En-40
General Advice For Reheating
Lid
As a general rule, “moist” food or food with
sauce which is to be reheated in the microwave
must be covered with a lid, dishcover or
clingfilm; “dry” or crispy food or food to be
baked should not be covered. Finally sauces,
drinks and soups which need to be stirred
before and after reheating should not be
covered (be careful the food does not spill) or
should just be covered with a saucer.
Individual portion ready-meals
Place the dense food items around the edges
and spread out the more liquid items. If there is
no sauce, add a knob of butter or other fat on
the starchy food. A standard portion will reheat
in 2 to 3 minutes on MAX power. If you want to
reheat two portions at the same time, place
them one on top of the other using a special
microwave stacker or an upside-down plate on
top of the first portion, remembering to swap
them half-way through the cooking process
(allow for 5 to 6 minutes on MAX altogether).
Aluminium trays
and metal tins
Food in these
containers must be
transferred to other
containers which are
microwave safe.
Soups - Stews
These items may liquify as they defrost, so
make sure you place then in suitable
containers. Remember to cut up the blocks and
stir the pieces as the food reheats.
Filled pastries and pies
The fillings of these items often contain large
amounts of fat, sugar or salt, so they reheat
very quickly and can be much hotter than the
crust. Take care not to overheat and not to burn
yourself. Reheating these food items using
microwaves is not recommended because the
pastry becomes soft. Use combination cooking.
Baby bottles and baby food:
Warning:
after reheating, you must always
test the temperature of the milk or the food in
the usual way (for example on the back of your
hand), BEFORE feeding the baby or young
child, to avoid serious internal burns. The baby
bottle should be shaken vigorously, as the
temperature may vary from the top to the
bottom of the bottle.
Sterilisation: we do not recommend you use
the microwave to sterilise baby bottles.
If you use a microwave steriliser, use the
amount of water advised by the manufacturer
and follow the manufacturerʼs instructions
closely.
Temperature:
Food which has been kept in the refrigerator
will take longer to reheat than food kept at
room temperature.
Always check the temperature before eating,
even if you have kept to the cooking times
indicated in the book or on the packet.
If in doubt, increase the reheating time.
Stirring:
Remember to turn or stir the food as often as
possible during the reheating process in order
to even out the temperature at the edges and
in the middle. Food which cannot be stirred
(such as gratins) must be cut and tested in the
middle.
Standing time:
As heat continues to spread by conduction
after reheating, it is important to wait a few
minutes before eating (from 2-3 minutes for
individual portions, to 8-10 minutes for family-
sized dishes). This standing time is essential
when using the automatic programmes.
Reheating
