Which microwave cookware can I use? How to understand the labeling?

The usual thing is to warm the food, cooking using the microwave. However, so that there are no surprises during the cooking process, the dishes for the microwave must be selected very carefully. What materials should be preferred? And what to consider when choosing utensils?

Microwave Nuances

The variety of containers created from various materials and suitable for cooking dishes is very large. However, not all containers are suitable for microwave cooking. When deciding what kind of dishes can be cooked in the microwave, choosing such containers, you need to pay attention not only to the material, but also to the size of the product. What should be preferred?

Dishes for the microwave: subtleties and nuances

1. Kitchen utensils, which are planned to be used for a microwave oven, should be made of durable material. Cookware suitable for microwave ovens must withstand the effects of high temperatures without deforming, cracking or emitting toxic fumes that can cause poisoning.
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2. When purchasing glassware or containers made of other material, it is worth worrying about the issue of its “throughput”. The most suitable choice is transparent packaging, devoid of any patterns.
3. On the surface of the products, as well as in the composition of the material, there should be no metal elements. Therefore, utensils with gilding, silver or copper patterns are unsuitable for microwave ovens. Its use can cause electrical discharges inside the appliance.
4. A popular option is a plastic dish for a microwave, but before buying, you need to pay attention to the presence of a special brand located on the bottom or lid of the container. Marking of utensils for microwave made of plastic, letter combinations (PP and PC), and Also, a thematic sign in the form of waves or a schematically depicted microwave oven should be present on the tank.
5. It is better to give preference to those kitchen products that have lids. At the same time, they should have a small hole for the exit of heated air.
6. When choosing a container, it is not out of place to take into account its shape. It is best to use rounded, oval, cylindrical dishes in the preparation of dishes in microwave ovens. The sides should not be too high. If the container is with sharp corners, this can lead to dry food along the edges in a number of moments.
7. The size of kitchen utensils is also crucial. It should be easily located inside the microwave without touching the walls during operation of the device.

In addition to the common and familiar materials from which the dishes are created, the following options are suitable for heating and making dishes in a microwave oven:

• it is possible to use a transparent foil or a special film, on the packages of which information on the availability of use within the framework of microwave ovens is indicated; baking bags are also suitable, but first they need to be pierced with a thick needle or knife in a couple of places so that there is air outlet, couple;
• dishes made of thin pressed polystyrene can also be placed in a microwave oven; you just need to carefully monitor the heating process so that the container does not melt;
• disposable cardboard products, paper is also suitable; exceptions are those forms of utensils that are coated with a wax layer or have an oily, greasy base; the wax can melt under the influence of heat, and the oil base flares up, causing a household fire instrument;
• it is allowed to put containers created from aluminum in the microwave if they have low walls; but also on the dishes for the microwave oven made of a similar material, there should be a corresponding sticker;
• baking, baking, sandwiches can be heated on napkins, in paper bags, wrapping them in parchment paper;
• fabric versions of “dishes” in the form of pure linen or cotton material are also suitable for microwave ovens.

When there is a general idea of ​​what dishes you can put in the microwave, you need certainly decide on the main types of materials suitable and prohibited for use within Microwave ovens.

Good to know:

• How to use a microwave: detailed instructions for beginners and more.
• Microwave damage: true or myth?
• How to choose a microwave: https://sovetexpert.ru/kakuyu-kupit-mikrovolnovku.html
• How to remove bad odor from the microwave? Overview of best practices.

Unacceptable microwave materials

Among kitchen utensils that are not specialized for microwave ovens, there are a number of options that can not be put in a microwave oven due to various reasons. What dishes will have to be abandoned as part of heating and cooking with a microwave appliance?

What cookware cannot be used: basic list of inappropriate materials

1. Products from crystal glass It is unacceptable to use for cooking in the microwave. Firstly, the material has silver and lead in its composition. Secondly, the crystal surface is often heterogeneous. The influence of microwave radiation on the thin spots of crystal utensils can cause an explosion of dishes directly inside the appliance.
2. Is it permissible to put products from thin glass? Definitely not. This kind of glassware is made from melanin, which is sometimes called "artificial" or "synthetic" porcelain. In its structure, this material is very fragile and too light. Under the influence of heat in a microwave oven, it can crack and crumble into fragments.
3. It should be excluded from use iron containerseven suitable for baking in the oven. Such a ban does not apply only to certain aluminum products. Although such capacities do not deform, their walls, even thin and low, are not able to pass microwave radiation through themselves, while heating very much. Therefore put metal utensils A household appliance is not recommended.
4. Pure ceramics and clay utensils, top not covered with a layer of strong glaze, cannot be used for cooking with microwave ovens. Due to high temperatures, such containers simply crack and crumble.
5. Avoid and plastic utensilsnot properly labeled or purchased elsewhere in non-specialist stores. Plastic is not a heat-resistant material; it is easily deformed and toxic to products. The exception is special varieties for microwave ovens.

The best cookware options for the microwave

Before you decide for sure which dishes are suitable for the microwave, you need to remember a few basic rules that allow you to test, and then apply non-specialized kitchen utensils to prepare meals in Microwave oven.

Rules and techniques for checking dishes

• Selected products must withstand strong temperature effects (up to 300 degrees if the grill function is used).
• In addition to the “throughput” capacity should not be very hot during the period in the microwave.
• Chips, cracks, scratches, and any other surface damage should not be present on the kitchen utensils. There should also be no frozen air bubbles inside the product.
• If it is possible to conduct a test, then in the selected container you need to put a glass cup with dense walls, in which there is a certain amount of cold water. Then, having placed the entire “structure” in the microwave, turn on the device at full power, setting the time to a minute. A positive result of such a home test is hot water in a glass at the outlet and cold or slightly warm walls of the tested dishes.

What utensils can be used for a microwave: the best material options

1. Porcelain or Earthenware considered quite suitable options for the microwave. Despite the fact that containers made from such materials are opaque, both earthenware and porcelain are “conductors” for the waves of the stove. However, they do not heat up excessively and do not crack due to heat.
2. If there is a need to apply ceramic utensilsthen she must have full glazed coating, including the bottom and the inner walls of the dishes. Ceramics, like clay, are heated evenly, which guarantees successful heating or preparation of products. Such containers must be carefully removed from the household appliance, using tacks so as not to burn themselves.
3. The most popular special containers for microwave ovens are products from refractory, heat-resistant (heat-resistant) glass. The first version of the dishes will allow cooking at temperatures up to 300 degrees, the second is suitable only for the microwave mode (approximately 145 degrees). Such glassware is not difficult to distinguish from analogues: it has very dense walls, the sides are not too high, there are often hollow or flat handles.
4. Special plastic dishes, created from polypropylene (use polycarbonate products with caution), it is considered to be the second most popular version of utensils for a microwave oven. Additionally, airtight containers allow you to easily store food and cooked meals in the refrigerator.
5. Also silicone dishes suitable for cooking in a microwave oven, not afraid of high temperature effects. And she has certain advantages against the background of other utensils. First of all, such containers are suitable for baking and baked dishes. They are distinguished by the lightness and softness of the material, making it easy and simple to handle such modern dishes, as well as to store.

Asking the question, is it possible to complete the process of cooking in the microwave using non-specialized dishes, you just pay attention to the material from which it created. And then take into account the size and shape. For example, the following utensil options can help out when there is no way to heat or cook food in the right dishes:

• faceted glasses with dense walls;
• porcelain plates, saucers, vases with low sides;
• ceramic cups and mugs without patterns, chips and cracks on enamel;
• bowls and molds made of durable solid glass, without patterns, color spraying, with a smooth and uniform surface;
• wooden, unvarnished containers can also be used in the microwave, however, it is very necessary to carefully monitor the cooking process, without setting the maximum power on the household appliance.

What to cook in the microwave? (video response)

So as not to get confused at the store, trying to choose the most suitable utensils for use in the microwave, you should watch the video below. The video focuses on the main points that you should not forget about when choosing the necessary dishes.

Thanks to a large selection of different utensils for microwave ovens, choosing the most suitable option is not difficult. But, even without special containers in the kitchen, it is possible to cook in a microwave oven in any container that meets the basic requirements put forward for microwave products.