I wondered a few days ago why I need to press a few buttons to set the time and start the microwave oven every time I put something in it. If I put something in the microwave, majority of the time it’s to either cook it or to defrost it. Instead I would much prefer if the only thing I had to do was to put something in the microwave and press only a single button to start or confirm the microwave’s guess on what I want to do. It’s not black magic, and can be implemented very simply. Below is how my ideal (dream) microwave oven should work.


WAIT until Door Closes

IF there is Mass on the Turntable
No: Go Back to Start

SAMPLE Mass on Turntable
SAMPLE Surface Temperature of object from several sides and take average

IF Temperature close to freezing or below
Yes: Guess food needs defrosting until room temperature or by mass

IF Temperature just cool (midway between freezing and room temp)
Yes: Guess food needs heating until slightly above room temperature

IF Temperature warm or above
Yes: Guess food needs heating until hot

PROMPT user a YES or NO to confirm the Microwaves guess

IF User confirms guess
Yes: Run the microwave according to Guess
No: Wait Until User Manually enters the function they need


This way the microwave guesses what you might be wanting to do, and only ask for a confirmation (only a single button press). If the guess is wrong, you can simply operate the microwave oven conventionally.

To implement this, you simply need to add a mechanism under the turntable to measure the mass and several infrared sensors to measure the food’s temperature. A side benefit of this implementation is that you can use the microwave oven the measure the weight/mass of things.

Hoping they will have a microwave like this out before my college career is over, a lazy students dream microwave oven.