Tell me more ×
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

I just bought a muffin tin which is too large and certainly won't rotate on the turntable. My microwave doesn't have a "stop turntable" button. So is it okay if I remove it altogether and use just an oven rack to place my muffin tin on? Will it result in uneven baking?

share|improve this question
Is the muffin tin metal? – ElendilTheTall Apr 25 '12 at 15:40
@ElendilTheTall It is metal. I am assuming aluminium. It's non-stick though – Uday Kanth Apr 25 '12 at 15:42
And your microwave doesn't use any actual microwaves in convection mode? – ElendilTheTall Apr 25 '12 at 15:43
@ElendilTheTall Yes, I'm pretty sure it doesn't. – Uday Kanth Apr 25 '12 at 15:45
Sorry to state the obvious, but have you checked the manual? It may provide guidance. And also answer if you can use a metal muffin tin and rack in convection mode. – derobert Apr 25 '12 at 16:23
show 2 more comments

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

I'm specifically answering your question "Is it okay to use a microwave in convection mode without the turntable?" -- Yes.

Your own answer points out the reality that if a pan is too large then the turn table will simply hit the sides of the microwave oven and then stop turning. There is nothing wrong with this. There is nothing wrong or damaging to have a metal tin touch the metal sides of your oven.

How was your baked items bottom? If you can sit your tin up so there is air flow under your tin, then you will improve the baking efficiency and it will bake more evenly.

CAUTION: If anyone else is reading this question and wondering about their own machine, then you really need to take caution about the "convention only" mode. You have to make sure there are NO microwaves in this mode or else your metal will conduct and you could have a serious explosion or break your microwave oven.

share|improve this answer
There was airflow under the tin since I placed on a medium oven rack. The only glitch I faced was that the top surface of the muffins didn't get browned. I didn't risk baking longer because the rest of the muffin was perfectly baked. – Uday Kanth Apr 28 '12 at 7:33
And yes, it is important that everyone check their user guide to see if they can use metal tins in convection mode. Mine specifically states that I can do so. – Uday Kanth Apr 28 '12 at 7:38
When I work with convection microwaves, I find it essential to preheat the oven. The insides are all metal, so if that is hot to the touch then it will be radiating its heat energy onto your baked goods. Unfortunately, it usually takes FOREVER to preheat, which is a ton of wasted energy. – MADCookie Apr 30 '12 at 17:57
up vote 0 down vote

If the problem is that the tin is too large for your microwave to rotate, then you can put your tin on the turntable anyway (or on an oven rack placed on the turntable). The turntable rotates and the tin tries to rotate but will not after a point. I have tried this, and it was perfectly okay to bake muffins like this. They were evenly cooked too. But you might want to flip the position of the tin midway just in case.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.