Our office one is a commercial unit with an overly complicated pseudo-analog dial and one power setting. I don’t think it’s got the rotating antenna, though, if the middle of my soup is to be believed.
I definitely remember reading something in my old physics text about the resonant effect in a magnetron emerging from some fundamentally quantum-mechanical interaction, but I can’t find a reference for this, and on the other hand there’s a reason I never got that physics degree…
EDIT: Maybe what I’m thinking of is that electron wave-particle duality during the bunching phase of resonance is what yields the increased magnitude of the resulting radio waves. If the electrons were behaving in a purely particle-like way, I don’t think the resonator would work. In which case, I stand by my claim of quantum mechanics.
Obviously not all commercial models are created equal!
There is only a handful of actual microwave oven manufacturers left, most – even brand names – outsource to one or two Chinese companies. We recently replaced a very old MW (the magnetron had burnt out, probably because I’d let the waveguide cover deteriorate) with what looked like an exact replacement; we were excited that the company had recently revived the same model, which we liked for its unusual combination of features. However, while the original had a substantial Daewoo magnetron, the new one has a generic unit. In retrospect, I wish we’d bought a commercial, from one of the companies that still make their own.
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My first microwave in the mid-80’s was exactly this, including a spring-wound timer dial. I’ve never been able to find anything since that’s been as intuitive. Now I’m a member of Team “jab button to add 30 second increments until done”.
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I actually find using the lower power modes a lot better for reheating somethings.
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Stick Alexa inside the microwave. Problem solved.
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I still use daily a THIRTY year old sharp carousel microwave, made in JAPAN, possibly one of the last made there? Insane quality. Still works perfect. I see people replacing china-made microwaves like every other year?
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