21
General guidelines
Dish size
Follow the dish sizes given in
the recipes, as these affect the
cooking and reheating times.
A quantity of food spread in a
bigger dish cooks and reheats
more quickly
Quantity
Small quantities cook faster
than large quantities, also
small meals will reheat more
quickly than large portions.
Spacing
Foods cook more quickly and
evenly if spaced apart. Never
pile foods on top of each other.
Shape
Even shapes cook evenly.
Food cooks better by
microwave when in a round
container rather than square.
Density
Porous airy foods heat more
quickly than dense heavy
foods.
Covering
Cover foods with microwave
cling film or a self-fitting lid.
Cover fish, vegetables,
casseroles, soups. Do not
cover cakes, sauces, jacket
potatoes, pastry items. Please
refer to cooking charts and
recipes for more information.
Arranging
Individual foods e.g. chicken
portions or chops, should be
placed in a dish so that the
thicker parts are to the outside.
Ingredients
Foods containing fat, sugar or
salt heat up very quickly. The
filling may be much hotter than
the pastry. Take care when
eating. Do not overheat even
if the pastry does not appear
to be very hot.
Starting temperature
The colder the food, the longer
it takes to heat up. Food from
a fridge takes longer to reheat
than food at room temperature.
Food temperature should
be between 5-8 °C before
cooking.
Turning and stirring
Some foods require stirring
during cooking. Meat and
poultry should be turned after
half the cooking time.
Liquids
All liquids must be stirred
before, during and after
heating. Water especially must
be stirred before and during
heating, to avoid eruption.
Do not heat liquids that have
previously been boiled. Do not
overheat.
Checking food
It is essential that food is
checked during and after a
recommended cooking time,
even if an auto program
has been used (just as you
would check food cooked in
a conventional oven). Return
the food to the oven for further
cooking if necessary.
Cleaning
As microwaves work on food
particles, keep your oven clean
at all times. Stubborn spots of
food can be removed by using a
branded oven cleaner, sprayed
onto a soft cloth. Always wipe the
oven dry after cleaning. Avoid
any plastic parts and door area.
Customers should not spray
directly into the cavity.
