Sekhmett Kiba, the actual waves are prevented from getting out into the kitchen and cooking whatever they happen to run into by the little metal grating that’s behind the glass in the microwave door. (To put it simply, they’re too big to get through the holes) As long as your microwave doesn’t have a big hole in the door or something, it won’t cook you.
As a single guy (who used to be a cook before they turned me into an engineer), I heartily recommend getting a decent toaster convection oven. I’ve got a DeLonghi Turbo Convection that I picked up at Bed Bath and Beyond, and I don’t my microwave or full-size oven much anymore. Blowing hot air over your food while cooking does wonderful things, and it’s sized well for 1-2 people.
Frozen pizzas (before Atkins) come out with good crust and no cold spot in the center. Chicken comes out with crispy skin and tender inside. Even a rack of ribs has come out well. I’ll be cooking up a leg of lamb tonight, probably with a few friends over so I don’t have to eat it for 4 days.
For the best cooking of meats like chicken, I also recommend a remote probe thermometer - the temp display sits on the counter and the probe itself is on a 4 foot wire. You stick the probe in before you start cooking, and just leave it in there - the display sounds the alarm when it reaches the temperature you programmed in. Food turns out better than the conservative cook-to-time, you don’t need to keep opening up the oven door to slice your food or stick a handheld thermo in there, you just don’t have to do anything until it’s done.
