EN-19
Good to know…
The correct cooking
temperature
Given that microwaves react with vary-
ing intensity to water, fat and sugar, the
cooking time depends signifi cantly on
the composition of the dish.
– Dishes which are high in fat or sugar
(doughnuts, puddings, fruitcakes)
cook more quickly – and reach high-
er temperatures – than other dishes,
as fat and sugar absorb microwave
energy well.
Make sure to observe the recom-
mended cooking times, otherwise
the food will burn and damage the
appliance.
– Dishes that have a high water con-
tent (fish, vegetables, sauces) cook
faster than “dry” dishes.
– “Dry” dishes (rice, grain products,
dried beans) cook very slowly.
Please add a little water to these
before cooking.
The correct quantity
The larger the quantity to be prepared,
the longer the cooking time. If, for
example, a potato takes 4 minutes, then
two potatoes will take 7 minutes. Rule
of thumb: Twice the quantity requires
approximately twice the amount of
time.
– Small food items cook more quick-
ly than large food items. And food
items of equal size cook through
more evenly than food items of dif-
ferent sizes. If possible, cut all food
into pieces of roughly the same size.
Remember to do this when freezing!
– When defrosting, size and form play
a key role. Small, flat food portions
defrost faster and more evenly than
larger, thicker food portions. During
the defrosting process, separate
portions that have already begun
to thaw, as exposed pieces defrost
faster.
Order of dishes
To achieve an even result, special
attention must be paid to arranging the
food correctly for cooking:
– Arrange food with several equally
sized pieces (potatoes, meatballs,
hamburgers) in a circle in the con-
tainer and leave the middle empty.
– For pieces of different sizes, place
the small or thin pieces in the mid-
dle, 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.
– Lay thin slices of meat on top of
each other or criss-cross them.
