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Amount of food
• If you increase or decrease the amount of food you
prepare, the time it takes to cook that food will also
change. For example, if you double a recipe, add a
little more than half the original cooking time. Check
for doneness and, if necessary, add more time in small
increments.
Starting temperature of food
• The lower the temperature of the food being put into
the microwave oven, the longer it takes to cook. Food
at room temperature will be reheated more quickly than
food at refrigerator temperature.
Composition of food
• Food with a lot of fat and sugar will be heated faster
than food containing a lot of water. Fat and sugar will
also reach a higher temperature than water in the cooking
process.
• The more dense the food, the longer it takes to heat.
"Very dense" food like meat takes longer to heat than
lighter, more porous food like sponge cakes.
Size and shape
• Smaller pieces of food will cook faster than larger
pieces. Also, same-shaped pieces cook more evenly than
different-shaped pieces.
• With foods that have different thicknesses, the thinner
parts will cook faster than the thicker parts. Place the
thinner parts of chicken wings and legs in the center of
the dish.
Stirring, turning foods
• Stirring and turning foods spreads heat quickly to the
center of the dish and avoids overcooking at the outer
edges of the food.
Covering food
Cover food to:
• Reduce splattering
• Shorten cooking times
• Keep food moist
You can use any covering that lets microwaves pass
through. See How Your Microwave Hood Combination
Works on page 5 for materials that microwaves will pass
through. If you are using the Sensor function, be sure to
vent.
Releasing pressure in foods
• Several foods (for example, baked potatoes, sausages,
egg yolks, and some fruits) are tightly covered by a skin
or membrane. Steam can build up under the membrane
during cooking, causing the food to burst. To relieve the
pressure and to prevent bursting, pierce these foods
before cooking with a fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick.
Using standing time
• Always allow food to stand after cooking. Standing time
after defrosting and cooking allows the temperature to
evenly spread throughout the food, improving the cooking
results.
• The length of the standing time depends on how much
food you are cooking and how dense it is. Sometimes
it can be as short as the time it takes you to remove
the food from the oven and take it to the serving table.
However, with larger, denser food, the standing time may
be as long as 10 minutes.
Arranging food
For best results, place food evenly on the plate. You can do
this in several ways:
• If you are cooking several items of the same food,
such as baked potatoes, place them in a ring pattern for
uniform cooking.
• When cooking foods of uneven shapes or thickness,
such as chicken breasts, place the smaller or thinner
area of the food towards the center of the dish where it
will be heated last.
• Layer thin slices of meat on top of each other.
• When you cook or reheat whole fish, score the skin -
this prevents cracking.
• Do not let food or a container touch the top or sides
of the oven. This will prevent possible arcing.
Using aluminum foil
Metal containers should not be used in a microwave oven.
There are, however, some exceptions. If you have
purchased food which is prepackaged in an aluminum foil
container, refer to the instructions on the package. When
using aluminum foil containers, cooking times may be
longer because microwaves will only penetrate the top of
the food. If you use aluminum containers without package
instructions, follow these guidelines:
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