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Microwave heating times -- the food is lava


SwampNut

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This has been brewing in my head for years.  Shit, can't even remember how many.  But when did microwave re-heat times change from pretty rational to core of the sun levels, and why?  Just as microwaves all got better, recommended heating times also went way up.  I cut all of them by a lot, and still too hot most of the time.

 

Today's example is a tofu rice sriracha bowl.  Cook for 5 minutes on high, stir, cook for 2 more.

 

I did 333, stirred, then did 111.  

 

FUCKING LAVA!

 

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Someone did a video on a 20+ year old microwave that was THE BEST at properly reheating food.  In short, most companies use a basic method that tends to get it wrong.  By the time it thinks your food is sufficiently hot...it's too hot.  All you can do is set for a couple minutes on defrost levels (say 3 out of 10) and see what that does.

 

Whose guidelines are you using?  I'd not trust what some places put on the packaging for food sold in stores.

 

 

Edited by Zero Knievel
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18 hours ago, SwampNut said:

This has been brewing in my head for years.  Shit, can't even remember how many.  But when did microwave re-heat times change from pretty rational to core of the sun levels, and why?  Just as microwaves all got better, recommended heating times also went way up.  I cut all of them by a lot, and still too hot most of the time.

 

Today's example is a tofu rice sriracha bowl.  Cook for 5 minutes on high, stir, cook for 2 more.

 

I did 333, stirred, then did 111.  

 

FUCKING LAVA!

 

Granted not all of them have it, but I change the percentage of power quite often and end up with way better results.

 

Depending on the mix of the product some items just heat up faster than other itesm and skew the results, but dropping down to 60, 70, 80 pct and even increase time if needed gives great results.

 

YMMV

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19 hours ago, Zero Knievel said:

Whose guidelines are you using?  I'd not trust what some places put on the packaging for food sold in stores.

 

That's my point, the packages tell you to over-do it by far.

 

The microwave guy is a retard.

 

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I’d have to check…most microwave instructions will state what wattage microwave to use.  I’d presume they calculate based on a “break room” unit that’s lower in wattage than what one would own for their home use.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Is this true?  I haven't bought popcorn in at least a decade.

 

3dwxuebszid81.png

 

 

 

I assume that this is because microwave popcorn is bagged and mostly sealed.  And I assume the popcorn button uses the heat and moisture sensor that's in all modern microwaves to know what the food is doing and set itself accordingly.  But I don't really know, that's conjecture from understanding how sensor microwaves have evolved, particularly inverter types.

 

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3 hours ago, SwampNut said:

Is this true?  I haven't bought popcorn in at least a decade.

 

3dwxuebszid81.png

 

 

 

I assume that this is because microwave popcorn is bagged and mostly sealed.  And I assume the popcorn button uses the heat and moisture sensor that's in all modern microwaves to know what the food is doing and set itself accordingly.  But I don't really know, that's conjecture from understanding how sensor microwaves have evolved, particularly inverter types.

 

Never used a microwave button, LOL  just don't trust this sort of automation.

 

Currently have Pop Secret, and instructions say... set it for High for 4 minutes, but LISTEN

 

If before the 4 minutes is up, if the popping slows way down, time to stop it.

 

Sometime it went the full 4 minutes and I did not feel the need to stop it, but a few times, it did slow way down and I terminated it's ass...

 

And all came out fine.    However, always wanting to experiment, once I decided not to stop it per instructions and sure Nuf...  bunch of kernels were burnt.

 

I can only guess some of the kernels did not have proper water content to do their job, so just turned to black lumps.  

 

Makes sense, as I guess there is no fool proof way to test each kernel as it gets loaded into the bag.

 

Now I always listen, and Damn YOU,   LOL   now I got a hankering for some pop corn for later tonite   LOL   :rolleyes:

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The automation SHOULD work with microwave popcorn, but it’s not an exact science.  So, it’s common for the unit to overcook the product and burn it.  The manufacturers of the popcorn test the product and provide more reliable guidelines for the microwave based on a given wattage sized unit.  You can actually say this about any microwaveable product that uses metal inserts to focus the heat.  Now, I hear you can pop popcorn in a microwave in a regular sandwich sized paper bag.  Maybe in that case, the sensors would do a better job.

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5 hours ago, SwampNut said:

Why should it?  If the bag is interfering with the detector, why would it work?

 

The setting SHOULD have been designed to account for the microwavable bag.  All I've seen vent steam into the unit as the corn pops.  The sensor/detector should be reading that as an indication of completeness.

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54 minutes ago, Zero Knievel said:

The setting SHOULD have been designed to account for the microwavable bag.

 

Why would you do that?  Then people using normal popcorn are fucked, PLUS you would never be able to properly guess how much each bag vents.

 

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44 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

 

Why would you do that?  Then people using normal popcorn are fucked, PLUS you would never be able to properly guess how much each bag vents.

 

 

People don't normally make popcorn in a microwave sans the microwavable versions.  So, they are programming for the standard microwavable bag.  Every bag I've seen follows the same design and similarly vents once the bag is fully inflated.  It's not rocket science.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I reheat food in the microwave I use the "Reheat" button, and it works great. For food out of a new box I go buy the recommendation on the box, then check it. Better to be undercooked that overcooked. I just wish my microwave had a 30 second button. It's only got a 1 minute button, like Dave's dick.   

 

I don't eat popcorn after the "White Men Can't Jump" fiasco in Framingham, MA in 1992.

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10 hours ago, OrganDonor said:

I just wish my microwave had a 30 second button. It's only got a 1 minute button, like Dave's dick.   

 

Oh, I know how to find his 30 second button.

 

I program times with single buttons.  11, 22, 33, 44, etc.  Why move your finger when 45 is the same as 44?

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