People generally love or loathe a microwave. To some, they’re the devil’s own work that turns us into lazy cooks, for others they’re indispensable. Here at ECOitis, we have one and it’s mainly used to speed-defrost something on the few occasions we don’t have time use the fridge as the place to allow energy-efficient defrosting.

One thing we need to be careful about with a microwave is that it should never be allowed to run when the cavity is empty: the radio wave energy needs a ‘load’ (something to absorb the power) and, without it, very bad things can happen! Unfortunately, some ‘ovens will carry on cooking as soon as the door is closed unless the timer has ended or can be started accidentally by young, curious fingers. In these situations, it’s wise to half-fill a mug or other microwave-safe container with water and make a habit of leaving it in the cavity when the machine is not being used. If the machine is started accidentally, the water will act as the load and quite possibly save the machine from an early death!

Another useful thing to remember is that microwaves won’t penetrate that deeply into food. Spreading items out will allow the energy to penetrate more quickly and more evenly. Obviously, not possible with liquids – so give them regular stirs to help the warmth spread through the whole helping.

What you use as the container is also important: crockery with reflective or sparkle-like paints can absorb so much energy in the metal particles, the glaze sparks and can damage the item. Containers with a high water content in them will warm up just as efficiently as the food (and usually before the food!) so be wary of handles, etc. when taking things out.

One problem we’ve encountered far too often is heating oily foods in a plastic container. While the snap-on lidded boxes are brilliant for freezing items, the oils seem to react with the plastic and often leave a slight residue that won’t wash off, discolouring them. Transferring the contents to a ceramic bowl avoids the problem entirely.