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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.
1 The food sits on a turntable, spinning slowly round so the microwaves cook it evenly.  The microwaves bounce back and forth off the reflective metal walls of the food compartment, just like light bounces off a mirror. When the microwaves reach the food itself, they don't simply bounce off.