About the microwave
In fact, the cooking method remains the same to heat the pot or pan and therefore its contents. To wait quite a long time, while still a huge amount of heat is lost. The release was the use of the microwave oven, otherwise the microwave.The history of microwave ovens
Invented microwave American engineer P. B. Spencer. At research of a radiator of microwave waves he discovered that at a certain frequency radiation, there is an intense heat. In 1945, Spencer was granted a patent on the use of microwaves in cooking, and in 1949, according to his patent in the United States were produced the first microwave oven for quick defrosting of strategic food stocks.
In 1962, the Japanese firm SHARP has developed the mass production of household microwave ovens. Not to say that they were immediately met by excessive demand. Mass consciousness is alarmed ultrahigh frequency (UHF). Actually it's not so bad. Cooking using a microwave oven is an electromagnetic excitation contained in the products of water molecules. Instantly penetrates, for example, in the depth of the piece of meat, the waves contained in it are absorbed by water molecules. From this the molecules are excited, their thermal fluctuations are amplified, they collide with each other. And this is the cause of rising temperatures. The same increase of vibrations and collisions of molecules happen if traditionally put food on the fire. With the difference that from the fire of the excitation of the molecules slowly transported from the outer to the inner layers, but microwave energy is instantly penetrates to a depth of 2.5 to 5 cm (so the thicker pieces it is better to cut).
The presence of salt significantly speeds up the heating in the microwave. But the salt must be completely dissolved. On the other hand, salted before cooking meat, poultry, vegetables long-term storage can be harsh and dry. Salt draws out the moisture. So it is better to add salt to these products at the end of cooking.The market for microwave ovens
In the structure of sales on the Russian market of home appliances microwave ovens occupy a significantly greater share than the plate. This is easily explained: the microwave is much cheaper and more compact plates, and their capabilities in the performance of all recipes cookbooks until the cakes are almost the same (if you learn how to use it, which is not difficult). Microwave ovens are more economical than conventional electric stoves, they are easier to keep clean. Not to mention the considerable gains of time compared to cooking on traditional stoves.
For many who buy a microwave as an additional device for defrosting food and heating food, it very quickly becomes an essential tool for cooking. Microwave does not create the typical kitchen atmosphere with stuffiness, fever and smells of cooking. Moreover, during the entire cooking cycle, you can optionally open the door, stir, add ingredients, to check the availability. And all this without fear of heat loss and of violation of the mode of preparation. From microwave ovens high efficiency: almost all the electricity for cooking, not heating food.
However, according to statistics, the saturation of the market of microwave ovens in the CIS countries is only a few percent, whereas in the U.S. it has already exceeded 90%. So that's all ahead of us, and in terms of sales of microwave ovens we even in times of crisis ahead of the United States!Microwave and vitamins
In the dishes from the microwave oven is preserved much more vitamins than traditional cooking on the stove. The nutrition Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation examined cooked in the microwave food. We tested the retention of vitamins during cooking vegetable and meat dishes. The result exceeded all expectations: the most valuable vitamin C survived after treatment in the furnace at 75-98% (each type of products correspond to their numbers). While traditional methods of cooking the safety of vitamins does not exceed 38-60%.Crisp in the microwave
Since the microwaves act on water molecules, they warm up products only to 100 degrees to the boiling point of water. But the surface of the meat does not acquire appetizing rosy-brownish color, and the bun is crispy. This can happen only at a higher temperature, for example, when frying in oil that is heated much above 100 degrees, or when baking in the oven or the grill, where the heat radiation generates a temperature of 200-250 degrees. Perhaps this is delicious; but we cannot say that so useful.
That is why still many people believe that microwave ovens are there to defrost food from the freezer and reheat ready meals. Consider also that for baking cakes and biscuits, as well as the preparation of baked meat and poultry in the house need an oven; to bake with crispy toasted crust of meat and poultry, as well as for the preparation of delicious rosy sandwiches-toast in the economy, you need a grill and a toaster.
However, new modern models of microwave ovens can replace all of this technique. So we can play on the new technology is familiar to the traditional taste, the developers have equipped the oven grill. It provides crisp and flavor, both from the conventional oven, but with the help of microwaves several times faster. And the dish turned out more professional - designers suggested convection grill with a fan that is blowing on the food with hot air. This combined microwave oven can cook five (!) different ways: microwave; grill (in the oven); combined with the use of microwaves and grill; the powerful radiation of the grill with convection; the combination of convection and microwave.
The latest luxury models of microwave ovens today in its capabilities closer to the most advanced elektroduhovoy, excelling in speed cooking.Touch cooking
Some of the most prestigious models of microwave ovens this feature provides the so-called sensor cooking. Because the weight of products, which we determined by eye, is set in the automatic menu very roughly, and the results may disappoint you because of the inaccuracy. The sensor pair is extremely simplifies programming and provides accurate results. When products begin to excrete par - so, the temperature reached 100 degrees, and any housewife knows that at this point, the cooking time is no longer dependent on the number of products, but only depends on their type. So just to specify when programming kind of products and click "start". When the sensor detects the active allocation of steam and will send a signal to the built-in microcomputer, determines the required cooking time, and the display will show the remaining cooking time.What kind of stove to choose?
First, determine the number of eaters. The furnace volume of the chamber 16 to 19 liters designed for a family of 1-2 people. This oven will accommodate a small chicken or a medium height saucepan. For a family of 3-4 people or for serving guests the desirable volume of 23 liters. For a family of 5-6 people ideal furnace chamber up to 38 to 41 liters. This oven will fit and cook a goose, a Turkey or a big birthday cake.Do I need a grill?
Grill in microwave ovens may be electric heaters or quartz. Quartz is more economical and faster, its easier to keep clean. It does not occupy space in the working chamber, because hidden in the ceiling. But tubular spiral can be raised and lowered to change the position, for example, be inclined at an angle, or installed at a back wall, providing a more uniform heating of products. But between us, if you already have a good oven, microwave oven with grill you really need. As for those who avoid fried foods and are afraid of the word "carcinogens". You'd rather have a clean microwave "healthy eating".Baking in the microwave
For those who love pastries, puff pastries and delicious baked meat or poultry - need a microwave with convection mode. Here the fan is used to blow into the furnace heated to a predetermined temperature of the air, making the most uniform warming and providing a beautiful browned crust. Usually the mode of convection is combined with the microwave, it's much accelerate the cooking and preserves the natural taste, appearance, and all the best, including vitamins. The convection mode more efficient and flexible than the grill. And microwave oven with grill, according to experts, are available for inertial-minded consumers. If before, multifunction oven definitely had a microwave mode, a grill and convection, it is now possible to find a more practical and cheaper microwave oven with convection, but without the grill. Only cakes or biscotti is a must-miss, otherwise a little dry.Speaking of the oven
In the new generation of microwave ovens modern management often accompanied by dialog mode - two-way dialogue with the owner, shown on the display: what does she want? What she should do next? To choose this dish. Yes not to forget to cover. Now remove the cover... South Korean firm LG has released to our market even a talking oven, which duplicates aloud all the text that will appear on the display. He speaks Korean stove in Russian.The inner coating oven
Most common internal coating of microwave ovens from a special durable enamel that is easy to keep clean. Increasingly, there is an internal coating of ceramics. It is very durable, difficult to scratch, and it's so smooth that the particles of grease and other dirt barely held on this smooth surface. What if they suddenly fails, they are easily washed away with a soft sponge. However, ceramic coating is quite fragile. But imagine the situation, how can it be corrupt - it is necessary to stretch the imagination. The stainless steel is very durable, beautiful and can withstand any temperature, which is very important in Gileva and convection mode. However, to take care of such cover and maintain it clean Shine more complicated. Sometimes a cheap camera models can simply be painted with "enamel". This variant has a right to exist. The coating is normally kept, if to cook dishes that do not require high temperatures and too much time.Accessories for microwave ovens
Complete the attached devices desirable multilevel grid for plates, it allows you to heat up dinner in several plates, set one above the other. Serve reheated food all at once, not one by one, as in traditional microwave ovens. This is also convenient because do not need after washing a pot in which was reheated lunch. If you choose oven with grill, it's better that there was not one grill and two: higher and lower.Cookware for microwave oven
Don't worry about it. You can use what you already have at home: conventional porcelain, earthenware, terracotta, ceramics. It is important that your dishes were not gold and silver headbands and patterns, as those containing metal conductive paint and can cause weak electric discharges. In a microwave oven you can even cook in paper cups (so-called quick soups), warm up the finished products in paper bags or wrapped in napkins, paper towels, wax paper.
And yet the most practical special microwave dishes made of heat-resistant glass or special plastics. Produced even the original (quite expensive) the cooker for cooking eggs in the microwave, despite the insistence of manufacturers of furnaces, eggs in the shell in microwave ovens to cook impossible.
Very interesting and beautiful dishes for microwave cooking produced in Spain. For example, the original steamer-cooker. It is a whole system of vessels of heat-resistant plastic. In the bottom filled with water, on the grate over it laid out some products, in a closed vessel under a cover - other, in the upper vessel at the same time preparing the sauce.The capacity of the furnace
In addition to setting time, if you do not use the auto menu, you need to install the best for a particular dish and your goals, the microwave power. Here's a small sign, which don't even have to remember. Enough to comprehend. 80-150 watts - maintenance mode ready meals in the hot state; 160-300 W - defrosting and cooking delicate foods; 400-500 watts - fast defrost in small quantities; 560-700 W - slow cooking or heating delicate foods; 800-900 watts - fast heat-up and cooking. There is an opinion, and it flashes even in many grief books microwave recipes that meat and poultry in a microwave oven are more rigid than traditional cooking. But if on a conventional stove you cook meat or poultry at maximum heat until the very end, the more you will receive the sole. The mistake was that the new owners of microwave ovens are limited to setting the cooking time and power, if not set, issued 100%. Actually 100% power is used not so often. Meat, poultry is better to cook at 70% power, fish, dumplings, meatballs - in 50-70%. Moreover meat with streaks of fat warms up much faster. And hard beef or mutton is better to put out power is 50%, cut in small pieces.
Brewing herbs do very well, if you fill them with boiling water and let stand in the microwave for 10-15 minutes at a power of 10-30%. But if you want to quickly prepare a yeast dough, place it in the microwave at a power of 10%. It rises in shock time!Useful tips
Specifics of heating liquids in microwave ovens is such that when the boiling temperature has been reached, released during the boiling bubbles for some time held the base of the vessel. At some point all that can dramatically escalate. In order not to "escape" the liquid from the vessel in the oven or when removing from the oven, place in a microwaveable liquid glass spoon or a stick. In a pinch you can use a metal teaspoon, just make sure to position it so that the spoon handle not "doodling" on the interior walls of the furnace.
Formed during defrosting, the liquid may heat up. Because of this, the defrosting is uneven. Remove the liquid around the middle of the defrost cycle.
If put in the microwave product weighing less than 100 g, on the rotary table you must bet at least 100 ml of water in a microwave dish. Otherwise, fail to detect the camera enough water molecules, the microwave will return unspent energy back to the emitter, and there is a risk of overload. Generally it is desirable to keep in the oven a glass of water, if accidentally activated will not damage the magnetron.
If you use mode microwave oven with grill, put under the grill grate plate to collect dripping fat.
If on the inner walls of the furnace remained erosion-resistant grease stains and dried-on food residue, place in the oven with a glass of water and boil for 5 minutes. Under the action of steam the dirt will soften and can be easily washed away. Glass rotary table furnace can be washed with dishwashing detergent or in the dishwasher.
All products are cut thinner, and then they make ready quickly, and bakes better.
When defrosting foods must be removed from the package or pierce it, otherwise the package will explode.
Cereals before cooking in the microwave is a must-soaked.
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