©2004 Maytag Appliances Company
16023053 Rev. 0
A–7
The Amana Microwave Oven can make your job easier.
You’ll cook ahead and pre-portion more. You’ll also spend
less time preparing special-order dishes.
To be sure of consistently good results, remember a few
simple guidelines.
How Microwave Ovens Heat Food
All food and liquid molecules have positive and negative
particles which are in constant, but slow, motion.
(Positive and negatives attract and repel each other like
magnets.) In microwave cooking this molecular action is
then accelerated. The instant microwaves bombard food
which agitate the molecules. Agitation causes friction as
molecules rub and bump into each other at an increased
rate. Friction results in heat that cooks food and boils
water.
Once the microwaves stop, this friction action continues
by itself, eventually tapering off and returning to normal
molecular action.
Microwaves penetrate food to a depth of ¾" to 1½". As
cooking begins, heat is spread by conduction to the
interior portion of the food just as in conventional cooking
methods.
Food Variables
Microwave cooking can be directly affected by different
food variables.
The
shape
of foods can greatly affect the amount of
cooking time. Foods that are flat and thin heat faster than
foods which are chunky. For example, a casserole will
cook faster in a flat dish, rather than if heaped in a small
dish. Foods cut into small pieces will cook faster than
large-shaped foods. Pieces should be of a uniform size
and shape for more uniform cooking, or the smaller
pieces will cook faster. The greatest amount of heating
takes place within ¾" of the food’s surface. The interior of
large food items, or dense foods, is heated by the heat
conducted from the outer food layer. The most uniform
heating occurs in flat, doughnut-shaped foods. For best
results, cook foods together which have similar sizes and
shapes.
The
quantity
or volume of a food can affect the amount of
cooking time. As the volume of the food is increased, the
time required to cook or heat the item increases almost
proportionately. If twice the amount of food is placed in
the oven, it will take almost twice as long to cook. To
determine the time for larger quantities, multiply the
individual serving time by the increased amount, then
reduce the total heating time by about 20%.
Cooking Guidelines
The
density
of foods can greatly affect the amount of
cooking time. Porous foods, such as breads, cakes or
pastries, will heat much more quickly than dense meats
of the same size. Porous foods absorb microwaves
quickly throughout. Meats absorb microwaves mostly at
the exterior surface, and the interior is heated by
conduction, increasing the cooking time. Meats can be
cooked in a sauce, if desired. Due to the moisture
content, a sauce will heat rapidly. The heat will transfer to
the meat, so the meat will heat faster due to heat by
conduction as well as by microwaves.
The
starting temperature
of foods affects the amount of
cooking time. Each temperature degree that the food
item is to raise must be supplied with a definite amount
of energy. Lower initial starting temperatures require more
energy and more time to cook. Therefore, refrigerator
temperature foods require a longer cooking time than
room temperature foods. Foods already slightly warm will
heat very quickly in the oven.
The
moisture content
of foods affects the amount of
cooking time. The higher the moisture content is in a
food the longer the amount of cooking time.
The
fat and sugar content
of foods affects the amount
of cooking time. Foods containing high fat and sugar
levels heat very quickly and may reach much higher
temperatures than foods having low fat and sugar levels.
Foods having lower fat and sugar levels require longer
cooking times.
The
arrangement
of food within a microwave oven cavity
affects the way in which the food cooks. A “round”
arrangement is best. Use round utensils whenever
possible. Also, arrange foods such as baked potatoes in
a circle, rather than in rows, for cooking. When only one
food item is being cooked, place it in the center of the
oven glass shelf for cooking.
Manipulation of Foods
Sometimes recipes suggest manipulating or moving food
during cooking. There are several forms of manipulation:
Stirring
is required less often in microwave cooking than
in conventional cooking. In conventional cooking, you use
a spoon to move food up from the bottom of a pan to
evenly distribute the heat. In microwave cooking, you still
stir to redistribute the heat within some foods, but you
need to stir from the outside of a dish toward the inside
or center. If a recipe states to stir once or twice during
cooking, stir at approximately even intervals. For
example, in a 12-minute cooking period, if a recipe states
to stir twice, stir after 4 minutes of cooking and again,
after 8 minutes of cooking. However, it is not necessary
to be precise. Stir only when necessary. When using
lower power levels or settings, less stirring is required.
Some examples of foods which may require stirring are
puddings, some casseroles, some sauces, some soups,
and some egg dishes. Some foods can’t be stirred.
These foods are rearranged or turned.
