Microwave Meals I Have Known

[Tamar G]

OK--but first I have to get a bigger kitchen.

 

And perhaps stop setting it on fire?

[Maurice Naughton]

It's the microwave heated water cooling faster than regular heated water bit that I'm having difficulty with.

If you microwave the water in a heavy ceramic mug, the water boils before the mug is heated through. As the mug and water achieve thermal equipoise (I neither think nor write like this usually; it's for Dr. Johnson), the water cools a little. (But this would happen if you poured boiling water into a cool mug, too. So Rebecca must use a preheated mug.)

[galleygirl]

It's the microwave heated water cooling faster than regular heated water bit that I'm having difficulty with.

If you microwave the water in a heavy ceramic mug, the water boils before the mug is heated through. As the mug and water achieve thermal equipoise (I neither think nor write like this usually; it's for Dr. Johnson), the water cools a little. (But this would happen if you poured boiling water into a cool mug, too. So Rebecca must use a preheated mug.)

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

[Maurice Naughton]

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

I think different ceramics heat at different rates.

[mongo_jones]

also, liquids seem to heat in a layered manner in microwaves. hot spots, cool spots, tepid spots. you have to mix it all up to figure out what the actual temperature level is.

[Wilfrid1]

I thought they heated pretty consistently from the inside out, and - yes - if you taste around the perimeter you might think it's still cool. Stirring is obligatory.

 

My poor father once tried to microwave a pork pie. Not a good idea.

[g.johnson]

It's the microwave heated water cooling faster than regular heated water bit that I'm having difficulty with.

If you microwave the water in a heavy ceramic mug, the water boils before the mug is heated through. As the mug and water achieve thermal equipoise (I neither think nor write like this usually; it's for Dr. Johnson), the water cools a little. (But this would happen if you poured boiling water into a cool mug, too. So Rebecca must use a preheated mug.)

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

Because, despite what you read about microwaves heating things from the inside, they only penetrate a couple of centimeters.

[Abbylovi]

Get ready for me to blow your mind. Foolproof basmati rice made in a microwave. Yes I've done it and yes it's true.

 

So, over the weekend I was making a mole that required rice so I first made basmati on the stovetop that came out like a ball of mush. I peeked in my big Gourmet cookbook and found this recipe:

 

2 cups rice

3 cups water

 

microwave on high for 15 minutes. then cover and microwave for an additional 5. let sit and the fluff with a fork.

Basmati perfection.

[Suzanne F]

But Abby, you can do the same thing on the stove in the same time. Follow the directions in Seductions of Rice. Foolproof (not to suggest that you are a fool, no no no)

 

I actually made myself a bowl of grits in the nuker the other day -- the quick kind, not the instant (yech). Not really any faster, but yes, no pot to clean.

 

And it's the only way I cook corn on the cob now.

[Jaymes]

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

 

This always happens when you have some sort of metal in the ceramic - most frequently, that means lead in the glaze. The metal in the ceramic "protects" whatever is in the cup/bowl and the microwaves don't reach it.

 

In fact, this is how I test for lead in the glaze when I buy Mexican pottery. I put some water in it and nuke it. If the ceramic stays cool, but the water heats, it's fine. When it's the reverse, there's lead in the glaze.

[rancho_gordo]

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

 

This always happens when you have some sort of metal in the ceramic - most frequently, that means lead in the glaze. The metal in the ceramic "protects" whatever is in the cup/bowl and the microwaves don't reach it.

 

In fact, this is how I test for lead in the glaze when I buy Mexican pottery. I put some water in it and nuke it. If the ceramic stays cool, but the water heats, it's fine. When it's the reverse, there's lead in the glaze.

 

Wouldn't that ruin the microwave?

[Abbylovi]

But Abby, you can do the same thing on the stove in the same time. Follow the directions in Seductions of Rice. Foolproof (not to suggest that you are a fool, no no no)

Really? Well maybe I'll try it on the stove but I'm pretty sold on this microwave method. Plus it's just one thing that I don't have to watch.

[Maurice Naughton]

In fact, this is how I test for lead in the glaze when I buy Mexican pottery. I put some water in it and nuke it. If the ceramic stays cool, but the water heats, it's fine. When it's the reverse, there's lead in the glaze.

 

Wow! What a dandy tip! Is it foolproof?

[rancho_gordo]

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

 

This always happens when you have some sort of metal in the ceramic - most frequently, that means lead in the glaze. The metal in the ceramic "protects" whatever is in the cup/bowl and the microwaves don't reach it.

 

In fact, this is how I test for lead in the glaze when I buy Mexican pottery. I put some water in it and nuke it. If the ceramic stays cool, but the water heats, it's fine. When it's the reverse, there's lead in the glaze.

 

What does it mean if both the ceramic and water are warm????

 

I have nothing to believe in anymore.

[Jaymes]

Strange. Becasue when I pull, say, a bowl of soup out of the microwave, the bowl is too hot to touch, yet the soup ,may be tepid in the middle.

This always happens when you have some sort of metal in the ceramic - most frequently, that means lead in the glaze. The metal in the ceramic "protects" whatever is in the cup/bowl and the microwaves don't reach it.

 

In fact, this is how I test for lead in the glaze when I buy Mexican pottery. I put some water in it and nuke it. If the ceramic stays cool, but the water heats, it's fine. When it's the reverse, there's lead in the glaze.

What does it mean if both the ceramic and water are warm????

Mo & RG: Well, I ain't a scientist, and don't know all the ramifications, so wouldn't say it's "foolproof," but there's no question that if there is some sort of metal in the ceramic, the water won't heat, or at least won't heat much. Generally, that means there's lead in the glaze. I don't know if it would ruin the microwave if you made a habit of heating large metal objects, but the occasional cup or bowl doesn't seem to affect it one bit.

 

RG: Even if the microwaves are not heating the ceramic at all, when the food gets hot enough, THAT will heat the ceramic. For example, if you pour boiling hot water into the kind of cup or bowl that carries heat, such as glass, ceramic or metal (as opposed to, say, plastic), the heat of the food will heat the container, often to a considerable degree. So it doesn't necessarily mean that the ceramic has metal in it if it gets hot, TOO. The determining factor is whether or not the food/liquid inside of it heats in an appropriate amount of time.

 

Galleygirl says that in some (I'll bet not all) of her bowls, the bowl gets hot but the soup does not. That can only mean there's metal in the bowl that is shielding the soup from the microwaves. I'd suggest that she take something that she knows for sure has no metal in it, like a glass measuring cup, put about 1/2 cup of water in it, heat for about 1 1/2 minutes or so, and then take it out and see whether or not the water is hot. I'm bettin' it is. I don't think her problem is with the microwave, or the soup. I think it's with the bowl. And that there's lead in the glaze.