Abstract: A microwave oven is shown and describe which includes infrared thermal imaging cameras. The infrared thermal imaging cameras are used to display heat maps of food items being cooked on a local LCD or on a remote mobile device, such as a smart phone. Other sensors such as microphones and hygrometers may also be used for display and for controlling cooking. Optical images may also be provided via optical cameras. The temperature values provided by the infrared thermal imaging cameras may be used for temperature control and/or to generate (and then execute cooking based upon) crowdsourced optimal cooking models tailored to specific food items and microwave ovens.