Microwave cooking advice, Food characteristics | AEG MCD2662E

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.

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AEG MCD2662E user manual Microwave cooking advice, Food characteristics, Cooking techniques

Contents

MCD2662E Symbol Description Dear CustomerWe wish you much joy with your new appliance Contents Important safety instructions To avoid the danger of fireTo avoid the possibility of injury Important safety instructions To avoid the possibility of electric shockTo avoid the possibility of explosion and sudden boiling To avoid the possibility of burns To avoid misuse by children Other warnings Never modify the oven in any way Microwave oven & accessories Appliance overview Control panel Econ mode Setting the clockBefore first use Using the Stop button Child safety lockChild safety lock cannot be set if the clock is not set Example To set the clock to Open the door Microwave cooking advice Food characteristicsMicrowave cooking Cooking techniques Microwave operation Microwave safe cookwareCookware Comments Microwave power levels Your oven has 6 power levelsPower Suggested use Setting Manual defrosting Kitchen timer You can also use +30 seconds during grill modeAdd 30 seconds Press the power button once to select the Plus adjustment Plus & minusGrill & dual grill cooking Press the START/QUICK button Check the display This mode can be used to Grill/Brown food Button Power settingGrill only cooking Dual grill cooking Press the power button twice Multiple sequence cookingPress the grill button once Stage Auto Cook Symbol Setting Auto cook & auto defrost operationExample To cook 0.3 kg of boiled potatoes Gratin Microwave + grill Food Symbol Setting Auto Defrost Programme charts Auto cook & auto defrost charts Meat, fish 1,0 kg 100 g Poultry Flan dish TurntableSpots with aluminium foil Min, until thoroughly defrosted Recipes for auto cook Grill skewers Gratinated fish fillet, ‘Italian’ Spinach gratinPotato and courgette gratin Place in a gratin dish Sprinkle the Gouda over the fish Heating food & drink DefrostingDefrosting & cooking Cooking, grilling & browning Recipes Adapting recipes for the microwave ovenOnion soup Min W Aubergines stuffed with minced meat Mushrooms with rosemaryHeat the cream and 100 ml of the wine in the bowl -3 min W Min. Dual Grill 630 W After cooking, stand for approx min Sole fillets Fish fillet with cheese sauceAlmond trout Melt the butter Min W Zürich veal stew Veal cutlets with mozzarellaStuffed ham Cut the veal into strips Lasagne Courgette and noodle gratinPears in chocolate sauce Min W After cooking, stand for approx -10 min Semolina pudding with raspberry sauce CheesecakeRamekin dishes Utensils Spring form tin Approx cm diameter Care & cleaning Reduced power level Specifications Problem Check ifWhat to do if Installation Installing the applianceMicrowave can be fitted in position a or B Please see the template sheet supplied with this oven Connecting the appliance to the power supply Electrical connections This Appliance Must be Earthed Environmental information Packaging materialsDisposal of old appliances Service & spare parts Customer careTel Guarantee conditions Standard guarantee conditionsThis guarantee does not cover Exclusions European Guarantee Guarantee informationFrance Senlis +33 Germany Nürnberg +49 Albania +35 Rr. Pjeter Bogdani Nr TiranePraha 4, 140 DanmarkPage TINS-A519URR0 Subject to change without notice