Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [microwave]

Covering cooking with a microwave, selection of appropriate cooking times and powers, cooking from fresh and re-heating, differences and techniques for microwave cooking.

278 questions
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What is the white foam that builds up when I make tea?

I microwave water in order to make tea. After it is microwaved and I drop the tea bag(green tea) into the water, thick white foam builds up on the top. What is it and should I worry about drinking it?
jrounsav
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Why do we need to reheat food?

Among family, I have found radically different approaches to reheating food that has already been fully cooked. Some will not eat last night's leftovers unless they have been microwaved to the point where every single part of the food is piping hot.…
J. Mini
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Exploding shelled egg in microwave

My partner, dissatisfied with raggedy poached eggs, found an alternative method. Most likely on Facebook :P Break an egg into a glass, add a little water, microwave until cooked. The first attempt resulted in perfectly shaped, but particularly…
Steve
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Can you put polystyrene in the microwave oven

I want to know for sure if you can use polystyrene trays (such as those that meat comes in) in the microwave oven? I have read some fairly official looking reports and articles that say there's not danger, but there is some anecdotal evidence that…
GarnerCX
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Should I use my microwave's 'popcorn' button?

My microwave oven has a "POPCORN" button. Its manual reads: Touch this pad when popping popcorn in your microwave oven. The oven's sensor will tell the oven how long to cook depending on the amount of humidity it detects from the popcorn. See page…
msh210
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How does the power setting on a microwave work?

In general, how does the microwave power setting work? Is it a straight percentage of the maximum wattage or is it something less precise? For example, would the time to cook something in a 700 watt microwave be the same as a 1000 watt at .7…
thelsdj
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Why do microwave ovens make bread rubbery?

Why does heating bread (cinnamon buns) in a microwave give it a rubbery texture, when a regular oven doesn't? What are the chemical or structural changes?
endolith
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Microwave-safe cups becoming less safe

For a couple of years we have been using a microwave-safe cup to heat up milk. The milk is whipped until it's creamy, then we add coffee on top of it and we have a sort of cappuccino. Until recently this has worked well, but for the last few weeks…
dr jerry
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Rule of thumb for cooking multiple things in a microwave at the same time?

Is it possible to cook multiple things at the same time in a microwave and how do I adjust the cooking time? What if the two items are identical, do I double the time or multiply it by some other factor? What if the two items are different and have…
Daniel Ristic
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Cooking pasta in the microwave

I have a microwave "pot" that I use for steaming vegetables. The instructions say it can also be used for cooking pasta, which seems sacrilege to me. Does anybody know if the result would be a good al dente pasta if cooked in the microwave? I'd…
apaderno
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Is it wise to use an aluminum foil in the microwave? Is there a substitute for the aluminum foil?

I was recently looking up a recipe for quick Chawanmushi and came across a recipe which used aluminum foil in the microwave. First of all, I thought that aluminum foil, with it's jagged edges would cause sparks. Second of all, why can't you just use…
milesmeow
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Why do marshmallows poof up so huge when put in the microwave?

As anyone who's put marshmallows in the microwave knows, they expand a ton! Sometimes they puff up to literally more than twice their original size (YouTube video for those who haven't seen it). So, why? At first I assumed it was because they had a…
Nathan G.
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Water Exploded in Microwave

I heated water in the microwave and it exploded inside. Water was pouring out even though the door was shut. I now know that I'm not supposed to heat water in the microwave. But I did and now after the water explosion, I'm not sure if I can use my…
Christian
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How do I adjust cooking time for an under-powered microwave?

Example: I have an 800-Watt microwave. Cooking instructions for a certain product say to cook on HIGH for 4 minutes in a 1,100-Watt microwave. How do I properly adjust the cooking time so that my microwave will properly cook the product? Is it…
Iszi
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How come heating milk in the microwave is safe?

I was reading this question and began to ask myself... Since milk contains calcium, and calcium is a metal (just like potassium), how come putting a cup of milk in the microwave is safe and there are no visible arcs or sparks?
George Edison
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