Questions tagged [microwave]
Covering cooking with a microwave, selection of appropriate cooking times and powers, cooking from fresh and re-heating, differences and techniques for microwave cooking.
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Why did my banana catch fire in the microwave?
Wow, that sounds like a silly question, but really! My wife froze bananas in the freezer with the peel still on. You can't peel them frozen. I put it in the microwave for one minute at 50% power. ...
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Why didn't microwaving a stainless steel spoon set my kitchen on fire?
I am a new, and newly sleep-deprived, dad. As such, I didn't think twice about taking a big, shiny, stainless steel spoon and sticking it right in a baby bottle sterilizer. ("I want this supplement to ...
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Are there any dishes that can only be cooked with a microwave?
I read this question for microwaving chicken, and it left me wondering:
Are there any dishes that can only be prepared with a microwave? If such dishes exist, what are their characteristics and why ...
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Why is some metal safe to use in a microwave, but others not?
This might be a more scientific question, but it relates to cooking and I thought it was interesting.
I just made my lunch which was a microwavable bowl of chunky soup.
The directions said:
...
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Is it safe to boil water in a microwave?
Our electric kettle broke. So this morning I used the microwave to boil water for the first cup of coffee.
Only thing is - the water in south Africa is not really the best of quality when you get it ...
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Why do my mini pizzas have microwave trays?
I have these frozen mini pizzas which come with a silver piece of cardboard (see image at the end). I disregarded it at first, but then read the cooking instructions and it says that it is a microwave ...
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Why use a kettle to heat water?
Whenever I need to heat up water for a French press or hot chocolate, I do it in the microwave. Is there a good reason to use a kettle instead of the microwave to heat water?
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Why does a microwave rotate the food being cooked? And is there ever a time when it shouldn't rotate?
Most microwaves I've used have a plate at the bottom that rotates when the microwave is running. I presume that rotating helps more evenly heat the food.
Interestingly, my microwave rotates by ...
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Is my microwave damaged if I can smell the food inside it?
I think I can smell the food inside my microwave. Is that bad?
I figured it's not necessarily unsafe, since you only need a cage to block the microwaves from escaping, but I'm not familiar with the ...
user81291
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What are the pros and cons of Convection Microwave Ovens?
Are convection microwave ovens a useful item to have? Or are they not good as a microwave and not good as a convection oven either?
I understand that a regular convection oven helps to cook things ...
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Does microwaving destroy nutrients in food?
After answering this article, I did some research on microwaving killing vitamins and nutrients in food.
I very quickly learned that this is a touchy subject, even among nutritionists, and nobody (at ...
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Can you pop microwave popcorn on a stove?
I move quite a bit and suddenly I found myself with microwave popcorn but without any microwave. I'd like to pop them anyway.
I've seen in movies how people pop corn on stoves in various ways but I ...
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Why is putting an egg in the microwave not recommended?
I would like to know why it is not recommended to put an egg in the microwave.
Where does this "legend" comes from ?
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Why does coffee taste awful after reheating it in a microwave oven?
I brew my coffee with a percolator using finely ground beans and it comes out great when it is still hot. However, I have to brew at least two cups in the machine. So if I make coffee in the morning, ...
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Why do we need to reheat food?
Among family, I have found radically different approaches to reheating food that has already been fully cooked. Some will not eat last night's leftovers unless they have been microwaved to the point ...
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Exploding shelled egg in microwave
My partner, dissatisfied with raggedy poached eggs, found an alternative method. Most likely on Facebook :P
Break an egg into a glass, add a little water, microwave until cooked.
The first attempt ...
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How can I reheat a roux-based (alfredo) sauce in the microwave without separation?
I made an alfredo sauce last night using a roux made with ghee instead of regular butter, since that's what I had on hand. The ingredients were: ghee, flour, heavy cream, garlic, pecorino romano, and ...
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What is the white foam that builds up when I make tea?
I microwave water in order to make tea. After it is microwaved and I drop the tea bag(green tea) into the water, thick white foam builds up on the top.
What is it and should I worry about drinking it?...
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Can you put polystyrene in the microwave oven
I want to know for sure if you can use polystyrene trays (such as those that meat comes in) in the microwave oven?
I have read some fairly official looking reports and articles that say there's not ...
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Should I use my microwave's 'popcorn' button?
My microwave oven has a "POPCORN" button. Its manual reads:
Touch this pad when popping popcorn in your microwave oven. The oven's sensor will tell the oven how long to cook depending on the amount ...
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How does the power setting on a microwave work?
In general, how does the microwave power setting work? Is it a straight percentage of the maximum wattage or is it something less precise?
For example, would the time to cook something in a 700 watt ...
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Rule of thumb for cooking multiple things in a microwave at the same time?
Is it possible to cook multiple things at the same time in a microwave and how do I adjust the cooking time?
What if the two items are identical, do I double the time or multiply it by some other ...
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Microwave-safe cups becoming less safe
For a couple of years we have been using a microwave-safe cup to heat up milk. The milk is whipped until it's creamy, then we add coffee on top of it and we have a sort of cappuccino. Until recently ...
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Why do microwave ovens make bread rubbery?
Why does heating bread (cinnamon buns) in a microwave give it a rubbery texture, when a regular oven doesn't? What are the chemical or structural changes?
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Cooking pasta in the microwave
I have a microwave "pot" that I use for steaming vegetables. The instructions say it can also be used for cooking pasta, which seems sacrilege to me.
Does anybody know if the result would be a good al ...
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Why do marshmallows poof up so huge when put in the microwave?
As anyone who's put marshmallows in the microwave knows, they expand a ton! Sometimes they puff up to literally more than twice their original size (YouTube video for those who haven't seen it).
So, ...
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Is it wise to use an aluminum foil in the microwave? Is there a substitute for the aluminum foil?
I was recently looking up a recipe for quick Chawanmushi and came across a recipe which used aluminum foil in the microwave.
First of all, I thought that aluminum foil, with it's jagged edges would ...
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Water Exploded in Microwave
I heated water in the microwave and it exploded inside. Water was pouring out even though the door was shut. I now know that I'm not supposed to heat water in the microwave. But I did and now after ...
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How come heating milk in the microwave is safe?
I was reading this question and began to ask myself...
Since milk contains calcium, and calcium is a metal (just like potassium), how come putting a cup of milk in the microwave is safe and there are ...
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How do I adjust cooking time for an under-powered microwave?
Example:
I have an 800-Watt microwave. Cooking instructions for a certain product say to cook on HIGH for 4 minutes in a 1,100-Watt microwave.
How do I properly adjust the cooking time so that my ...
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Why doesn't a microwave heat the air around food, in addition to the food itself?
I'm reading Harold McGee's "On Food And Cooking", and in the "Microwave Cooking" section he writes:
Since the air in the oven is not heated, microwave ovens can’t brown meat ...
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Microwave oven first time use — "10 minutes with water"?
My Samsung ME731K microwave oven just arrived. There is this instruction (in less than perfect English) and I'm not sure how to interpret it.
Before using the your oven first time, oven should be ...
user26951
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general principles of piercing the protective cover of unfrozen microwave ready meals
The microwave ready meals I tend to eat all say the same thing: pierce the protective plastic cover before heating at %POWER%, usually around 800W for %TIME%, usually 4-5 minutes. Most of them say to ...
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Is my microwave still safe to use after accidentally heating metal in it?
My small kid used a metal bowl in a microwave oven and there was a spark. I immediately switched off the oven.
There was a burnt mark on the left side of the oven. Though the microwave oven switches ...
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Why does microwave popcorn burn?
I've been experimenting some with do it yourself microwave popcorn, and some trouble getting the 'burn time' right has led me to a question that I can't find a good, definitive answer to.
What is the ...
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Is it ok to microwave veggies without water instead of blanching them in a pot of water?
Whenever I see a recipe which requires me to blanch vegetables for a few minutes, I microwave them instead. It's sometimes faster, I don't have to get a pot dirty, and I don't usually have to dry the ...
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Potato in the microwave
My brother in law was telling me the other day that he just sticks whole potatos into the microwave wrapped in wax paper for a quick snack. Is this ok/safe? If you do this, do you have other ...
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Why microwaves do not kill harmful bacteria as well as boiling?
Medical Biochemistry point of view
My biochemistry teacher said today that the problem with micros is that they do not kill all harmful bacteria. He proposed boiling food instead.
I think there are ...
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Should I cover food while reheating it in a microwave?
For reasons of time, I like to cook more than one portion of a meal and then reheat a portion in the microwave whenever it's needed.
Aiming for maximum energy efficiency, I wonder if it's a good idea ...
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Boil an egg in the microwave
Is it possible to boil an egg in the microwave?
Ideally without having to pierce the shell first
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What is the difference between Microwave, Microwave Oven, and Oven?
Some sites say that a "microwave" is only for heating or re-heating cooked food. Whereas, in "microwave ovens", you can microwave and bake. Is that true?
If it is, then why I can cook main course ...
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Water in the microwave to reheat pizza better
I've seen this claim various times on the Internet; for example at https://i.stack.imgur.com/X5jha.jpg
Put a small amount of water in a glass when you microwave your pizza to keep the crust from ...
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Can I prepare instant noodles in the microwave?
I want to prepare instant noodles in microwave. The instructions on the pack clearly mention a gas stove to be used, but I don't have access to one.
The instant noodles I am talking about are Nestle'...
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Products that can be microwaved and "pop" just like popcorn
What makes corn pop and is it possible to microwave any other type of food into the form of pop-something just like sweetcorn?
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How can I thicken/firm up this caramel?
At the weekend, I made millionaire shortbread according to the recipe in Nigella Lawson's "How To Be a Domestic Goddess" (the full recipe is below for completeness). For the caramel part, ...
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Is it possible for a potato to catch fire after 10 minutes in the microwave?
Yesterday on reddit a user posted this picture of a potato:
He said that he followed an online recipe. He put it in the microwave for 5 minutes, turned the potato, and put it back in for 5 more ...
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How can I address watery eggs in a microwaved breakfast sandwich?
My blessed wife fixes me batches of breakfast sandwiches consisting of a sandwich thin, some ham and egg whites and freezes them. It's a great breakfast, except for the fact that as it defrosts in the ...
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microwaving scrambled eggs
Has anyone come up with a way to cook beaten eggs via microwave?
My attempts to do so have resulted in a off-coloured mess with the consistency of rubber.
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How can I cook 1/2 a cup of rice?
Almost every time I make rice, I make it for just me and my partner. We've found that the right amount for us is 1/2 a cup (125mL, a regular cup not a rice cooker cup) of uncooked basmati rice. I make ...
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Is there something wrong with the corn kernels that don't pop?
Usually, at the end of a bag of popcorn, or when you pop your own on the stove, there is a certain number of kernels left unpopped. Why is that?
Is there something that changes in the kernels that ...
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