Microwave has become such an important part of our lives that if we do not use it for a day, our food preparations seems incomplete.  Most of us swear by microwave ovens, particularly those who are busy and don’t have hours to spend on cooking. 

Microwave makes our lives easier, however, like other kitchen appliances, it is essential to use Microwave oven with care. Before using a Microwave oven to preheat, cook, reheat, or defrost food, you need to use microwave cookware or bakeware which is safe for cooking in the microwave oven. Wrong cookware or bakeware can affect the quality of food. However, there are many people who don’t understand the importance of Microwave cookware or bakeware. It is necessary to stop using regular cookware/bakeware in Microwave because they can affect the food and cause harm to your health. Ellementry is one such online platform that provides hygiene and safety at home with its variety of bakeware options.

What is Microwave Bakeware?

A Microwave Bakeware is a microwave-safe bakeware made from very strong material that can work well with microwave rays. A microwave-safe bakeware’s material should not become too hot, change shape, cause damage to the appliance, or produce harmful chemicals that contaminate food when food is baked in the Microwave. When microwave-safe bakeware is exposed to the microwave rays, they should pass through its material and directly heat the food. Usual bakeware or cookware that restricts microwave rays from passing through the material is not suitable to be used in a Microwave oven. 

Bakeware is cooking vessels that are used inside an oven. The traditional baking appliance is OTG (Oven-Toaster-Griller). OTG is ideal for professional bakers and people who prefer to use a dedicated appliance for baking, grilling, and toasting. A microwave oven is the next best alternative to OTGs. A microwave oven is actually an extension of a basic Microwave appliance. It has the ability to perform the tasks that an oven can perform. The heating system of a microwave oven is more complex than a normal oven. It throws heat from all sides. Thus, it minimizes human intervention and bakes the food thoroughly. 

Microwave Bakeware is different from the usual

Every Microwave oven performs three basic functions – cook, bake, and grill. Other important functions are regular cooking, de-frosting, and re-heating. You can bake anything in a Microwave oven including cakes, muffins, pastries, pizzas, cookies, bread, and all that you can think! Many users enjoy grilling vegetables, bread, fish, etc. in a microwave. A microwave oven is the best choice for amateur bakers who either want to reduce their time spent on cooking food or do some cooking experiments. 

Some cookware materials are fine in the microwave but some are not good and may cause damage. Most of the OTG bakeware is suitable to be used in Microwave oven too. We can use glass, ceramic, silicone, and metal vessels in an OTG. We can use glass, ceramic, and silicone vessels in a Microwave oven but we can’t use metal vessels. Metal cookware is not safe for baking in the microwave. Microwave-safe plastic cookware is also not safe for baking in the microwave. It is important to be careful while choosing bakeware or cookware for Microwave oven because they are different from the usual bakeware/cookware. You can use paper plates, napkins, towels, wax and parchment papers in a microwave, but aluminium foil, brown paper bags, cold-storage plastic containers, dishes with metallic paints are not recommended.

For baking, you can either use convection or a regular microwave. They are different in the way they work. Convection microwaves are the best because you can easily use regular cake tins and glassware and do not have to worry about cracks or sparks. They are quite similar to a regular oven in their function. Instead of using waves like normal microwave, they use a fan to force air movement and produce heat. For regular and combination microwaves, you should always use microwave-safe cookware/bakeware. 

Ceramic and Stoneware baking dishes are the most suitable choices for baking in Microwave oven. They are the most versatile and you can serve food straight from those baking dishes at the table. Thus, they are quite convenient to use. Some people prefer to use aluminium bakeware for baking. However, it is recommended to always avoid metal bakeware or aluminium foil in your microwave oven because sometimes they cause a spark or catch fire. Microwave rays can’t pass through metal, thus avoid your traditional metal cookware/bakeware.

Purchasing Microwave-safe cookware/bakeware that is different from the usual

You should keep your Microwave size and function in mind while you purchase your Microwave cookware/bakeware. Most of the microwaves have turntables, thus, it is recommended to avoid purchasing oversized microwave cookware/bakeware that comes with huge handles. Such cookware may hit the sides while they rotate on the turntable. 

Shallow microwave cookware/bakeware that is either round or oval in shape allows quick and uniform distribution of heat. Square or rectangular cookware/bakeware sometimes causes hot spots. These hot spots result in hardening or drying of foods. 

Microwave cookware/bakeware is not too expensive. They also come with recipe booklets that demonstrate how those vessels should be used for preparing delicious meals and appetizers. Microwave bakeware is different from usual bakeware that is used for cooking/baking on a gas stove or a conventional oven. There is a wide range of microwave cookware/bakeware available in the market. These products include popcorn makers, brownie pans, batter bowls, soup makers, rice cookers, egg poachers, omelette pans, bacon cookers, muffin molds, cake molds, pizza pans, and many more. 

How to use Microwave Bakeware

You can bake food in Microwave oven or Microwave convection. It is essential to use microwave-safe cookware/bakeware while cooking in the Microwave.  Microwave-safe material resists heat and its composition allows microwave rays to pass through and doesn’t affect the appliance and vessel. Most microwave cookware can also be used in regular ovens, refrigerators, and freezers. They are attractive vessels, thus, apart from cooking, they are often used to serve food.