Page GB-12
Cooking methods
Cooking methods
The correct cooking time
Since microwaves react differently to water,
fat and sugar, the cooking time essentially de-
pends on the composition of the food.
– Foods with a high fat or sugar content
(doughnuts, puddings, fruit flans) cook
faster and reach higher temperatures than
other foods. Make sure to observe the rec-
ommended cooking time as otherwise the
food will burn and damage the appliance.
– Foods with a high water content (fish, vege-
tables, sauces) cook faster than ‘dry’ foods.
– ‘Dry’ foods (rice, cereal products, dried
beans) cook very slowly. Please add a little
water before cooking.
The correct quantity
The larger the quantity of food to be cooked,
the longer the cooking time. If one potato
takes 4 minutes to cook, two potatoes will
need 7 minutes.
Rule of thumb: Double the quantity needs
nearly double the time.
– Smaller pieces cook faster than large ones.
And equally sized pieces cook more even-
ly than differently sized pieces. If possible,
cut all foods into pieces that are roughly
the same size. Remember to do this when
freezing!
– Size and shape play an important role
when defrosting. Small, flat pieces defrost
faster and more evenly than large, thick
ones. Separate the already defrosted parts
during the defrosting process, as exposed
pieces defrost faster.
Arrangement of food
To achieve a uniform cooking result, pay spe-
cial attention to the correct arrangement of
the food:
– Arrange food with several equally sized
pieces (potatoes, meatballs, hamburgers)
in a circle in the container and leave the
middle empty.
– For pieces of different sizes, place the
small or thin pieces in the middle, as these
pieces will be the last to cook.
– For irregularly shaped pieces (e.g. fish)
place the thin or flatter end towards the
middle.
– Put thin meat slices on top of each other
or crosswise.
– Put thicker meat slices and pieces (roast,
sausages, etc.) close together.
– Heat the meat juice and sauce in a sepa-
rate container; only fill this two-thirds full.
Piercing and scarifying
Heating creates an overpressure in many
foods. It is therefore recommended to pierce
or scarify certain foods to prevent them from
bursting.
– Do not cook eggs with shell in the micro-
wave - except in special containers, which
are commercially available.
– Pierce food with peels or skins (potatoes,
tomatoes, sausages, aubergines, egg
yolks) to prevent it from bursting open.
– Carve a whole fish on the fish skin to pre-
vent it from tearing open.
