Microwaves are fickle machines; your first mouthful might scold your mouth while the second bite is into a chunk of ice. These tips and tricks will help you learn how to master your microwave.
Reheating pizza
Place a mug half full of water in the microwave with your leftover slices of pizza and you’ll find the crust nice and moist, rather than brittle and dry.
Testing a container
If you’re unsure whether or not a container is microwave safe, put a mug full of cold water in the container and then heat it on high for one minute. If the container is still cold when the minute is up, then it’s microwave safe. If it’s hot then it isn’t; just be careful with the mug of hot water!
Easy juicing
Pop a lemon or lime in the microwave for 10–20 seconds to warm it up and make it easier to juice – be careful it doesn’t get too hot.
Steamed veggies
Fill a bowl with chopped vegetables (evenly cut; smaller pieces will help to ensure even cooking), then put a very small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl and cover with cling wrap. Microwave for two minutes, then move and flip the vegetables in the bowl with a fork. Cover and cook for another four minutes. If the veggies can be easily pierced with a fork they’re done, otherwise move the pieces around again and cook for another minute, repeating until finished.
One ring to rule them all
Microwaves generally heat food on the outside more than the inside, so if you place your food in a big ring on your plate leaving the centre empty, your food will heat more evenly. On some older microwaves you may find that placing your bowl on the edge of the rotating plate will make it heat more evenly; experimentation is necessary for perfect results.
Double trouble
If you need to heat up more than one dish at a time, place one towards the corner of the microwave and then place the other on top of a mug, rather than heating them up separately.
Re-crisp those potato chips
If you’ve got potato chips that have gone a little bit stale and soft, cover them with paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds, the paper towel will absorb the moisture and once they’ve cooled down, they’ll be nice and crispy again.
Don’t be a square
Due to the way that microwaves heat, you should try to use a circular dish rather than a square one in the microwave, square dishes will heat less evenly.
Zesty cleaning
Fill a bowl with half a cup of water and then juice a whole lemon into the bowl. Heat on high for 5 minutes or until the steam has condensed on the walls of the microwave. Now remove the hot bowl and you should be able to wipe down stains from the walls of your microwave with ease. Don’t forget to clean the plate.
Easy to peel garlic
Peeling garlic can be frustrating, but if you microwave a clove for around 15 seconds, the skin will loosen and be much easier to peel.
Now to put those tips and tricks into use, why not get started with some microwave nachos?
Have you got any microwave tips or tricks to share with your fellow readers? What is the greatest trick you’ve learnt for using the microwave?
