The key to success in cooking with your microwave. Have the right technique, a reliable recipe, and instruments suitable for this oven. Also, you need to know how does exactly it work? So, first of all, let us know below how does a convection microwave oven work?
How Does a Convection Microwave Oven Work?
A convection microwave oven is an invisible wave, similar to radio or cellular waves, but more intense. The waves are created by the magnetron of the oven which transforms the electric current into the microwave.
The waves are then released inside the appliance (most of the time from above) and propagate throughout the interior, ricocheting off the walls of the oven. As they pass through the food, they cause the small water molecules in it to vibrate. The molecules then give off heat by agitating by friction and the rest of the food will be heated by conduction of the heat created by the water.
So, it is not the microwaves that give off heat, but water! Water is practically the only molecule that moves under the influence of microwaves because it is very small.
What are the Essential Tools for Cooking in Your Microwave?
A convection countertop microwave oven is a must because the hot air circulating in it allows food to cook more evenly, just like a traditional oven.
For meats, poultry, fish, and seafood, a thermal probe, a thermometer integrated into the microwave oven is another great option. The thermometer is inserted into the food and the oven will cook it until the optimum internal temperature is reached, it’s easy.
Some microwaves come with a built-in temperature probe, but it is also possible to purchase one and plug it into your appliance if it allows for such an addition. A microwaveable plastic grill to grill meat so that it doesn’t bathe without its juices is also a plus.
What Can You Cook There?
In fact, with the right tools and the right recipe, almost anything cooks in the microwave. Moreover, in the 70s to 90s, a multitude of cookbooks was written on the subject and by renowned chefs.
In addition to being able to cook roast beef, whole chicken, fish, the microwave is also a great way to steam vegetables. Silicone dishes designed for this exist on the market.
You can also cook an omelet by whisking eggs with milk in small ramekins covered with Saran paper. The eggs swell with the steam, cook without fat and you will have a round patty perfect for a muffin.
The famous “mug cake”, the cake that you cook in the microwave in a cup is also a good recipe. Also, the half-baked chocolate cakes or brownies are surprisingly good.
Why Do Some Foods Take a Long Time to Heat Up?
It all depends on its composition. Generally, the cooking time will be shorter for food rich in water, which does not have a lot of added liquids, which is porous, and which contains sugar or fat, which intensifies the heat.
So, a soup, a dish rich in water, low in sugar, and fat will necessarily take more time to heat.
Do You Have to Wait Before Eating a Dish that Comes Out of the Microwave?
Some people tend to think of it as letting the waves go out of the food, but it is not. The waiting time allows the food to finish cooking by conduction because the microwaves only penetrate about 3cm deep into the food, so cooking is uneven. The waiting time allows heat to diffuse from the outside of the food to the inside.
How to Promote Uniform Cooking?
In general, what to do is:
- Cover the container to retain water vapor.
- Reduce microwave power to spread out the cooking time and allow more time for heat transfer.
- Allow time to wait before eating the food to give it time to slowly finish cooking.
If the Food is Solid:
- Cut it into small pieces of equal size.
- Distribute them evenly on the baking tray, at the same distance.
- Arrange the thicker parts on the outside of the dish and the thinner ones in the center.
And for a Liquid Food:
- The best trick is to mix during cooking, to allow the center to heat up.
Do Microwaves Decrease the Nutritional Value of Foods?
Any cooking method necessarily results in a greater or lesser loss of nutrients. The good news is that cooking in the microwave preserves the nutrients of steamed vegetables better than those boiled in a pot. This is because cooking in the microwave is faster and requires less water, therefore less loss of water-soluble nutrients.
Finally, Should We Fear This Device and its Waves?
According to the reports, No! Microwaves should not be confused with x-rays, gamma rays, or other forms of intense energy. The microwaves produced by a microwave oven do not make the food or the oven radioactive. When you turn off the oven, the microwaves disappear. They do not stay in food or the oven.
The microwave oven also has a Faraday cage. This keeps the waves inside the device. Even the oven window has a grid that allows the waves to ricochet.
The only thing to worry about is the risk of burns, caused by uneven cooking that creates very hot areas. This is also one of the main reasons why experts do not recommend heating bottles of milk in the microwave. And also, that the waves kill the beneficial probiotic bacteria found in breast milk and several infant formulas.
So, use without fear this little electric, so fast and practical and have fun cooking complete meals there.
That’s it – We hope this guide will be helpful to know How does a convection microwave oven work? This smallest microwave oven that we all should have at home can do a lot more than just reheat our leftovers. You can surprisingly cook several rather elaborate dishes there.