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Amount of food
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The
more food
you prepare, the longer it
takes. A rule of thumb is that
a
double
amount of food requires almost double
the time. If one potato takes four minutes
to cook, you need about seven minutes to
cook two potatoes.
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if you want to cook two meals or
containers
of food
at the same time, you
can do so with the Bi-Level Cooking
Rack. For example, you can cook two
frozen dinners or reheat two plates of
food by placing one on the rack and one
under the rack.
Starting temperature of food
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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
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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.
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The
more dense the food,
the longer it
takes to heat. “Very dense” food like meat
takes longer to reheat than lighter, more
porous food like sponge cakes.
Size and shape
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Smaller pieces of food
will cook faster
than larger pieces and same-shaped
pieces of food cook more evenly than
irregularly shaped foods.
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Wlth unevenly shaped foods,
the thinner
parts will cook faster than the thicker areas,
Place
the thinner parts of chicken wings
and legs in the center of the dish.
Stirring, turning foods
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Stirring and turning foods
distributes
heat quickly to the center of the dish and
avoids overcooking at the outer edges of
the food.
Microwave cooking tips
Covering food
Cover food to:
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Reduce
splattering
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Shorten
cooking times
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Retain food moisture
All coverings that allow microwaves to pass
through are suitable.
Releasing pressure in foods
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Several foods
(for example: baked
potatoes, sausages, egg yolks, and some
fruits) are tightly covered by a skin or
membrane. This can cause the food to
burst from steam building up in them
during cooking. To relieve the pressure
and to prevent bursting,
prick
these foods
with a fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick.
Using standing time
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Always allow food to
stand for a while
after cooking. Standing time after defrost-
ing, cooking, or reheating always improves
the result since the temperature will then
be evenly distributed throughout the food.
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When cooking in a microwave oven,
food continues to cook even when the
microwave energy is turned off. Food is no
longer cooked by microwaves, but it is still
being cooked by the high heat left over
from the microwave oven.
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The length of the standing time
depends
on the volume and density of the food.
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.
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