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How Microwaves Cook Food. When you hit the start button it usually takes about 2 seconds to heat up a filament inside the magnetron tube, says Schiffmann. The microwaves are then blasted into the food compartment. The commonly used frequency of microwaves, 2.45 gigahertz, is easily absorbed by water, fat, and sugar.
A microwave oven produces microwave radiation with a frequency of about 2.45 GHz, which is similar to a cordless phone or your wifi router. However, the radiation is much more intense, so when this large amount of energy is transferred to water molecules in your food, it causes the food to heat up.