Introducing Microwave Cooking; Cooking With A Microwave - Sandstrom SCS2510E Instruction Manual

Introducing Microwave Cooking

Always remember the basic safeguards you should follow when using any cooking equipment or handling
hot food.
See below for basic guidelines in microwave cooking.

Cooking with a Microwave

• Cooking with a microwave is much faster than conventional cooking and, whilst you should make sure
that food is fully cooked, you should be careful not to overcook it.
• Microwave energy can heat unevenly so stirring to distribute heat is very important. Always stir from
the outside, inwards.
• If you are cooking a number of individual foods at the same time, such as baked potatoes or small
cakes, arrange them evenly on the turntable so that they cook evenly. Never stack food in your
microwave.
• Turn larger foods such as meat roasts and poultry during cooking so that the top and bottom cook
evenly. It is also recommended to turn pieces of meat or poultry, especially if they have not been
deboned.
• Meat and poultry which is cooked for 15 minutes or more will brown lightly in it's own fat. Anything
cooked for a shorter time can be brushed with a browning sauce to give an appetising colour.
• Strips of aluminium foil can be used to cover the thinner pieces of food to stop them overcooking
before the thicker parts of the food have had a chance to cook. Use the foil sparingly and wrap around
the food or container carefully to stop it touching the inside of the microwave which could cause
sparks.
• Microwave cook food using microwave energy that is similar to naturally occurring radio waves.
Normally, these "waves" would fade as they dispersed into the atmosphere but in a microwave they are
concentrated onto food causing it to heat up.
• Microwave energy cannot pass through metal – so it cannot escape from inside your microwave – but
it can pass through materials like glass, porcelain, plastic and paper.
These materials are used in the manufacture of microwave safe
cooking equipment.
• Microwave safe cooking equipment will still get hot as the food
it contains heats up.
The microwave energy focuses on the moisture in the food
causing lots of tiny vibrations. The vibrations get so great that the
moisture – and the food – heat up.
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