How Microwave Power Levels Work

Your microwave at 50% power doesn't give you half the heat. It gives you full

heat half the time. The magnetron inside cycles on and off in intervals. When it's on,

it blasts at full power. When it's off, the heat spreads through your food

naturally. This on and off pattern repeats throughout the entire cooking cycle.

So 50% power means the microwave runs at maximum intensity for 10 seconds, then shuts off for

10 seconds, then back on again. The total energy delivered averages out to half,

but the intensity never changes. This is why lower power settings cook more evenly.

The pauses let heat distribute from the hot spots to the cold centers. It takes longer