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5.4 Suitable dishes for use in the microwave oven
1. Check that a dish is suitable to be used in a microwave oven.
Test: place the empty dish together with a glass of water (never activate the
device when empty or with only an empty container inside), then heat at the
highest power level for 60 seconds. An appropriate dish will be lukewarm.
If the dish is hot, it is not appropriate for use in the microwave oven.
2. Proper materials for dishes for the microwave oven allow microwaves to pass
through. Energy goes through the container and heats the food product.
3. Do not use metallic containers or containers containing metallic parts (e.g. gold
strips around the edge of a plate). Microwaves do not pass through metal.
4. Do not use products from recycled materials, as they may contain small pieces of
metal. If such containers are used, sparks and even fire may result.
5. Dishes of oval and round shapes should be used, as food products cook more
quickly in the corners of square-shaped containers.
6. Wide, flat containers are best suited to use in the microwave oven as compared to
narrow and tall ones. Food products cook evenly in flat dishes.
7. To avoid food from baking onto the edge of dishes, you may cover the edges with
thin strips of aluminum foil. Do not use too much aluminum foil, and leave a minimum
distance of 2.5 to 3.0 cm between the foil and walls of the microwave oven’s cooking
chamber.
The table below will help you in selecting the proper dishes:
Dishes for cooking
Usable in microwave ovens
Tempered baking glass
yes
Glass not resistant to high temperature
no
Tempered porcelain
yes
Plastic dishes suitable for use in microwave ovens
yes
Kitchen paper
yes
Metal tray / bowl
no
Metal rack
no
Microwave-proof aluminum foil
yes
Microwave-proof foil containers
yes
