What are the Advantages of Solid State RF Energy Cooking?

Today’s magnetron-based microwave ovens can’t adapt to energy that’s reflected from the food into the cavity as it cooks, and they typically depend on a rotating turntable at the base of the cavity as a means of averaging the heat distribution. This imprecise energy delivery often results in over-cooking and hot spots that lower the food’s nutritional value, and cold spots that negatively impact the dining experience.

By using multiple solid-state power amplifiers and antennas with closed-loop control between the RF amplifier and RF synthesizer to adjust for energy absorption and radiation, the energy can be directed with greater precision to exactly where it’s needed to ensure optimal temperature control. Rather than relying on moisture sensors that measure humidity in the cooking cavity – an indirect mode of measurement that’s sometimes implemented in modern magnetron-based microwave ovens – solid-state microwave ovens measure the properties of the food itself while it cooks, and adapt accordingly to changing load conditions or the food cooking state. This promotes the retention of the nutrients, moisture and flavors of the food.

The adoption of solid-state microwave ovens will begin in the industrial and commercial cooking markets, where the value that these systems provide may be well worth the modest increase in cost. Customers will gain significant advantages centric to system reliability, food processing speed, and throughput. This technology is expected to later migrate to consumer kitchens, with its value evolving from that of a simple heating mechanism, to a device that’s capable of cost-effectively cooking healthier, multi-course meals with unprecedented efficiency.