Reheating
74
Select the following microwave power
levels to reheat food:
Drinks
900 W
Food
600 W
Food for babies and
children
450 W
Risk of burning due to hot food.
Food for babies and children must
not be too hot.
Reheat it for only 1/2 to 1 minute at
450 W.
Tips on reheating
Always use a lid or cover for reheating
food, except when a crispy finish is
required, e.g. crumbed poultry/meat.
Risk of explosion due to
pressure build-up.
Pressure can build up when
reheating food or drinks in sealed
containers, jars or bottles, which can
cause them to explode.
Sealed glass containers, such as jars
of baby food, must be opened before
they are placed in the microwave. Do
not attempt to heat them up
unopened. With baby bottles, the
screw top and teat must be taken
off.
Risk of injury from boiling liquids.
When heating liquids, milk, sauces
etc. using microwave power, the
boiling point of the liquid may be
reached without the production of
the typical bubbles. Liquids do not
boil evenly throughout. This so-
called 'boiling delay' can cause a
sudden build-up of bubbles when
the container is removed from the
oven or shaken, which can lead to
the liquid boiling over suddenly and
explosively. The formation of bubbles
can be so strong that the pressure
forces the oven door open.
Flash boiling can be avoided by
stirring liquids before heating them.
After heating, wait at least
20 seconds before removing the
container from the oven. In addition,
a glass rod or similar item, if
available, can be placed in the
container during heating.
Eggs can explode.
Never reheat hard boiled eggs in the
microwave, even without the shell.
Food taken straight from the refrigerator
takes longer to reheat than food which
has been kept at room temperature.
The reheating time required depends on
the nature of the food, its initial
temperature and the amount to be
cooked.
Always ensure that food is
sufficiently cooked or reheated.
If in any doubt that a sufficiently high
temperature has been reached,
continue reheating for a little longer.
