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Most of us take our microwave ovens for granted. Yet these little workhorses of the kitchen are actually high-tech marvels that use powerful electromagnetic waves to heat up food quickly and easily.

It may seem like a holdout against the solid-state world, but the vacuum-tube magnetron is still at the heart of every consumer microwave oven and many commercial ones used for cooking or drying.

Microwaves make life easier, from reheating leftovers to steaming vegetables in minutes. Because they work quietly in the background, many people don’t notice small problems until they turn serious.