A microwave oven may be the most expensive popcorn popper many people will ever own. Whether you fear it (do you run to the other side of the room after you press Start?) or don't fully understand it, this near ubiquitous appliance is probably the most underutilized in your kitchen.

HOW THEY WORK
Microwaves are radio waves that are absorbed by the fats, water, and sugars in foods. The waves excite the atoms in the food, causing them to heat up and cook. Rather than cooking from the outside in, as a conventional oven does, a microwave cooks the entire dish at once (not from the inside out as many people think). And as long as you don't have a pacemaker, microwave ovens are perfectly safe: They don't leak radiation —a fear of many back when microwaves were first popularized in the 1970s, when the ovens were about the size of cabinet televisions.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Power: These days most microwaves are between 650 and 800 watts, though older models may have less wattage and require slightly longer cooking times. (To find out how many watts your microwave is, check the owner's manual or look on the back plate, where the model and serial numbers are printed.) If you are buying a new oven, buy the biggest and most powerful one your kitchen space — and your design sense —can accommodate. Bigger ones can, among other things, defrost a turkey at the last minute, while the smaller models can barely handle a large plate of leftovers.
Features: Most microwaves have hot spots, so purchase an oven with a carousel to ensure evenly cooked food. Also look for ovens with preset buttons that list the zap times for popular microwaveable foods. It takes the guesswork out of simple heating jobs. To minimize cleanup, avoid ovens with crevices and nooks that can catch food particles.