Cooking utensils
T0 test if a dish is suitable for use in a microwave oven, place the empty dish in the oven and
stand half a glass of water in it. Turn the oven on for 15 or 30 seconds on HIGH. If the dish
becomes very hot to touch, it should not be used in the microwave oven.
Porcelain,
Porcelain, pottery , glazed earthenware and bone China are suitable but should not be used
if they are decorated with metal trim.
Glass
Oven to table or ceramic containers are usually suitable, again beware of metal trims. Table
glass can be used in the preparation of drinks, baked fruits and sweet. Be careful about
delicate glass that might be easily broken by sudden heating or cooking.
Plastic
Plastic is seldom heated by microwaves. Thermoplastics are ideal for microwave cooking as
they can tolerate very high temperatures. Some plastics may wrap and discolor due to the
heat of some foods, for those with a high sugar or fat content. Melamine or Urea plastic are
unsuitable for microwave cookery since they absorb heat.
Paper
o not use paper or paper products unless they are specifically designed for microwave
usage.
Metal
Metal containers should not be used. Microwaves cannot penetrate through metal and
therefore the food will not cook. Metal foil may be used to shield food from overcooking or
over defrosting-however, ensure that it does not touch the walls of the oven.
Covering
Some Foods such as vegetables, should be cooked in covered glass dishes to speed up
cooking, to prevent spattering or to retain their there large water content. Be particularly
careful when removing covers from cooked dishes, as steam builds up and can cause nasty
burns to the hands and arms if caution is not exercised.
Browning Dishes
These are suitable for use in your microwave oven. The empty browning dish is placed in the
oven and preheated at maximum level according to the instructions provided with the
browning dish. The browning dish will get extremely hot so make sure oven gloves are worn.
It is important when using a browning dish and the glass turntable, to prevent heat stress
and damage to the glass. Pyrex may be used as an insulator.