Reheating
General Advice For Reheating Lid
As a general rule, “moist” food or food with sauce which is to be reheated in the microwave must be covered with a lid, dishcover or clingfilm; “dry” or crispy food or food to be baked should not be covered. Finally sauces, drinks and soups which need to be stirred before and after reheating should not be covered (be careful the food does not spill) or should just be covered with a saucer.
Individual portion ready-meals
Place the dense food items around the edges and spread out the more liquid items. If there is no sauce, add a knob of butter or other fat on the starchy food. A standard portion will reheat in 2 to 3 minutes on MAX power. If you want to reheat two portions at the same time, place them one on top of the other using a special microwave stacker or an
Aluminium trays and metal tins
Food in these containers must be transferred to other containers which are microwave safe.
Soups - Stews
These items may liquify as they defrost, so make sure you place then in suitable containers. Remember to cut up the blocks and stir the pieces as the food reheats.
Filled pastries and pies
The fillings of these items often contain large amounts of fat, sugar or salt, so they reheat very quickly and can be much hotter than the crust. Take care not to overheat and not to burn yourself. Reheating these food items using microwaves is not recommended because the pastry becomes soft. Use combination cooking.
Baby bottles and baby food:
Warning: after reheating, you must always test the temperature of the milk or the food in the usual way (for example on the back of your hand), BEFORE feeding the baby or young child, to avoid serious internal burns. The baby bottle should be shaken vigorously, as the temperature may vary from the top to the bottom of the bottle.
Sterilisation: we do not recommend you use the microwave to sterilise baby bottles.
If you use a microwave steriliser, use the amount of water advised by the manufacturer and follow the manufacturerʼs instructions closely.
Temperature:
Food which has been kept in the refrigerator will take longer to reheat than food kept at room temperature.
Always check the temperature before eating, even if you have kept to the cooking times indicated in the book or on the packet.
If in doubt, increase the reheating time.
Stirring:
Remember to turn or stir the food as often as possible during the reheating process in order to even out the temperature at the edges and in the middle. Food which cannot be stirred (such as gratins) must be cut and tested in the middle.
Standing time:
As heat continues to spread by conduction after reheating, it is important to wait a few minutes before eating (from
