Microwaves are a gadget found in almost all kitchens. While they’re meant to be a convenient way to get the cooking done, are they really as good as we all think?
Most of us use our microwaves either for heating up meals or defrosting. But do you find your microwave sometimes doesn’t quite deliver on these relatively simple tasks?
Maybe when you defrost, some food remains frozen while some starts cooking. Or when you heat up a meal, some parts are burning hot while others are still cold. Perhaps, rather than gently melting, your butter turns to liquid. Or maybe your scrambled eggs turn grey.
Don’t try this at home
A couple of years ago my oven conked out and left me trying to cook a roast with just my microwave (I wouldn’t recommend it!).
I always find that with a conventional oven, knowing when things are done comes with experience – it’s easy to see your roast turning brown and crisping up. But with a microwave, it’s just not as easy. And when you’ve got a solid piece of food, there’s no option of stirring to help distribute the heat.
I ended up cooking my chicken for too long, as I definitely didn’t want it underdone – especially after reading our campaign on Campylobacter in chicken. I’ve since learned that cooking on a lower setting for longer would probably have resulted in a more enjoyable dinner. But, like with any kind of cooking, practice, experience of your microwave and trial and error count for a lot.
Your microwave irritations
For an upcoming feature in Which? magazine, I’d like to know what irritations and annoyances you regularly come across when cooking with your microwave. I’d especially like to know if you’ve worked out how to get round these problems.
Do you have any great tips for microwave cooking that you can pass on to us?
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