Microwave Cooking Tips - Kenmore 721.80492 Use & Care Manual

MICROWAVE COOKING TIPS
Amount of food
- If you incm_ _ d_rease the amount of food
you prepare, the time it takes to cook that food wi]]
also change. For example, ifyou double a recipe,
add a little more than haft the original cooking time.
Check for doneness and, if necessary, add more
time in small increments.
Startingtemperature of food
• _ lower the tempera_re of the food being put
into the microwave oven, the longer ittakes to cook.
Food at room temperature _]] be re-heated more
qui_]y than food at refrigerator temperature.
Composition of food
oFood with a lot of fat and s,_ar 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 _se 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 andshape
* _aller pieces of food will cook faster than larger
pie_s_ Also, same shap_ pieces cook more
evenly than different-shaped pi_s.
- With foods _t have different thicknesses, the
thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker parts,
Place the thinner parts of chbken wings and legs in
the _nter of the dish.
Stirring,turningfoods
- Sfirring and tumir:9 foods sprees heat qu_kly to
the _nter of the dish and avoids overcooking at the
outer edg_ of the food.
Covering food
Cover food to:
* Red_e splattering
° _en cooking times
- Keep food moist
You can use any covering that lets microwaves pass
through. See "Getting to Know 'four Microwave
Oven' for materials that microwaves will pass
through, If you are using the Sensor function, be sure
to vent.
Releasing pressure in foods
• Several foods (for example: baked potatoes,
saus_es, _g 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, _erce these foods before cooking with a
fork, cocktail pick, or toothpick,
Usingstandingtime
• Always _|ow food to stand after cooking.
S_nding time after defrosting ar# cooking allows
the temperature to evenly spread throughout the
food, improvingthe cooking results.
° The I_th of _ _ar_i_ time depends on how
much f_ you are cooking and how dense it is.
Sometimes itcan be as short as the time it takes
you to remove the food from the oven and take it to
the serving table. However, with larger, denser food,
the standing time may _ 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 c_ing _vera| items of the _e
food, such as baked potatoes, pla_ them in a ring
pattern for uniform co_ing.
• _r_n cooking foods of u_ven shapes or
thickness, such _ chicken breasts, pla_ the
smaller or thinner area of the food towards the
center of the dish where _ will be heated last.
• Layer _in slices of meat on top of each other.
• 'W_ 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.
Using aluminum foil
Metal containers shouM not be used in a microwave
oven. There are, however, some exceptions. If you
have purchas_ food which is prepackaged in an
aluminum foil container, refer to the, instructions on
the package. When using aluminum foil containers,
cooking times may be longer because microwaves
will only penetrate the top of the food. If you use
aluminum containers without package instructions,
follow the_ guidelines:
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