Whirlpool MHE13XH warranty Stirring, turning foods, Covering food For the best cooking results

COOKING GUIDE

MICROWAVE COOKING TIPS

COOKING GUIDE

Stirring, turning foods

•Stirring and turning foods distributes heat quickly to the center of the dish and avoids overcooking at the outer edges of the food.

Covering food

For the best cooking results

•Always cook food for the shortest cooking time rec- ommended.

•Stir, turn over, or rearrange the food being cooked about halfway through the cooking time. This will help make sure the food is evenly cooked.

•If you do not have a cover for a dish, use wax paper, or microwave-approved paper towels or plas- tic wrap. Remember to turn back a corner of the plastic wrap to vent steam during cooking.

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 reheat than lighter, more porous food like sponge cakes.

Size and shape

•Smaller pieces of food will cook faster than larger pieces and same-shaped pieces of food cook more evenly than irregularly shaped foods.

•With 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.

Cover food to: reduce splattering, shorten cooking times, and retain food moisture.

All coverings that allow microwaves to pass through are suitable.

Releasing pressure in foods

•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, pierce these foods before cooking with a fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick.

Using standing time

•Always allow food to stand for a while after cooking. Standing time after defrosting, cooking, or reheating always improves the result since the temperature will then be evenly distributed throughout the food.

•The length of the standing time depends on the volume and density of the food. Larger, denser foods require a longer standing time.

Arranging food

For best results, distribute 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. Shield the tail and head of whole fish with small pieces of foil to prevent overcooking and ensure the foil does not touch the sides of the oven.

•Do not let food or container touch the top or sides of the oven. This will prevent possible arcing.

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