Microwave Cooking - Kenmore 790.8032 Series Use & Care Manual

Microwave Cooking Tips
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 readiness 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 cool<. Food at room temperature will
reheat quicker than food at refrigerator
temperature.
Composition of Food
* Food with a lot of fat and sugar will heat
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 heat than lighter, more porous food,
like sponge cakes.
Size and Shape
* Smaller pieces of food will cook faster than
larger pieces. Also, same shaped pieces cool<
more evenly than differently shaped pieces.
* With foods that have different thlcknesses, the
thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker
parts. Place the thinner parts of chicken wings
and legs in the center of the dish.
Stirring and Turning Foods
* Stirring and turning foods spreads heat quickly
to the center of the dish and avoids overcooking
at the outer edges of the food.
Covering Food
* Cover food to reduce splattering, shorten cooking
times, and keep food moist.
You can use any covering that lets microwaves
pass through. See "Getting to Know Your Microwave
Oven" for materials that microwaves will
pass through.
Releasing Pressure in Foods
* Several foods (for example: baked potatoes, sausages,
egg yolks, and some fruits) are tightly covered by a skin
or membrane. Steam can build up under the membrane
during cooking, causing the food to burst. 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, either in or out of the oven,
after cooking power stops. Standing time after defrosting
and cooking allows the temperature to evenly spread
throughout the food, improving the cooking results. For
inside oven standing time, you can program a "0" power
second stage of the cooking cycle. See Two-Stage Cooking.
* The length of the standing time depends on how much
food you are cooking and how dense it is. Sometimes it
can be as short as the time it takes to remove the food
from the oven and take it to the serving table. However,
with a larger, denser food item, the standing time may
be as long as 10 minutes.
Arranging Food
For best results, place 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.
* Do not let food or a container touch the top or sides of
the oven. This will prevent possible arcing. Arcing is a
spark that can cause damage to the oven interior.
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