10 Simple And Effective Tips On Microwave Cooking
Over the past three decades, microwave ovens have been debated quite intensely in the media – and not only. Even today, some people avoid microwave cooking given the potentially harmful effects of the electromagnetic energy. Whether we like it or not, we live in a busy world and our busy schedules do not allow us to spend hours in the kitchen, therefore these ovens are of utmost necessity. Here you will find 10 effective tips and hints that will help you cook a lot faster and healthier than before:
1. Never Cook Frozen Food
This is a very common mistake: people are in a hurry, so they simply throw frozen food in the microwave oven and expect it to be cooked right away. This is wrong! The oven must be set on “Defrost” mode before moving on to the next step – this way, the food will be cooked evenly. If you throw frozen food into the microwave oven and expect it to work its magic on your dinner, it will not happen – instead of getting a tasty meal, you will get partially cooked food which is not only horrible, but also potentially dangerous for your health.
2. Cut Food Into Smaller Pieces
Another common mistake people do is that they do not cut food before heating it up in the microwave oven. Every microwave cooking guide clearly states that for proper heating, food must be cut into uniform pieces and then spread evenly across the surface of the plate. During the heating process, the oven will rotate the food to make sure it gets heated evenly. If the food chunks are too big, this will prevent the plate from rotating.
3. Avoid Metal Containers At All Costs
Microwaves use electromagnetic energy in order to heat your food, and microwaves bounce off metal containers. This is why you must never use metal containers if you are passionate about microwave cooking, because this may start a fire inside the oven. In isolated cases, the oven might even explode, so better be safe than sorry!
4. Liquefy Honey!
We have all confronted with the issue of hardened honey at least once. Generally, this happens when you forget honey in the fridge over the night. If this is your situation, simply place the honey jar in the microwave and it will turn into liquid in less than one minute!
5. Pay Attention To Plastic Wrap
Plastic wrap is great, since it keeps your food fresh and it also traps heat inside the container. Nonetheless, you should avoid using plastic wrap when cooking or reheating foods using your microwave container, as the wrap may melt and affect the food.
6. Make Sure Containers Are Microwave-Safe
Generally speaking, when you purchase semi-prepared food it comes in microwave-safe container that allows you to reheat the product in the original container. However, this is not an universal rule, so make sure to always read the label before throwing that frozen lasagna in your microwave oven!
7. Do Not Cook Eggs In The Microwave
This is another important tip that you must pay attention to. This golden rule of microwave cooking says that you should never try to cook eggs, since pressure may build up inside the shell, causing the egg to explode. That is both messy and dangerous!
8. Do Not Season Your Food With Salt Prior To Microwave Cooking
Never put salt on your food before reheating or cooking it in your microwave oven, since this will enhance the taste of salt and it can even cause brown spots on the food.
9. Do Not Overcook Your Food
This is an essential aspect that you must take into account. One of the biggest mistakes people tend to so is that they unknowingly overcook their food. When that happens, vegetables and meats lose all their proteins and vitamins – you will get pure calories, without any nutrients whatsoever.
10. Do Not Heat Baby Milk Bottle In The Microwave
If you want to heat your baby's milk bottle, using the microwave to do so is certainly not a good idea, as the milk will lose its nutrients and it may also become too hot. Also, the bottle will overheat as well and it may cause burns. Instead of using the microwave, stick to the traditional way of heating baby milk – this also allows you to test the milk on your skin and see if it is warm enough.
To summarize, these 10 simple yet effective microwave cooking tips can help you heat or cook food safely. The microwave is an indispensable tool these days, but can still be very dangerous if not used properly!