How long does it take a microwave oven to warm up?

It depends on the thickness. I believe another poster gave an example of a pie. Microwaves will penetrate to the middle of a pie that's 2" thick. And when I put a piece of pie in set on high, the top crust isn't burning before the whole thing is steaming hot. If I put in a pint size container of tomato sauce that's in the shape of a sour cream or yogurt container, that doesn't just melt from the top and/or burn there either. Seems to melt from the top and sides first. Or how about ice cream? I pop a pint in on high for 15 secs to warm it up to make it easy to scoop. It pretty much softens the whole thing. I don't wind up with just soft in the very top or a pool of liquid at the top and the rest still hard. It's probably because the composition has significant air making it less dense and the waves can penetrate deeper.

Plenty of other frozen foods just give a time to cook it on high. Everything from eggplant parm to vegetables When I thaw out cooked frozen foods that I have prepared, then I put it on half power and monitor it. But that's more because I'm heating it in a plastic container and the localized heating near the plastic could soften it. The store bought foods have containers that can stand the heat.

Don't you mean leg of kangaroo? And who in their right mind would cook a leg of lamb in a microwave? Good grief.

Not to be pedantic but microwaves enter from all sides. If you didn't have a tray in there and just set things on the metal can nothing would get in the bottom but they are not made that way.

Who would "cook" anything in a microwave. They are meant just to heat things up unless "cook" just means make it hot to you.

What alternate reality are you living in?

Cook - the art, science, and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption

I cook oatmeal in the microwave. Could the microwave make it any worse?

Cindy Hamilton

In other words "it tastes like s*it but you can live on it". I suppose there is no difference to some people between cooking a fine meal from ingredients, not out of a can and nuking something in the microwave. No wonder we, as a nation, are so fat and spend so much on food. We let ConAgra decide what we are going to eat, how much corn syrup, salt and fat it has in it and let them package it for us.

You are just making oatmeal hot. Do you cook steaks in the microwave? How about Beef Stroganoff or spaghetti sauce (not from a box, jar or can)

If you make real rice (not Uncle Ben's) or beef stew in the microwave, I am glad I don't eat at your house.

You're assuming that you can't cook a fine meal in the microwave.

You are, as usual, wrong.

Most people can't. It takes a bit of technique to cook some items well. Back about 35 years an appliance store sold them and gave classes where you cooked a full meal. My wife and I bought one and took the class a couple of nights and yes, that beef roast was damned good.

Sure, some stuff still is best the normal methods but with proper preparation, using various power setting, you can do far more than heat leftovers.

Of course you won't get crispy skin on your chicken but you can do amazing things with boneless skinless parts. If you don't know how, it will be chunks of rubber.

So vegetables, eg broccoli or carrots cooked in a microwave are somehow no good? But ones boiled in water or steamed on the range are? Potato baked in a microwave is no good? Popcorn?

Now you're talking about frozen prepared foods, not cooking.

Popcorn is the only thing "cooked" in our microwave. Otherwise it's used to warm up leftovers or coffee that's gone cool. I've heard that people cook meals in a microwave, but we never tried that.

Haven't tried the oatmeal have you? Otherwise you wouldn't say such a stupid thing. Bacon also does well in the microwave.

Gil

Do not put raw chicken livers in a microwave...

I am not taking food advice from a country that invented Vegimite.

You are still talking about heating things up. That is not to be confused with browning meat in a pan, deglazing and recovering the fond, adding your other ingredients and simmering it for a few hours, then making a sauce. You can't duplicate that in a microwave. I bet you cook ribs in the microwave too and add some liquid smoke. Yummy.

It depends on your definition of a fine meal. If you go to a nice restaurant, they may heat stuff up in a microwave but the cooking is done on a stove or in an oven. OTOH, Burger King uses a microwave to rejuvenate a burger that has been sitting in the out chute of the flame broiler too long. Maybe that is what you mean.

You are still just heating things up and popcorn? Really? That is cooking? Baked potatoes never get that crispy skin. I will get them hot in the microwave, then put them in a toaster oven for 15 minutes or so at