"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 8:04:28 PM UTC-4, Heywood wrote:
On 3/24/2021 2:57 PM, Rod Speed wrote:



I still hear this myth being pushed. Food does NOT heat from the
inside, it heats from the outside in. DUH!!

It heats any water molecules when they get passed through and start
to vibrate faster. If the water content is mostly on the inside (like
a pie) it would actually heat from the inside out. If not, it
wouldn't heat from inside outwards.

The microwaves still act on the water molecules closest
to the surface first. The center will be cold long after
the outside burns when you cook on high.

That's bull****.

That is why they pulse the gun (temp control) and tell
you to let things rest. They are trying to get you to wait
until thermal conduction can even out the heating.

More bull****.

Best is to stir things you can and spread stuff out on the plate.

No need to do that.
Greftwell is right in that the microwaves only penetrate about an inch
into the food. Depending on density, thickness, and composition things
heat differently. Sugar and fats heat faster than most other portions.

Resting improves the heating my letting conduction move the heat from
the outer portion in. Makes little difference on a slice of ham, makes
a big difference on a large ham. For best results, resting should be
roughly half the cooking time.

No, you do not HAVE to stir but you will be faster and more even
heating. Not so much if heating a cup of water for tea, big difference
heating a bowl or gravy.

When reheating most any cooked foods I use 50% power for best results.
Slice of bacon? Sure, let it rip 20 seconds. A portion of cold or
frozen lasagna? Lower power, longer time.

Look at the instructions on Stouffer's frozen lasagna and they state
time on high, then more time at half ower.

Plenty of other frozen foods just give a time to cook it on high.

In fact almost all of them do. One ready meal I like comes in two
containers and you cook one for a while on high, them add the
other and cook the two of them on high, then mix the contents
of the smaller container into the larger container and eat it.

Everything from eggplant parm to vegetables When I thaw
out cooked frozen foods that I have prepared, then I put it
on half power and monitor it. But that's more because I'm
heating it in a plastic container and the localized heating
near the plastic could soften it.

I have never had the container softened by cooking on full power.

The store bought foods have containers that can stand the heat.

One of my neighbours regularly gives me a dinner in a takeaway
container and they microwave on full fine without any problem
with the container if for example it shows up after I have eaten
and I need to heat it ready to eat the next day.

I do cook rice in the microwave on both full and half power,
half power in the much longer second half, but that because
the added water just needs to be kept boiling in the much
longer second half. The much shorter first part is on full
power to get the water boiling in the first place.