Recycled glass, stone and concrete have a great modern look, and have given these old materials a new life. Many of these same products also work well as tiles for your kitchens and baths.
Cabinetry - Consider recycled or reclaimed wood which is durable and both economically and environmentally friendly.
Flooring - Renewable flooring like cork or bamboo have become quite popular for both kitchens and bath areas. They offer durability and easy maintenance with a long-lasting natural look. And of course, stone and wood floors will last you a lifetime!
It's important for us as homeowners to realize that we ALL can help save the planet by lowering our energy bills, one at a time . . . and doing all we can to conserve our natural resources. Green Building and Green Remodeling should no longer be viewed by us as an option, but as our RESPONSIBILITY!
Introducing The EnviroWave Process[[12]]
Finding new and innovative processes to protect our environment.
Protection of valuable water, air, and land resources is one of the highest priority activities in industrialized countries on the planet. The Company views its mission in society as developing and applying innovative, simple, and cost-effective technologies worldwide to address the recycling of waste streams to environmentally-acceptable end products.
EnviroWave Energy, LLC announces the successful completion of the testing phase for its first commercial microwave-based scrap tire and mixed plastics system on Monday, November 16, 2009. The system is destined for installation at a client's facility in Northeastern Ohio later this month. The facility is scheduled for full commercial operation within the next 60-90 days, dependent upon weather and utility interconnections. EnviroWave Energy, LLC has received multiple letters of intent for subsequent units to be located domestically and internationally. The unit shown is capable of processing 50 to 60 tons of scrap tires or mixed plastics daily. Other units intended for delivery in 2010 and 2011 are capable of processing of 70 to 80 tons per day.
EnviroWave Corporation's cost effective and environmentally acceptable enabling technologies include:
One- A continuous microwave based drying and sterilizing technologies permit a wide variety of industries to meet and exceed current and planned US EPA standards for pathogen destruction in biosolids and agricultural waste streams.
Two- A microwave-based "Destruct" technology providing a viable and immediate solution to the demands of the EPA for the treatment and destruction of hazardous waste contamination.
Three- A scrap automobile tire recycling system producing carbon black, steel, hydrocarbon carbon fuels, including hydrogen, while mitigating one of the pressing pollution problems of the century.
The concept of utilizing microwaves in commercial applications was the outgrowth of research conducted in the mid 1990's by John Novak into the use of microwaves in the molecular destruction of organic compounds. Original research encompassed the breakdown of rubber, plastics and scrap tires into commercially marketable constituent products. When Mr. Novak was approached by a potential customer with the idea of drying paper pulp for the purposes of volumetric reduction, he quickly realized the commercial viability of such a process. At the same time as the paper pulp evaluation was underway, an investigation into the drying of bio-solids (sludge from waste water facilities) was launched based upon his earlier studies using shipboard waste from a major cruise line. Mr. Novak subsequently applied for and received the patent for the utilization of microwaves in processing organic materials and for his design of commercial microwave apparatus. His designs are manufactured and marketed by the EnviroWave Corporation of Fredericktown, Ohio. Click here to read the patent summary.
As an outgrowth of the two general microwave process applications (drying and molecular destruction) many other types of materials have been evaluated for processing in the microwave units and are considered commercially viable processes. Examples of these materials and processes are the destruction of PCB's and PAH's; paper mill black liquor reduction; grain drying; shipboard waste processing; masonry and brick drying; curing of lumber and wood products; remediation of petroleum contaminated soils; reduction and recycling of plastics and rubber products and medical waste disposal. Other applications for this technology are also being evaluated.
Radiation Ovens The Proven Dangers of Microwaves
Is it possible that millions of people are ignorantly sacrificing their health in exchange for the convenience of microwave ovens? Why did the Soviet Union ban the use of microwave ovens in 1976? Who invented microwave ovens, and why? The answers to these questions may shock you into throwing your microwave oven in the trash. Over 90% of American homes have microwave ovens used for meal preparation. Because microwave ovens are so convenient and energy efficient, as compared to conventional ovens, very few homes or restaurants are without them. In general, people believe that whatever a microwave oven does to foods cooked in it doesn't have any negative effect on either the food or them. Of course, if microwave ovens were really harmful, our government would never allow them on the market, would they? Would they? Regardless of what has been "officially" released concerning microwave ovens, we have personally stopped using ours based on the research facts outlined in this article.
The purpose of this report is to show proof - evidence - that microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine. However, the microwave oven manufacturers, Washington City politics, and plain old human nature are suppressing the facts and evidence. Because of this, people are continuing to microwave their food - in blissful ignorance - without knowing the effects and danger of doing so.
Microwave safety
The radiation emitted from a microwave, radio frequency (RF), is set and monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a standard that is said to be acceptable and safe in the home. The radiation itself is "non-ionizing" — less harmful than the radiation of X-rays. RF exposure from a home microwave does not pose any risks as long as the safety mechanisms are in good working condition and that the microwave has a switch that automatically turns it off when the door is opened. There is the potential of leakage if the seal is cracked or caked with food, if the oven has been dropped, or if a fire has occurred inside. In any of these cases, you should bring your microwave in for repair, or purchase a new one. If your microwave is in good working order and you want to be extra safe, standing four feet away from the oven dramatically reduces radiation exposure — to just 1/100th of the maximum amount considered safe.
However, there is a very real danger of serious burns from hot containers, overheated foods, and injury from exploding foods. The main precaution to take after heating milk in the microwave for babies is to be sure that there are no "hot spots." "Hot spots" are developed because microwaves heat foods unevenly, where some sections are much hotter than others. When the milk is checked for heat level, it may feel fine, although there may be some portions that are burning hot. It is recommended that you shake the milk bottle, or liquid container, and let it stand for thirty seconds before checking the temperature. Other sources (the journal Environmental Nutrition) suggest not using the microwave to heat infant foods — either bottles of formula or baby food — because the uneven heat can cause a baby's mouth to be seriously burned.
According to the FDA, there is no additional damage to milk proteins or sugars when heated with a microwave rather than conventional oven or stove. In general, microwaves cook food faster and destroy fewer vitamins than conventional cooking methods. You may have read about recent research that shows a possible loss of human milk's immunologic qualities after microwaving, but further studies are necessary to support this. If you're really concerned, you can heat milk the old-fashioned way.
If you do use the microwave, here are a few tips:
One- Prick cooking pouches and foods that have tight skins (e.g., tomatoes, hot dogs) to release steam as they cook. Two- Never cook eggs in the shell. If you crack an egg open to cook in the microwave, be sure to prick the yolk before cooking. Three- Remove lids or caps from containers, and cover with microwaveable plastic wrap (don't let it touch food), waxed paper, or parchment paper for cooking. Four- Never turn on an empty microwave. Try keeping a glass of water or a box of baking soda in the oven just in case. Five- Regularly clean the inside, the door, and the seal with a mild detergent and water. SixNever operate the oven when something is caught in the door. Seven- Remove metal twist ties from bags. They act as antennae and can cause a fire. Eight- Never use brown paper bags for popping popcorn. They can catch fire, too.
Green Microwave
Green Next Microwave
800w power output• 20 litre/0.7cu ft interior capacity• coloured finish with chrome effect dials and handle• 6 variable power levels including defrost• 30 minute manual...
Green & White Spot Microwave Dish Heater
Introducing The Microwave Dish Heater - a supersize Micropad for your serving dishes and extra large plates. Simply pop the Microwave Dish Warmer into the microwave, heat up and place on your dishes and plates to keep them warm during a meal.
These versatile pads can also be placed in a bread basket to keep your rolls toasty or for keeping anything hot for up to half an hour.
The twin pack allows you to heat very large dishes or to sandwich a large plate for extra heat dissipation. These high quality cotton drill Dish Warmers are Hand washable and never lose their heating abilities - even after hundreds of uses.
Design Shown: 'Green & White Spot'
Width: 30cm x length: 20cm - sold in packs of two
> Green 8 Protection Against Radiation (Large)
Green 8 Harmonizer is perfect for work stations, living and sleeping areas where we are significantly exposed to electro smog.
Green 8 Large Harmonizer does not only protect from electromagnetic radiation but also from strong interference zones such as earth radiation, water veins, faults, Hartmann and Curry grids. Simply place 1-2 Green8 protection against radiation under the bed, table, couch or chair with the Green8 front facing.
Green 8 Large protection features: - Neutralazes and harmonises electromagnetic radiation - Dischargesthe work station and offers reliable protection against e-smog caused by computers, monitors, pronters, microwaves, TVs, CD/DVD players, etc. - Provides reliable relief and relaxation - Harmonizes discomfort such as stress, fatigue, restlessness and weakness of concentration - Easy to use - lasting effect - This has been confirmed through extensive tests conducted by the Institut fuer Potentialforschung (austrian research institute) in Vienna and by users worldwide
16 Piece Denby Green Fine China Bistro Set.
4 place settings.dinner plates, side plates, bowls and mugs.dinner plate diameter 28cm.dishwasher and microwave safe.gift boxed.
Microwave Dye for Silk & Wool - Green
This fabulous, versatile & vibrant dye from Pebeo/Arty's couldn't make producing gorgeous coloured silks and wools any easier!
A little of this stuff goes a long way and the handy, pen-type tube ensures full control over flow whilst making application clean and hassle free.
Simply damp your silk (or wool), tie, scrunch etc to achieve desired effect, squirt on your colours and pop in the microwave according to the instructions supplied then rinse. Hey presto! You could even prepare your fabric with cold wax patterns beforehand too.
30ml tube with full instructions. Available in 12 colours.
Green
Product Information 30ml acid dye for silk, wool, alpaca and other protein fibres. Use in a microwave takes 4 mins maximum for a scarf, or can be used with a steamer or in an oven, takes 20 mins.
Green & White Chessboard Microwave Dish Heater
Introducing The Microwave Dish Heater - a supersize Micropad for your serving dishes and extra large plates. Simply pop the Microwave Dish Warmer into the microwave, heat up and place on your dishes and plates to keep them warm during a meal.
These versatile pads can also be placed in a bread basket to keep your rolls toasty or for keeping anything hot for up to half an hour.
The twin pack allows you to heat very large dishes or to sandwich a large plate for extra heat dissipation. These high quality cotton drill Dish Warmers are Hand washable and never lose their heating abilities - even after hundreds of uses.
Design Shown: 'Green & White Chessboard'
Buy Green: Microwave Ovens
Did you know microwaves have always offered a low-energy alternative to traditional stoves? Unfortunately, their primary use as popcorn-poppers and leftover-reheaters hasn't given them a place of honor in the kitchen. But with new models that attempt to perfect microwave baking, broiling, and roasting; family-sized ovens that let busy parents cook casseroles in half the time; and compact versions for the traditional chef who just wants low maintenance food without using 1300 watts, you'll find yourself using these microwaves for so much more than leftovers.
Microwaves in the Green Kitchen: Efficient Cooking or Weird Science?
I’ve never lived in a house with a microwave. Not out of any ethical or environmental stance – I’ve just never got used to using one, so haven’t felt the need to get one. I’ve also rarely tasted anything good that came out of a microwave, beyond heated up left overs. But while some folks worry about safety, there’s no doubt that microwaves can be an incredibly efficient means of heating. The Union of Concerned Scientists posted on TreeHugger about ovens versus microwaves before, and now Leo Hickman is taking up the argument over at The Guardian – making the case that microwaves are one of the most efficient ways of cooking, but points out that their utility is limited to certain tasks:
Barham, a long-time adviser to Heston Blumenthal, says microwaves are limited in what they can offer professional chefs and are probably best suited to people at home who regularly warm up pre-cooked or processed food. A 2006 study by the government's Market Transformation Programme into their energy-saving potential found that only about 20% of typical cooking tasks could be successfully transferred from an electric oven to a microwave. However, in the instances where a microwave was used, it showed an average energy saving of about 50%. Some of the test results were surprising, though: cooking new potatoes in 10ml of water in a microwave compared to in a pan containing one litre of water on an electric hob achieved a 70-75% energy saving, whereas the energy saving achieved by heating baked beans or porridge in a microwave rather than on the hob was negligible.
Green microwave oven[[13]]
While Hickman certainly makes a good argument for reconsidering the microwave for specific cooking tasks, he concludes his case with the example of the baked potato – claiming that energy savings can be as much as ten fold compared to a traditional oven-baked spud. To my mind there is only one problem – surely the baked potato is all about the skin, and I have never, ever eaten a microwaved spud that has come even close to one of its oven crisped cousins. Am I missing something? I’d love to hear from folks who know how to get the most from their microwaves. (I'd also love to hear from folks who wouldn't go near a microwave for love nor money.)
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