But is it Microwavable? 5 Things You Never Knew Your Microwave Could Do!

micro2We all use our microwaves for the traditional things – heating soups, defrosting meats, and reheating meals, but your magic little box is capable of so much more! Just check out these 5 surprising tips for starters:

1: Poach Eggs

It may sound strange, but it’s perfectly possible to poach eggs in a microwave. You don’t even need special equipment, although for fluffy, delicious eggs every time, you may want to consider a microwave egg poaching dish.

2: Sterilise Kitchen Utensils

Did you know that you can clean kithcen sponges and utensils by microwaving them for two minutes? The only caveat is that you should avoid placing metal objects (specifically metal objects with points or sharp edges) in the microwave, but when it comes to wood or plastic, microwaves make great sterilisers!

3: Froth Milk For Your Latte

This one’s as easy as pie – all you need is a jar and some milk. Fill tha jar to the halfway mark, then shake the jar as hard as you can till the milk becomes frothy and doubles in volume. Then microwave for 30 seconds. Now take the lid off and microwave for another 30 seconds, and you’re ready to go!

4: Dry Herbs

Herbs can make or break a dish, but what if you want to dry your homegrown herbs to preserve them? Well, simply fold your fresh herbs in a sheet of kitchen roll and microwave for 30 seconds, then leave to stand for 30 seconds. Repeat the process until the leaves become crispy!

5: Make Crisps

This may sound like the craziest thing you’ve ever heard, but it is indeed perfectly possible to make crispis in your microwave! Check out this amazing guide and you’ll soon be munching delicious homemade crisps!

5 Microwave Myths Debunked

MICROWAVE MYTHSSince the home microwave first hit the nation’s worktops in 1967, there have been a whole host of myths and old wives tales associated with this amazingly useful piece of space-age technology. Luckily, here at Microwavable we know all there is to know about microwave myths, microwave facts and microwave horror stories, and we’re here to give you the straight dope. So, without further ado, here are our top 5 microwave myths, exploded!

1: Metal Gets Dangerously Hot In a Microwave

The classic microwave myth is that metal – whether cutlery, foil or a metal container cannot be put in a microwave or else it will heat to a terrifying temperature, and possibly cause an explosion. The truth is less dramatic, but more fascinating: due to its reflective qualities, metals actually reflect microwaves, meaning that they heat up less than plastics, glass, ceramics and food products. Metal is only dangerous in a microwave when it is shaped wrongly: if it contains acute angles (less than 90 degrees) these can act as antenna, causing arcs of electricity which may be earthed in flammable foodstuffs and cause fire. This is why it’s best to avoid putting metal objects in the microwave.

2: Microwaves Cook Food From The Inside Out

Ask most people how a microwave works and they’ll say that it cooks from the inside out, but this is not true. In fact, microwaves heat by making water molecules on the outside of the food vibrate. Microwaves can only affect the outer layers of food, which is why if you try and cook a huge chunk of meat in a microwave the centre will always come out raw.

3: Microwaves Can Leak Radiation

Many people worry that their microwave oven is like a dangerous nuclear reactor that they keep in their kitchen. Luckily for us all, this is not the case. Even a faulty microwave is only capable of emitting around 5 milliwatts of radiation per square centimetre over the course of their entire lifespan. This is far, far, far below the level which is harmful to humans, so don’t worry – the worst thing a faulty microwave can cause is an unevenly cooked pie. This is why microwave sterilisers
are considered the safest way to keep your baby’s foodware bacteria-free.

4: Microwaves Alter the Chemical Structure of Foods

Since microwaves cook at astonishing speeds, many people suspect them of cheating in some way, and of having a negative effect on the food that’s cooked. A microwave simply heats up the water in food, which has the effect of heating at an accelerated rate without burning. This gives a different result to ordinary cooking, but it does not mean that anything sinister has happened. Some foods respond well to microwave cookery, some don’t. Luckily, Annette Yates’ excellent Microwave Cooking Properly Explained
can help you work out what works.

5: You Can’t Microwave Bacon

Oh yes you can.

If you’ve got any other microwave myths you’d like us to bust, let us know in the comments section below!