Search results
- Never Place a Microwave Too Close to the Window. Any experienced kitchen designer can tell you that placing a microwave oven at a window’s frame is a bad idea.
- Keep a Microwave Out of a Corner Cabinet. Microwaves often create busy areas with traffic. Often, you’ll move between the microwave and the fridge to reheat, defrost or soften ingredients or left-overs.
- A Microwave Against a Wall Is a Bad Idea. This is the worst scenario. Microwave ovens need lots of space around them, especially because this appliance has only one door.
- Don’t Put a Microwave Next to a Refrigerator. Placing your microwave next to a refrigerator is also a pretty bad idea, especially if your refrigerator has two doors, or one door that opens in the direction of the microwave.
- Overview
- Defrosting food in the microwave
- Cooking food in the microwave
- Reheating leftovers in the microwave
- What the Government of Canada does to protect you
Using a microwave to defrost, cook, and reheat food is convenient and makes our day-to-day lives a lot easier. Still, it's important to remember that food poisoning can occur because of unsafe microwave cooking practices or improper food handling techniques.
The following microwave cooking tips will help you prevent food poisoning.
Did you know?
Use only containers, lids, and wraps that are microwave-safe. Remove food from any packaging that isn't microwave-safe--such as styrofoam trays or some plastic containers--before heating. This type of packaging could melt or warp, potentially causing harmful chemicals to leach into food.
General instructions
Cover food with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap that does not touch the food. Covering food in the microwave will help cook it evenly and thoroughly. Leave a small gap so that steam can escape. Cut food into small pieces. Smaller pieces cook more evenly. Arrange food items in a single layer on microwave-safe cookware for uniform cooking. Follow your recipe or instructions on the food's packaging. Adjust cooking times based on the power of your microwave. Food will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature in a lower-powered microwave. Rotate and stir food several times during cooking to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly. Observe standing times for microwaved food after cooking. Standing times complete the cooking and allow for better heat distribution within the food. Always check the internal temperature before eating.
Tips for meat, poultry, and seafood
Do Debone larger pieces of meat and poultry since bones can cause uneven heating. Place thicker portions of meat and poultry around the outside of the dish. Turn the pieces at least once during cooking. Cook larger pieces of meat at 50% power for a longer period of time. This allows more time to heat the meat without overcooking it. Cook all meat, poultry and seafood to a safe internal cooking temperature. Do not Never cook whole, stuffed poultry in the microwave. The size and density of the bird does not allow for even cooking. Never partially cook meat, poultry, or seafood in the microwave. If you're using the microwave to defrost, immediately cook the food by using another cooking method such as a grill, an oven, or a stovetop. Do not use the microwave to cook frozen raw breaded chicken products. This can result in uneven cooking, and some parts of the product may be undercooked.
•Reheat leftovers to a safe internal temperature of 74ºC (165ºF). Use a digital food thermometer to check the temperature.
•Rotate and stir food midway through reheating to distribute heat evenly.
The Government of Canada is committed to food safety.
Health Canada establishes regulations and standards relating to the safety and nutritional quality of foods sold in Canada. Through inspection and enforcement activities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency verifies that food sold in Canada meets Health Canada's requirements.
Sep 26, 2024 · Don’t use a microwave if it’s: Dented. Cracked. Peeling. Damaged by fire. Not latching properly. Not functioning fully. (For example, if it’s taking longer than expected to heat your food.)
- Below the Counter. Having trouble finding enough space on your counters or upper cabinets? A microwave cabinet could be used in place of a lower drawer.
- Over the Range. Compared to a sleek hood fan, this choice isn’t always the most attractive, but it works well for maximizing a small area. Pro: In a small kitchen, a microwave and hood-fan combination can serve two purposes.
- In a Spare Cabinet. This solution is incredibly simple to DIY. To keep the device out of the way when not in use, I used it in my own kitchen. Pro: The microwave can be placed in this configuration at a reasonable price and at a convenient height (or in an unused cabinet to save space).
- Angled Corner Cabinet. a practical choice for large kitchens that would otherwise have unused deep corners. Pros: faces the room and takes up a corner for convenience.
- Below the Counter. If you don’t have much counter/upper cabinet space to spare, consider replacing one of your lower drawers with a microwave cabinet.
- Over the Range. If yours is a very small kitchen, this is the most effective option. And since you want your microwave and range finishes to match, try as much as possible to source the 2 products from the same manufacturer.
- In a Spare Cabinet. Another great placement area for your microwave oven is in the cabinet. Precisely, choose a cabinet on the countertop, on top of the sink, or cooking near the cooking area.
- Angled Corner Cabinet. If you have a large kitchen with deep corners, it’s the best place to place your microwave. Or how else do you intend to use the corners?
Aug 15, 2016 · Getty. 1. Don't use metal bowls or utensils. "Don't put metal in the microwave. It's really not a hot idea as it tends to shield and spark," Williams said. "Metal containers are bad. Glass and ceramic are probably the best things to microwave food in. Plastic is fine if it's suitable for the microwave." 2.
People also ask
Can you put a microwave next to a sink?
How far away should a microwave be from a sink?
Can you put metal utensils in a microwave?
Where should a microwave be placed?
Can you use a microwave if it's leaking?
Can you cook food if it is not microwave safe?
Jul 3, 2023 · Do Read and Follow Packaged Food Instructions. Do Use Appropriate Heating Vessels. Do Carefully Open Heated Containers. Do Clean, Clean, Clean. The Don’ts. Don’t Use Cheap, Disposable Plastic Containers. Don’t Microwave Metal Objects. Don’t Heat without Covering. Don’t Operate While Empty.
