Microwave Cooking Tips - Countertop Microwave
Cooking Tips
When microwave cooking, the amount, size and shape, starting temperature, composition, and density of the food affect cooking results.
- Amount of Food: The more food heated at once, the longer the cook time needed. Check for doneness and add small increments of time if necessary.
- Size and Shape: Smaller pieces of food will cook more quickly than larger pieces, and uniformly shaped foods cook more evenly than irregularly shaped food.
- Starting Temperature: Room temperature foods will heat faster than refrigerated foods, and refrigerated foods will heat faster than frozen foods.
- Composition and Density: Foods high in fat and sugar will reach a higher temperature and will heat faster than other foods. Heavy, dense foods, such as meat and potatoes, require a longer cook time than the same size of a light, porous food, such as cake.
Below are suggestions for cooking tips, to help improve performance
Covering
Covering food helps retain moisture, shorten cook time and reduce spattering. Use the lid supplied with cookware. If a lid is not available, wax paper, paper towels or plastic wrap approved for microwave ovens may be used. Plastic wrap should be turned back at one corner to provide an opening to vent steam. Condensation on the door and cavity surfaces is normal during heavy cooking.
Stirring and Turning
Stirring and turning redistribute heat evenly to avoid overcooking the outer edges of food. Stir from outside to center. If possible, turn food over from bottom to top.
Arranging
If heating irregularly shaped or different sized foods, arrange the thinner parts and smaller sized items toward the center. If cooking several items of the same size and shape, place them in a ring pattern, leaving the center of the ring empty.
Piercing
Before heating, use a fork or small knife to pierce or prick foods that have a skin or membrane, such as potatoes, egg yolks, chicken livers, hot dogs, and sausage. Prick in several places to allow steam to vent.
Standing Time
Food will continue to cook by the natural conduction of heat even after the microwave cooking cycle ends. The length of standing time depends on the volume and density of the food.