Microwaves:

Everyone needs to defrost things, heat up leftovers or quickly serve up a ready meal from time to time.

How they work:

When you pop your bowl of soup into the microwave it is being heated by radio waves. Food is cooked evenly, due to the way these waves interact with the molecules within it. Only the food - not the whole oven - is heated, leading to a faster cooking time.

A microwave is an indispensible addition to even the most accomplished cook’s kitchen. Modern life leaves many people with little time to embark upon huge cooking sessions every day. And with technology evolving all the time, you can now buy meat, fish and vegetables in microwave–ready portion sized bags that steam the food inside – perfect for the hard-working and health-conscious. And don’t forget, depending on how much you want to spend, there are microwaves available with baking, grilling and roasting functions.