9 Microwave Safety Tips You Should Know In 2021 Leave a comment
9 Microwave Safety Tips You Should Know In 2021 – A microwave makes food warming simple and convenient. All you have to do is chuck in some cold food in the compartment and in under two minutes you’ll have a hot, delicious meal ready to chow. It works just like magic, to be honest.
But because of how easy it is to warm meals with the microwave, some people may have forgotten certain safety considerations when using the appliance.
This article will discuss 9 microwave safety tips that can protect you and your appliance when in use.
1. Make use of glass, ceramic, or microwave-safe plastic containers
Many people avoid putting food into plastic containers because they believe that chemicals can leach into the food and food can leach into the plastic as well. Although this is largely dependent on the type of plastic it is.
You’ll know when leaching occurs by looking closely at meals like bolognese as they stain the plastic. However, with ceramic or glass containers, this doesn’t happen as they are neutral.
Thus, there’s no likelihood of them leaching potentially harmful chemicals into the food. If you have to use plastic containers, then make sure that they are microwave-safe.
You can look under the bottom of the plastic container to find out if the material is actually microwavable or BPA-free.
2. Avoid using metal containers or utensils
You’ll notice we didn’t mention metal containers as an option in the first tip above. There’s a good reason for this.
Putting metal stuff into the microwave isn’t a smart idea at all. This is because metal tends to shield and spark. This makes them bad for the appliance.
Glass and ceramic utensils are absolutely perfect for putting into a microwave. Microwave-safe plastic containers are also ideal too.
3. Heat food until it steams or bubbles
One of the microwave safety tips to be aware of when warming your food, be sure to heat it up to a minimum of 75 degrees Celsius. You can do this by ensuring the meal is placed in a shallow dish.
Set the microwave to a high level and allow 2-3 minutes (depending on the food) for it to heat. You should also check it halfway and give it a nice, good stir as you’ll likely discover that you’ve got hot spots.
If the food is not steaming, place it back in the microwave. For meals like soups with lots of liquid, you’ll be looking for a good bubble when heating.
This way you’ll be sure of heating it at a minimum of 75 degrees Celsius. Also, when you open the container, you’ll want to ensure that steam is released from it.
4. Avoid cooking varieties of food simultaneously
It is almost impossible to tag a particular cook time for all types of foods. This is because all foods are going to heat at varying times.
The denser a food is, the more likely it will heat differently compared to a meal that is mainly liquid-based.
Microwaving a solid, more dense food, like yam or potato will heat differently and longer than soup or stew.
Although soup will heat faster, however, it will also lose its heat more rapidly. Dense meals like potatoes will heat up slower, but they will also retain their heat for longer. This is should be among the microwave safety tips to note.
5. Try to stir meals occasionally
Indeed, microwaves come with turntables that allow waves to reach every section of the meal. However, despite this, it isn’t out of place to discover that not all parts of the food are thoroughly heated.
As a result of those bands and the fact that the food is being turned through them, you’ll likely not get consistent heating with microwaves as you would with ovens or hot plates.
Thus, ensure you stir your food manually to spread the heat. Take your food out, open it up, and give it an impressive stir to distribute the heat evenly.
6. Avoid microwaving uncovered food
Sometimes at the office, you may find that the microwave is in a messy state with food stains all over. This is likely due to a fellow staff who used the appliance but failed to cover their meal, thus, resulting in a messy explosion.
The most annoying thing is those who cause the mess hardly ever confess or go the extra mile to clean it up.
Leaving meals uncovered, especially food with lots of fat or liquid in them, can be likened to a time bomb waiting to explode.
Try to cover anything you keep in your microwave. It helps keeps things neat and prevents splattered messiness all over the appliance.
7. Perform regular maintenance
If your microwave isn’t kept clean, it would become a thing of disgust to you over time. That’s why you need to perform regular maintenance on the appliance.
Take a good look at the microwave, not just at the bottom and along the sides, but also on the top surface.
If there are food particles hanging there, they could drop into your food next time you want to use the microwave. (See another reason why your food needs to be covered as hinted in the previous tip?)
You can clean your microwave by making use of a clean cloth (not a reused damp, dirty rag!), mild detergent, and warm water.
It makes absolutely no sense to clean something with a dirty rag. If there are no clean clothes to use, then utilize recyclable paper towels.
Tea towels can also be used as long as you used them only once. However, if you have to use reusable cloth, then be sure to have it washed immediately after cleaning your microwave.
8. Do not thaw meat with the microwave
Solid foods tend to cook partially when placed in the microwave. Thus, foods like meat should not be cooked in the microwave.
If you plan on eating steak for dinner tomorrow, remove it from the freezer in the morning and place it in a covered container at the bottom of your refrigerator, and by evening, it should be about ready to use.
However, to thaw liquid-based meals like soups and stews, microwave them and give them a nice stir halfway into heating. Place it back then thaw and cook it completely.
9. Frequently check on your meal
You already know that different foods heat differently, thus, it is imperative that you check your meal while it is cooking.
Obviously, those scrambled eggs will not cook the same as your vegetable soup. So be sure to keep a watchful eye on your food while it microwaves.
Top Microwave to Buy
If you think it’s time to replace your old, worn-out microwave or you’re just want to get one, you can check out these top brands below.
They are household names when it comes to electronics and appliances and you can purchase them from Royal stores or Panasonic stores or visit the best electronics shop closest to you.
Panasonic Microwave (NN-SM255WVTG)
Panasonic Microwave (NN-ST266)
Conclusion
Microwaving has a lot to do with stirring, consistent heating to a minimum of 75 degrees, and making sure that the food is steaming or bubbling.
Remember the last safety tips to cover your food before placing it in the microwave and endeavor to always keep the appliance clean.
