Why microwaved soup heats up faster at the edge?

Dave - It might be something to do with a slight misconception of how microwaves cook...

People often say they cook from the inside out - they don't, strictly. Actually, microwaves are form of electromagnetic radiation, a form of light, and they're absorbed within the outside inch and a half or so of the food.

So, right in the centre, it's kind of insulated from the microwave by all the other food around it. So the soup in the middle is going to be getting less heating than the soup on the outside. Also, the soup on the outside is thinner so it's going to get heated from all directions. The soup on the outside is essentially getting more microwaves than the soup in the middle, so it gets hotter.

Chris - Thank you, Dave. And what can I do to remedy the problem so that my soup is more evenly heated in the future?

Dave - Take it out occasionally and give it a mix is your best bet.

Chris - I'll remember that!