Possibly a stupid Microwave question

[Andy M.]

...No such thing as a stupid question...

Not sure I agree but it's not worth arguing about.

 

[taxlady]

Not sure I agree but it's not worth arguing about.

Same

 

[GotGarlic]

Not sure I agree but it's not worth arguing about. [emoji2]

Same

[emoji23] Same

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL well, if you don't know the answer... you ask - what's stupid about that?

 

[Andy M.]

LOL well, if you don't know the answer... you ask - what's stupid about that?

No one said ALL questions re stupid.

 

[tenspeed]

My favorite answer - it depends. Here's some info from the article cited:

Microwave ovens produce heat directly within the food, but despite the common misconception that microwaved food cooks from the inside out, 2.45 GHz microwaves can only penetrate approximately 1 centimeter (0.39 in) into most foods. The inside portions of thicker foods are mainly heated by heat conducted from the outer 1 centimeter (0.39 in).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven

If the object is not of uniform shape, thickness, and density, microwave heating will be uneven. Pausing the microwave cooking process will allow the thicker portions that are not penetrated with the microwaves to cook via conduction, so in a lot of cases (probably most) you will gain by pausing. Scroll down in the article to "Heating characteristics" for additional information.

 

[Vinylhanger]

That last post is pretty interesting. I'll have to do some experimenting now.

I do think that microwaves have changed over the years.

We bought our first one back in 89. Big beast that we had for just shy if 25 years. Never used any settings except cook and time. Always on high. Just hit the button and it did its thing. Worked great.

Now we have a Kenmore "Elite", and it is anything but elite. Might cook it or might not on the same setting. Sometimes it works great, next time it hardly warms the food.

I miss our old one.

 

[tenspeed]

This video just appeared on my youtube menu. This is a good explanation of one of the reasons why microwave ovens cook unevenly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp33ZprO0Ck

 

[GilliAnne]

I think we got our first microwave cooker in 1985. The great thing about microwave cookers in those days was that they came with a manual and cook book, so you had some guidance in how to cook things. Now you have to look the instructions up online. We have 2 combis now and I mainly use the microwave part for reheating food and ready-cooked meals. One of them has a convection oven, which is a lot more efficient than our traditional oven.

Gillian

 

[RPCookin]

I think we got our first microwave cooker in 1985. The great thing about microwave cookers in those days was that they came with a manual and cook book, so you had some guidance in how to cook things. Now you have to look the instructions up online. We have 2 combis now and I mainly use the microwave part for reheating food and ready-cooked meals. One of them has a convection oven, which is a lot more efficient than our traditional oven.

Gillian

I first used a microwave oven in about 1971, made by Litton. It came with a cookbook and the friend who owned it used it for all sorts of things. We cooked wild meat in it, I remember that he did a pork roast once, but we mostly used it just as I do now, for reheating stuff.

We had a fast food place in town (Great Falls, Montana) called Sandy's Hamburgers that had specials twice a week. On Saturday, they had hamburgers for 10¢, and Wednesday was 20¢ Hi-Lo's ( twin patty cheeseburger), so we'd buy 2 or 3 dollars worth and put them in Kenny's freezer. They were quick to pop into the Litton and thaw and heat. Back then that was almost as magical as the replicator that made just about anything on Star Trek.

 

[GotGarlic]

I think we got our first microwave cooker in 1985. The great thing about microwave cookers in those days was that they came with a manual and cook book, so you had some guidance in how to cook things. Now you have to look the instructions up online. We have 2 combis now and I mainly use the microwave part for reheating food and ready-cooked meals. One of them has a convection oven, which is a lot more efficient than our traditional oven.

Gillian

I think all microwaves come with cookbooks. We've bought two since 2007 and both came with cookbooks.

 

[Addie]

I first saw a microwave when I went to the appliance store to buy my new Kennmore washer and dryer. I had never heard of the micro. They were brand new to the market. The salesman told me what it could do and how easy it would be to use. I WANTEN ONE of them. But still being a newlywed, not enough money at that time.

I finally received one as a gift. I don't remember the brand, but I loved it. I had a newborn at the time and used it to heat up the baby bottles, minus the nipples. That cut down the crying time of waiting to be fed. Coffee, left over food, and anything else that the instruction book told me how too heat up or cook food. Today unfortunately, because I no longer eat processed foods, it now just heats up water for my cup of tea and coffee. But I still pop in leftover food from the day before.