Microwaves
– are reflected by metal,
– pass through glass, chinaware, plas-
tic and card,
– and are absorbed by food.
Material and shape
The material and shape of containers
used affect cooking results and times.
Heat distribution is more even in round
and oval shaped dishes than in rectan-
gular containers, providing better re-
sults.
Metal
Metal containers, aluminium foil and
metal cutlery, or china with metallic
decoration such as gold rims or co-
balt blue must not be used in micro-
wave mode.
The metal reflects the microwaves, hin-
dering the cooking process.
Exceptions:
If recommended by the producer, pre-
cooked meals packed in aluminium foil
containers can be defrosted and re-
heated in the microwave oven. Impor-
tant: remove the lid first. However, as
food is only heated from the top, it is
better to remove the food from the alu-
minium foil container and transfer it to a
dish suitable for a microwave oven. The
heat distribution will be more even. If
sparks and arcing occur when using a
metal container, stop and transfer the
food to a microwave safe container.
For even defrosting and to avoid over-
cooking unevenly shaped cuts of meat,
poultry or fish, small pieces of alu-
minium foil may be used to mask wing-
tips or other thin parts for the last few
minutes of the process.
Suitable containers for microwave ovens
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