3 Common Problems of Microwave Cooking and Their Simple Solutions
Microwave cooking is convenient, cost-effective, and energy-efficient. But it presents some unique challenges.
Read on for 3 common problems of microwave cooking and easy solutions for them.
Psst! In a hurry? Get a printable recap of the top tips from this article here.
PROBLEM #1: Not all dishes or containers are suited for microwave cooking.
Some containers are not microwave-safe. It can be challenging to know and easy to assume incorrectly about what you should place your food on or in for the best microwaving experience.
Other containers may have certain chemicals and other compounds that can leach into your food and cause harmful health effects.
SOLUTIONS:
Be sure to place your food on a dish or container that is marked microwave-safe prior to heating it. This is usually indicated on the bottom or underside of the dish.
Also consider that plastic can leach into your food when it is heated. The best things for your food to sit on in the microwave are microwave-safe types of glass and ceramic dishes and containers. Paper plates and bowls can also work effectively for this purpose.
If cost or other factors are barriers to obtaining non-plastic containers, at least aim for plastic that does not contain Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is especially harmful and especially prone to leaching.
Finally, your dish or container should not be made of metal or contain reflective materials or pieces. Microwaves (the waves themselves) can bounce off of reflective materials and cause the appliance to overheat, even becoming a fire risk.
PROBLEM #2: Microwaved food may be a different texture than if it was cooked in a conventional oven.
Conventional ovens use infrared rays to heat food. Microwave ovens cook using microwaves, a different type of heat.
On top of this, microwaves typically use high heat in a small space, causing the food's water content to evaporate quickly.
For these reasons, microwaved food often has a different texture than it did prior to heating.
SOLUTIONS:
Some recipe tweaks are needed when cooking in the microwave. Because of the evaporation issue mentioned above, the taste of salt and other spices can become more prominent.
So when converting a traditional recipe to a microwave recipe, we recommend cutting the amount of salt and spices in half.
Of course, this only applies if you are adding the salt or spices prior to microwaving. If you add them afterward instead, you would use the normal amount since those spices are not being cooked.
Pausing the microwave about halfway through the cook time and stirring it can also help even out the texture as well.
Finally, when possible, place your food on a plate or other flatter surface instead of a bowl or container with sides. Dishes and containers with sides add another layer that absorbs the microwaves before they even reach the edges of the food, causing the food to heat even less evenly.
PROBLEM #3: Microwaves can heat food unevenly.
Microwaves are notorious for heating food unevenly. Often the outer parts of a food are heated faster than the part in the center of the plate. Sometimes the middle is still cold while the edges of the food are too hot to touch!
If this happens to you, it could be for a couple reasons. First, different parts of your food can have different water content percentages and densities.
Second, the microwaves come from the side of the microwave oven. So they reach the outer edges of your food first. The food absorbs the heat, and the waves do not move any further.
SOLUTIONS:
If possible, arrange your food in a circle around the outer edges of the plate or container.
If this is not possible, microwave your food for half of the required time. Then stir your food before microwaving it for the remainder of the time.
Another option is to rotate your entire plate 180° halfway through the cook time.
Recap
So to recap, our top tips and solutions for these common microwave problems are as follows:
- Set your food on a dish or container that is marked as microwave-safe, preferably one that is glass or ceramic.
- Do not put metal or other reflective materials in the microwave.
- If you don't have access to non-plastic dishes or containers, choose a plastic that is BPA-free.
- When possible, use a plate rather than a dish/container with sides.
- If you add salt or spices to your food before microwaving it, use only half of the suggested amount.
- If possible, arrange your food in a circle around the outer and middle parts of the plate, so no food is in the center of the dish.
- About halfway through your cook time, pause the microwave and either stir the food or rotate the entire plate.
Read More
We hope this information improves your microwave cooking experience. For more microwave tips and recipes, check out our Microwave page here!
