[firesteelrain]

Microwaves also affect other polar molecules and ions in food, not just water.

This excitation leads to the generation of heat, which is then transferred through the food via conduction.

Microwaving is indeed considered a form of dielectric heating, which is a subtype of radiation. It’s distinct from conduction, convection, and traditional infrared radiation but still falls under the broader category of electromagnetic radiation-based heating.

[bsder]

> Microwaves also affect other polar molecules and ions in food, not just water.

So why does sugar seem to heat so preferentially?

I always found that microwaving any dish with a "syrup" made it the temperature of hot lava while the rest of the dish was still cold.

[firesteelrain]

Microwaves seem to prefer syrupy foods because syrup typically has a high sugar and water content. Both sugar and water molecules are efficient at absorbing microwave energy, so they heat up quickly. This is why syrupy parts of a dish often get much hotter than other parts when microwaved.

[djmips]

Is that you GPT?

[firesteelrain]

Huh?

[numpad0]

Isn't that because sugar syrups don't boil and get temperature capped at 100C?