this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2023
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Twice the time at half the power solves most microwave heating issues.
The method I do is first I use a water mister to lightly spray the food, cover it, then heat for:
1/2 the original recommended time at full power
1x the recommended time at half power
Let it sit for 30 seconds.
Ex: Says to heat for 2 minutes
1 minute full power
2 minutes at half power
Many microwaves have a method to enter two times and power levels at the same time so you don't have to get up to change the power level.
Doing this, the food typically comes out pretty evenly heated and without significant dry spots.
You can buy the non-metal covers hotels use for their plates online or at a restaurant supply store. Last a lot longer than the crappy plastic covers that are sold as microwave food covers. They're also easier to clean.
The extra moisture from the mister and the cover with a minimal hole helps trap the heated water vapor which should keep the food from getting dried out and help distribute the heat better.
Adjust for you microwave power and how transparent to microwaves your plate cover is. Once you dial it in, it should be the same adjustment for the microwave (ex I add 6 seconds for every minute on mine)
The whole train to use a microwave is that it's fast.
If I'm going to be doubling the time, I'd might as well just pull out the stove or the oven and do it right for just a bit more time.
And I thought I was impatient...
It's still faster than a stove/oven. You're being ridiculous.
Whatever; not my problem. Go ahead and keep burning yourself on hot plates and enjoying food with cold spots. You do you.
I'm saying that cooking something for 6 minutes instead of 3 in the microwave is getting close enough that I'd might as well use a pan and cook it in 8 minutes for an even better result.
If something tends to microwave poorly, it probably shouldn't be cooked in the microwave at all.
Generally.. If it took 3 mins in the microwave you're looking at way more time using the oven than 8 minutes. Doubling microwave time should still be significantly faster than using an oven, especially considering preheating time.
A misconception about microwaves is that they need around 1000W to actually do something, anything lower than 800 makes the waves completely ineffective. When you turn your microwave to 500W, what it actually does is lie to you while microwaving only half of the time instead by cycling on and off. You can usually hear this change in the sound it makes cause it will switch between the 1kW and the ventilator. 🙂
Pretty sure everyone knows that the power setting on the microwave just changes the duty cycle of the magnetron. I've never seen a microwave specify wattage when selecting power, usually 1-10 or 1-100, no lies involved. What it does is allows the heat more time to evenly distribute through your food while cooking with the same amount of energy. That super hot bowl and tepid soup won't have as much of a difference when it takes twice as long to cook. Hot spots don't get a chance to get as hot. Psychologically it's easier too because let's be honest, no one's waiting 5 minutes after that timer goes off for the heat to settle
My current one did before it broke and my last one also went from 250W to 1000W on the button... I know it's the same at a friend's and at work too cause we had the discussion about it there too a few months ago... Maybe it's a Europe thing? Or maybe I'm just in a random cluster. 🤷♂️
Do you remember the model number? I'd be curious to look into it
Not instantly right now, but the one at the friend's house looks something like
.
There are microwaves which modulates power, but they're rare