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TIPS FOR USING MICROWAVES
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic
radiation. They occur in nature in the form of
light waves (e.g. sunlight). In the oven, these
waves penetrate food from all directions to heat
water, fat and sugar molecules.
This generates heat very quickly in the food
itself only. The container warms up only as a
result of heat spreading from the food.
In microwave cooking, food does not stick to
Basic rules for microwave cooking
1) When you refer to the cooking tables later in this manual, remember that you must increase or
reduce cooking time to match the volume of food you are cooking.
Always respect standing time, in other words, the length of time you must leave food to "rest"
after cooking. Standing time ensures that food is served at an even temperature throughout.
The temperature of meat, for example, can rise between 5°C and 8°C (approx. 9°F to 15°F)
during standing time.
Food can be left to stand inside or outside the oven.
2) Always mix or stir food several times during cooking. This not only ensures even
temperature distribution but also reduces cooking time.
3) Food should also be turned over during cooking.
4) Pierce foods with skins, shells or peel (e.g. apples, potatoes, tomatoes,
frankfurters, fish, etc.) with a fork at several points to allow steam to
escape from inside. This prevents these foods from exploding inside
the oven (see fig. 4).
5) If you are cooking a number of portions of the same type of food (e.g. boi-
led potatoes), arrange the portions in a ring around the outside of an
ovenproof dish to ensure they cook evenly (see fig. 5).
6) The lower the temperature at which food is placed in the oven, the longer
the cooking time required. Food placed in the oven at room temperature
will cook sooner than food coming directly from the refrigerator.
7) Always place dishes and containers in the middle of the turntable.
8) It is perfectly normal for condensation to form inside the oven and near the air outlet vents.
To reduce condensation, cover food with clear film, wax paper, a Pyrex lid or just a plate.
Foods with a high water content (e.g. greens and vegetables) cook better when covered.
Covering food also helps keep the inside of the oven clean.
Use clear film made specifically for microwave ovens.
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the dish. You can therefore use very little fat
and in some cases no fat at all.
As it is low in fat, microwave cooking is consi-
dered to be healthy.
Microwave cooking also involves lower tempe-
ratures than traditional cooking. It therefore
dehydrates foods less, destroys less of their
nutritional value and retains more original fla-
vour.
fig. 4
fig. 5
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