MICROWAVES are a handy kitchen appliance that make life so much easier – but did you know you’re most likely using yours incorrectly?
According to consumer watchdogChoice, there are eight main mistakes people make that can ruin your food and your kitchen.
1
Placing food inside incorrectly
One common mistake many people make is placing their food incorrectly inside the microwave.
Experts recommend that there be at least ten centimetres between the sides and the top of the microwave to allow for sufficient airflow.
This will ensure that your food is cooked evenly and thoroughly, and will prevent the microwave from overheating or malfunctioning.
Not covering up food
The second most common error is not covering food, which is not only messy but can cause your food to cook unevenly.
A lack of a lid can result in food being cold in certain places, and hot in other areas. The lid will allow the food to heat up better.
Not cleaning it properly
Not cleaning up messes in the microwave is not only gross, but it can also stop your food from cooking properly.
“Leaving food splatters in your microwave will slow down the cooking time as it cooks the residue as well as the intended food,” Fiona Mair is a choice microwave expert.
Fiona Mair suggests that you place a few lemon slices in a bowl of warm water and heat it for 2 minutes. After that, wipe the inside with a microfibre towel.
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Buying the wrong microwave
A typical blunder is purchasing the incorrect microwave. To avoid problems, it is important to research the model of microwave you need.
Putting hazardous materials in the microwave
You must make sure to never put materials such as Styrofoam and plastic packaging in the microwave. This packaging can pose a risk to your food and may leak chemicals when heated.
Also, foil and paper bags can cause a fire.
Defrosting meat incorrectly
Choice expert Rebecca Ciaramidaro says it’s important to pay attention to when your microwave beeps mid-cycle while defrosting meat.
“It’s your signal to turn the meat over and remove any sections that are already thawed out before they cook,” She agreed.
Rebecca also recommends freezing meat in “smaller quantities to make defrosting more efficient”.
Not using it enough
The seventh mistake most people make is not using the microwave enough.
“The best advice I can give is read your microwave’s instruction manual. You will be amazed at what it can do to save you time in the kitchen,” Fiona said.
Using incorrect power settings
Using the incorrect power setting when reheating food should also be avoided.
Although it might take longer to heat food, they recommend using a lower power setting. Although it may take longer, this will likely result in a better result.
The eight most common microwave mistakes people make
1 – Use the wrong power setting
2 – Only use it to reheat and defrost
3 – Heat food in hazardous packaging
4 – Defrost meat incorrectly
5 – Buying the wrong microwave
6 – Not keeping it clean
7 – Not covering food
8 – Putting it in the wrong spot
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