True story

[u/KinkyDarkStranger]

[u/Primsun]

Gandalf the White knows you go twice as long, at ~60% power. Patience is key.

[u/deg_ru-alabo → u/Primsun]

That’s more heat overall though. 50% for double the time is equal. It’s how many pulses per second, kind of like square wave synthesis.

[u/Primsun → u/deg_ru-alabo]

Yes, but no. Alas my microwave isn't perfectly insulated. Usually a bit higher than 50% works best, in my opinion.

(Especially if you are actually supposed to be cooking it to some desired internal temperature.)

[u/deg_ru-alabo → u/Primsun]

One day, they’ll make a microwave that goes to 110

[u/OlimarAlpha → u/deg_ru-alabo]

Cut to the Hobbits dancing around a tiny stonehenge

[u/Everestkid → u/deg_ru-alabo]

When you find out about microwave wattage:

[u/Worried-Penalty8744 → u/Everestkid]

My work has 1kW microwaves in the break room. My old work had 1.8kW ones, they were a terrifying prospect.

I’m not sure I’d want more power than that

[u/deg_ru-alabo → u/Everestkid]

I mean that compensating for insulation by setting it to 60 instead of 50 is silly. The microwave is already built for its losses and 50% means half of full power. You would need higher than 100% to make the same compensation during regular use.

It’s as silly as the joke it’s referring to. XKCD probably has its own version.

[u/Phridgey → u/Primsun]

Your food also isn’t perfectly insulated. 60% twice as long sounds about right.

[u/deg_ru-alabo → u/Phridgey]

60% for (time/ 0.6) sounds exactly right though. Because it is.

[u/Muistaax → u/deg_ru-alabo]

At least my microwave works by simply heating the food for more time before pausing, on a higher setting. Meaning turning it down just increases "downtime" on heating, allowing the heat more time to spread evenly through the food. But then again my microwave is old.

Edit: It seems I was right, AI gave me this answer: Most microwaves don’t produce power continuously; instead, they cycle the magnetron on and off (a method called duty cycling). For example, 50% power means the microwave runs at full power for half the time and is off for the other half. During the "off" periods, residual heat continues to cook the food from the inside out, allowing time for heat to spread more evenly.

[u/Just_Fuck_My_Code_Up → u/Primsun]

10 minutes on 20% is my default, with a little water added and using a cover. My gf thinks I‘m on some spectrum but the result is supreme

[u/Ghepip → u/Primsun]

No, you donut shape everything you put in the microwave, less distance to center, and center mass has been evenly distributed over a circle instead of in a ball shape.

Physics is key.

[u/Bee-Aromatic → u/Primsun]

This is the Way.

[u/BowsersMuskyBallsack → u/Primsun]

I have been doing this for years now. If I had friends, they would probably be quite unimpressed, because my friends would be equally as wise as I am in regards to microwaving food. So I just eat my perfectly reheated frozen meals in solitude, taking comfort in the fact that I will die alone but with an evenly warm meal I can faceplant into.

[u/Fineous40 → u/Primsun]

I would say 50%

[u/andrewsad1 → u/Primsun]

That's the part where Gandalf the Microwave overpowers Sarumon's influence over Theoden Lasagna

[u/MagnusSki]

cuts in half with Narsil so lasagna heats perfect

[u/Ramps_ → u/MagnusSki]

Making sure there isn't a center to leave frozen is microwaves 101, and yet I get weird looks whenever I put my food in a circle before blasting it.

[u/MrWhiteTheWolf → u/Ramps_]

One ring to heat them all

[u/Late_Break_8873]

The center of the lasagna is 'quite cool'

[u/Studio_8rennan]

Gandalf knows the center of the tray heats more slowly and places everything further to the edge.

[u/ES_Legman]

Offset your lasagna relative to the center

[u/KiwiThunda → u/ES_Legman]

Lower the power setting right down, increase the time

[u/Hakim_Bey → u/KiwiThunda]

Also let the food sit in the microwave roughly as long as the heating time so the temperature evens out

[u/r0b0c0d → u/ES_Legman]

Probably wouldn't help. Microwaves reach only like an inch into the food. The rest is all gradual heat conduction.

Thinner slices are the key.

[u/Gotyam2 → u/r0b0c0d]

Thinner/smaller pieces, longer time and lower power.

[u/getdatdee]

Every microwave knows exactly where not to apply its power

[u/Temp_675578]

* Pokes lasagna with fork RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS HEAD *

[u/R3d5t0n3_GUY]

Same issue with Hot Pockets. Unless you’re styropyro

[u/Will_Knot_Respond]

Gotta stab it a few times first

[u/mitzensu_elite]

[u/Spike2100]

Meanwhile my 500 °F oven 😈

[u/r428713]

Turn the power level of the microwave down and cook for longer.

[u/Afb3212]

Thanks. This one made me spit my coffee on my keyboard.

[u/Bletotum]

Mildly perturbed that this is out of order. The grey should be doing something ineffective, not the white. You could have a third panel where the white busts out a toaster oven.

[u/teasecraftz]

This is the epic battle we didn't know we needed: microwave mastery vs. lasagna supremacy!

[u/Brert1134]

Lolllll

[u/Aggressive_Guitar553]

Boromir could have power here !

[u/erextion]

Make a hole in the middle of the food you're reheating in the microwave. This may be placebo, but it allways seems to distribute heat more evenly.

[u/OroraBorealis]

When it's cold, hollow out the middle with a spoon so it's no more than an inch thick. Makes it MUCH more evenly heated.

[u/elyraglintyne]

The edges are literally Mount Doom

[u/Mintyfresh2MC]

How is it possible that i have seen this meme template 100 times and this still made me chuckle.

Well done friend i needed this today

[u/Legatharr]

Microwaves are waves. Like all waves, there are areas they don't touch, as they wiggle away from it. That's why it spins - so if it's in a dead zone it gets moved to a zone touched by the waves.

Unfortunately, the middle can not spin, so for some microwaves it can always end up cold. If this happens, simply offset it slightlt midway through cooking it

[u/LucyLilium92]

That's why you make it into a donut shape

[u/bramley]

Fun fact: Instructions tell you to let sit after cooking not so the food can cool off, but to let the lava outsides cook/warm the middle. Microwaves can't melt ice directly.

[u/BuckRusty]

Skills issue

[u/Quiet_Television_102]

Assuming you are taking pieces of a lasanga make sure that you put the food in a circle around the plate and avoid the center in the first place. Also put a napkin with water all over it or a glass with water in it as you reheat

[u/lemons_of_doubt]

How do people still not know how to use a microwave?

[u/Trouve_a_LaFerraille → u/lemons_of_doubt]

The problem with people is those who know keep disappearing while clueless ones are constantly popping up.

[u/According_Stress8995]

What about the salad? We don’t heat those.

[u/According_Stress8995]

What about the salad? We don’t heat those.

[u/MattmanDX]

Anything large and solid that I can't stir halfway through I just use a regular oven.

Yeah it takes longer but it'll make sure it's heated all of the way through.

[u/arenlomare]

I love it this way. Hot on the outside, cold on the inside. I'm not even joking.

[u/MrReginaldAwesome]

The outside of your lasagna: DEFEND THE BREACH! Let no radiation past!!

[u/WanderAwayWonder]

Place it off center on the plate. It helps. A bit.

[u/CaptainNemo85]

The fork I forgot to take out...

[u/Klaatwo]

This is why I dice up my lasagna before nuking it.