Video:Cooking With a Microwave Tips

Transcript:Cooking With a Microwave Tips

Hi, I'm Stephanie Gallagher for About.com, and today, I'll share with you some tips for cooking with your microwave oven.

Tips for Cooking With a Microwave

The most important tip is to know what you can and can't put in the microwave.Don't use anything metal, such as stainless steel pans or cups or aluminum foil. It can catch fire.

More Tips for Cooking With a Microwave

Styrofoam containers and plastic containers that aren't specifically labelled as microwave-safe are also no-nos.Glass containers usually work well, and so does anything that is specifically labeled as microwave-safe.

Additional Tips for Cooking With a Microwave

When in doubt, read the bottom to make sure it's microwave safe. if it doesn't say it, don't use it in the microwave.Now just as with a slow cooker, cooking times for a microwave will vary dramatically depending on the type of microwave oven you have. So for example, an 1100-watt microwave oven will cook food faster than say, a 700-watt oven.

Cooking With a Microwave

The quantity of food you're heating will also have an impact. For example, two potatoes will take approximately 5-7 minutes to bake, whereas four potatoes will taken 10-12 minutes.

Many microwave recipes call for covering the food.If you don't have a glass lid, cover with microwave safe plastic wrap or microwave safe waxed paper.Many microwave recipes also call for venting the food. This allows some of the steam to escape during cooking.

A lot of microwave recipes suggest stirring foods halfway through cooking. Since microwave ovens typically cook the corners and outer edges of foods faster, this helps distribute the heat evenly throughout the food so it cooks properly.

Be sure to let the food you've microwaved stand for a few minutes before serving. This allows the heat to spread throughout the dish, finishing the cooking process and letting the temperature stabilize. If you microwave a lot and your microwave oven doesn't come with a glass carousel, consider investing in one. This turns the food while cooking, helps it cook evenly.

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