Microwave Wisdom for Caravan Folk*
by Jim Garrod
A microwave oven is not just a re-heater. It can cook plenty of fresh, healthy caravan food - if you know how to do it. This will get you off to a good start, and guide you toward microwave mastery.
Choose a well known brand such as Panasonic, Sharp, or Samsung, but be aware that new microwave ovens branded Kenwood or Belling are not connected with those prestigious companies. The market is flooded with very cheap microwave ovens, sold under countless names. Typically, you can't get parts for those. So you might have to scrap one that fails out of warranty - or sooner if you smash its glass tray, or break a plastic door hook. Basic models are OK. You may hear that they can't cook food. Nonsense. All microwave ovens can cook. It's mostly down to the skill and knowledge of the user.
Mechanical controls (knobs) are good, but they are now only on cheap models with no start buttons. So if the door is shut after removing the food - with time to go, they start up again - running empty. This can cause oven damage, and possibly a fire. So electronic controls it must be, preferably with a digital timer knob. Here's a tip. Never use a wet cloth on a touch control panel. Moisture may get in around the edges and make it inoperable. Always use a wax spray, which will seal the edges.
As your only oven, a combination model could make sense, but bear in mind that while it is doing oven work, it is not available for microwave work - and vice versa. These need about 3 kw of power. The power (watts) needed by a pure microwave model is around twice its rated output, but don't be fooled by this. For moderate amounts of food, microwave ovens are highly efficient and cheap to run. That's because they use electricity roughly in proportion to the work they do. Of course, it's different with a combination model when it is using its heating elements, though they won't be on all the time.
Like some free cookware? Certain throw-away food containers are very suitable for microwave use. The thicker plastics with a waxy feel are best, preferably without corners - tell the cookware people. Avoid the thin crinkly sort. To test any intended container, put it (empty) in the microwave oven beside half a cup of cold water, and apply full power for about a minute. If nothing happens to the test piece, it will probably
serve you well. Don't do this with metallic or melamine items.
If you overload your power supply, voltage drop may affect microwave performance. Heating power can reduce more than supply voltage has dropped. A serious overload can result in greatly extended heating times. For this reason, and others, NEVER RELY ON TIMINGS. Before serving food, make sure it is properly cooked and really hot. Check its temperature deep down with a probe thermometer, as they do in the catering trade. For safe eating, food temperature should be above 70 deg C.
Beware small items with a lot of sugar or fat in them, things like mince pies. They may need only a few seconds, so stay with them. If you go off and leave them heating, you may return to a wrecked microwave oven, a caravan filled with smoke, or even a caravan on fire. Watch all fast heating food, and make sure you are poised ready to open the oven door. That will instantly stop the microwaves.
The most important thing to know about microwave cooking, is that it carries on after you turn off the microwaves. Food will finish cooking or heating all by itself, but if you apply microwaves until you think it's "done" , that extra, unstoppable cooking can ruin it. The secret of success is to know how much the food should be underdone when the microwaves are turned off, so it's something worth learning.
There's no space here for everything you should know about owning and using a microwave oven, but you can have fun acquiring that knowledge. Pop into the nearest bookshop and order *Microwave for Certain. ISBN 1-873373-00-7 Published by Waveguide. *This paperback explains microwave ovens in a unique and entertaining way, with side splitting Besley cartoons. Unlike microwave cookbooks, it tells you how to get
your food properly cooked and safe to eat without using timings. This unusual book makes good reading even if you are not cookery minded.* It's a gift at £4.45*.
Microwave for Certain
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