Electrolux MCD1762E, MCD1752E Microwave cooking advice, Food characteristics, Cooking techniques

12Microwave cooking advice

Microwave cooking advice

Microwave cooking

To cook/defrost food in a microwave oven, the microwave energy must be able to pass through the container to penetrate the food. Therefore it is important to choose suitable cookware.

Round/oval dishes are preferable to square/oblong ones as the food in the corners tends to overcook.

It is important to turn, rearrange or stir food to ensure even heating.

Standing time is necessary after cooking as it enables the heat to disperse equally throughout the food.

	Food characteristics
Composition	Foods high in fat or sugar (e.g. Christmas pudding, mince pies) require less heating time. Care
	should be taken as overheating can lead to fire.
Density	Food density will affect the amount of cooking time needed. Light porous foods, such as
	cakes or bread, cook more quickly than heavy, dense foods, such as roasts and casseroles.
Quantity	The cooking time must be increased as the amount of food placed in the oven increases.
	E.g. four potatoes will take longer to cook than two.
Size	Small foods and small pieces cook faster than large ones, as microwaves can penetrate from
	all sides to the centre. For even cooking make all the pieces the same size.
Shape	Foods which are irregular in shape, such as chicken breasts or drumsticks, take longer to cook
	in the thicker parts. Round shapes cook more evenly than square shapes when microwave
	cooking.
Temperature	The initial temperature of food affects the amount of cooking time needed. Chilled foods will
of food	take longer to cook than food at room temperature. Cut into foods with fillings, e.g. jam
	doughnuts, to release heat or steam.

	Cooking techniques
Arrange	Place the thickest parts of food towards the outside of the dish. E.g. Chicken drumsticks.
Cover	Use vented microwave cling film or a suitable lid.
Pierce	Foods with a shell, skin or membrane must be pierced in several places before cooking or
	reheating as steam will build up and may cause food to explode, e.g. Potatoes, Fish, Chicken,
	Sausages.
	Important: Eggs should not be heated using microwave power as they may explode, even
	after cooking has ended, e.g. poached, hard boiled.
Stir, turn and	For even cooking it is essential to stir, turn and rearrange food during cooking. Always stir and
rearrange	rearrange from the outside towards the centre.
Stand	Standing time is necessary after cooking to enable the heat to disperse equally throughout
	the food.
Shield	Some areas of food being defrosted may become warm. Warm areas can be shielded with
	small pieces of foil, which reflect microwaves, e.g. legs and wings on a chicken.