ETA Koloro - Manual (Page 40)

40
GB
Initial temperature
The initial temperature of the food directly affects the time for which the food needs to be
cooked or heated. It is the same as with conventional cooking – frozen foods cook longer
than foods refrigerated and foods stored at room temperature.
Moisture in food
Because the microwaves are drawn by moisture, relatively dry foods such as roast or some
kinds of vegetable should be sprinkled with water or covered.
Food size
The smaller and more unified the pieces of ingredients in the MW are, the better. It is also
suitable to cook cut-up food in bigger kitchen ware in order that the microwaves may get to
the pieces from all sides and ensure even cooking.
Quantity of food
The amount of microwaves remains the same regardless of the quantity of food prepared.
The more food you put in the oven the longer will the preparation take. Small quantity of
food requires shorter time for cooking or heating. When using regular times for cooking or
heating, the food may overheat or burn.
Bones and fats
Bones conduct heat and big amounts of fat draw MW energy. When preparing slice of meat
with bones and fat, be careful not to cook the meat unevenly and roast it too thoroughly.
Foods with big amounts of fat and sugar require careful choice of cooking time because
they may easily become hot and burn or even cause fire in the MW by self-ignition.
Shape of ingredients
Microwaves penetrate the food only approx. 2.5 cm. The inner parts of the food will cook
by the heat created on the surface penetrating inward. In other words, only the inner parts
of food will actually cook by the microwave energy. The rest will cook by heat distribution
in the food. It is therefore obvious that the worst shape of food for food preparation by MW
oven is thick block. Before the centre heats up, the edges will burn. Try to make the edges
of food round. These will cook best in the MW.
Defrosting frozen foods
Frozen foods may be put into the MW oven for defrosting (do not forget to remove all metal
clips and packages). Cover the parts of food which defrost faster than others if needed.
The process of defrosting will thus slow down or stop. Some foods do not need to be
defrosted completely before further preparation. E.g. preparation of fish is so quick that it is
sometimes better to start preparing them when slightly frozen.
Cooking of frozen foods
This kind of food requires special care if it is prepared in a MW oven. It is because most of
the information on the packaging refers to a specific oven. It is therefore necessary to know
the power of your oven. If your oven has lower power than stated in the information on the
packaging, you should alter the cooking time INCREASE the cooking time in one minute
intervals and stir the food every time if possible. Then, let it rest for at least 3 minutes.
Piercing
Foods in shells, skin or membranes will burst in the MW oven unless you pierce them
before cooking. This includes some kinds of smoked meats, yolks and egg whites, clams,
oysters and several kinds of vegetable and fruit.