New Heat Map microwave means no more cold meals

Though microwaves aren’t used all that often in culinary arts programs, these appliances are a necessity in most kitchens. Simply put, sometimes things needed to be heated quickly, and whether you’re a line cook in the weeds or just want to nuke some leftovers at home,  microwaves make this process efficient. However, unevenly heated food can put a real damper on a delicious meal. Luckily, engineer Mark Rober is working to make sure no one ever has to suffer through a burrito with an icy center or piece of pizza with scorching-hot, mouth-burning cheese ever again. Rober’s invention, called the Heat Map microwave, uses an infrared sensor and screen so that diners can see the temperature of their food.

A better microwave 
According to Slate, Rober worked on the Curiosity mars rover. As a talented engineer, Rober saw a large problem with normal microwaves, and simply fixed it by installing an infrared sensor on top of the appliance and a screen in its door. Though Rober only has a prototype currently, he’s confident that there’s a place on the market for such a device. Rather than rely on crowdfunding, which has become the norm for niche inventions, Rober has a website on which he’s trying to get signatures to demonstrate interest to investors.

The Heat Map microwave boasts a wide range of user-friendly features, including connecting to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. That way, users can monitor their food cooking from their smartphones, without having to stand directly in front of the machine. This connectivity also allows users to stop the device add more time if the food isn’t fully cooked through. The LCD screen in the microwave’s door also has the capability to show recipes or cooking videos, according to the Telegraph.

For those wondering about how the infrared sensor can guarantee that food is cooked adequately in the center, Rober explained to Gizmodo, “According to all my testing once you are evenly heated on the outside then it meant you were good on the inside. Whenever it was still cold or even just room temp there was some kind of uneven heating on the outside still.”

There’s no set timeline for when the Heat Map microwave may come to market, but once Rober attracts investors this innovation could someday become the standard for microwave technology.