How is defrosting in the microwave indicated - step-by-step recipe with photos

Standard microwave programs

Main standby mode: microwave or “microwave”. Have you purchased imported equipment? Then the inscriptions on the case will be: MW or Microwave.

Any microwave can support it, regardless of its design: solo or combination. The only difference is that simple models use exclusively microwave radiation technology, while complex ones also have the “Grill” and “Convection” functions. To maintain them, heaters (heating elements) and fans operate in the stove.

Depending on the company, the radiation power ranges from 600-1100 W. The convenience is that almost every stove may not operate at full power. In recent years, stoves have up to a dozen degrees of adjustment.

Modes, depending on the brand and model, can be signed with numbers - 1, 2, etc., percentages - 75%, 100%, etc. Designations in Watts or symbols are not excluded.

If ten years ago low-power designs rated at 650 W were in use, today the demand for 800-850 W models is growing. Those rated at 1000 W are just gaining popularity.

Defrost mode

Regardless of the price category, almost every modern microwave oven is equipped with a defrost function. To indicate it on the control panel, manufacturers most often use the icon of a snowflake or water drops. They also offer automated programs specifically for defrosting specific products: meat, fish, minced meat, vegetables, etc. However, you can also customize this process manually and adapt it to your own needs.

What does the defrost button look like?

Models with 5 power levels

There are usually 5 microwave modes (in most designs from various brands). Let's look at each of them.

"High" or "full" power. In this case, on foreign equipment the designation “High” is indicated. At 100% power the highest temperature is maintained. Suitable for heating and quickly cooking fish, meat dishes, vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee.
“Above average” or Medium high corresponds to 70-80% of the maximum. Another unspoken name is “Roasting”. It's easy to explain: the cycle allows you to optimally sear pork and poultry. Products do not dry as much as in other modes and do not require constant monitoring. Medium high is also suitable for heating and baking. A real find for those who like to cook with cheese or sauces. Another plus: cooking without boiling over.
“Average” or Medium corresponds to 50-60% of the maximum. Suitable for emergency defrosting, uniform heating, slow frying, stewing or simmering. The “Medium” program often prepares soups, fish and dairy dishes, and seafood.
“Below average” or Medium low - this is the designation of power that produces only 25-30% of the maximum value. Used for heating and softening butter for creams and desserts, melting chocolate products, natural honey and even ice cream. Sometimes the cycle is labeled "Defrosting".
“Low” or Low is the minimum power, designed for only 10-15% of the total. At this cycle the temperature is the lowest, so it is most often used to maintain the warmth of already prepared dishes or to warm up “delicate” foods.

Examples of models with 5 levels

Horizont 20MW700-1378B is a 20-liter stove designed for 0.7 kW. Enameled chamber coating. Mechanical control, rotary switches. Price - from 2930 rubles.

Supra MWS-1803MW - stove with a volume of 18 liters, 0.7 kW. Mechanical control, 30-minute timer. The cost is within 2700 rubles.

Midea AM820CMF - 20 liters, enamel coating, 0.8 kW. Electronically controlled with push-button switches. Timer for 95 minutes. Price - from 4290 rubles.

About the grill

Imported models can be marked with the word Gril - these are combined options. The heating element itself can be infrared (IR) or traditional. When cooking with a grill, the dish is covered with a golden crust, for which many buyers prefer microwave ovens to conventional electric or gas ovens. Particularly enthusiastic reviews can be found online about poultry, meat products, casseroles, cheese and vegetable dishes.

You can activate the grill at the end - solely for the sake of the crust, and before that cook using waves.

Models

Samsung GE83KRS-2 - designed for 23 liters. 0.8 kW, electronic control. From 6,100 rubles.

LG MH6044V - also electronic, but with 20 liters and 700 W. Costs 5,880 rubles.

Horizont 20MW800-1479 - 20 liter, 800 W option. Price - 3,872 rubles.

Convection ovens

Foreign manufacturers often sign the Convection program Conv. It is also designated as “Hot Air” and even “Oven”.

What's the point? The stove is equipped with a heater and a fan, the blades of which accelerate flows of heated air throughout the chamber. The convective process quickly warms up the food, at which time a conventional oven would still be warming up. As a result, any cooking process is accelerated, and heating is uniform. Simultaneous processing on a rotary table is possible using the grid included in the kit.

What to cook. Prepare appetizers, fish and meat delicacies, pizza with any toppings, souffles and aromatic pastries!

On a note! Are you planning to make a pie, sponge cake, puff pastry or muffin when your guests arrive? In this case, preheat the camera.

This program produces good pieces of lean meat weighing less than 0.5 kg. Without using microwaves, you can even cook in foil or on a metal baking sheet at the optimal temperature.

You can find out which dishes cannot be heated in the microwave from the previous review.

Even baby food can be heated using only convection at a temperature of 40 degrees. Read more about this on the page “Is it possible to heat baby food in the microwave.”

Models with convection

Samsung MC28H5013AW - 20-liter 900 W stove with electronics. Volume - 28 liters. Cost - 11,190 rubles.

BBK 23MWC-881T/BM - 23 liters, 800 W, electronics. Costs 6,442 rubles.

Panasonic NN-CD565B is rated at 27 liters and 1000 watts. Inverter type oven. 14,991 rubles.

What plastic containers are used in microwave ovens

Plastic containers are less often marked with a special symbol indicating that the dishes can be heated in the microwave. But on each plastic product there is a mark about the material from which it is made. This information is melted into the bottom of the dish or printed on the label. It is encrypted in the form of numbers and letters in a triangle of arrows.

Reading the signs on plastic utensils will tell you whether you should put them in the microwave.

Important! Even plastic approved for microwave ovens cannot be used in grill mode - the dishes will melt.

Polystyrene

Indicated by the number 6 and the letters PS. The following are made from polystyrene:

cups for fermented milk products - sour cream, yoghurt, etc.;
substrates for purchased chicken and offal, as well as various types of meat;
containers for greens, fruits and vegetables, which are covered with cling film on top.

When heated, including in a microwave oven, styrene is released. It has carcinogenic properties and can cause poisoning of the body. Such containers are used only for storing cold foods. You cannot put them in a microwave oven even for short-term heating.

Program combinations

Manufacturers Gorenje, Korting, Whirlpool, Zigmund & Shtain, Kaiser and others allow you to combine available options. Let's look at the main combinations: their English designations, purpose and capabilities.

Microwave with grill

Foreign markings for this combination: COMBI, MICRO + GRILL, MW + GRILL, etc.

If the microwave power dominates the grill, less time is required, but the quality of cooking the meat will deteriorate. And vice versa: if you intensify the grill, with minimal radiation, you can achieve a familiar taste, sacrificing time - you will need more of it.

The combinations also differ in the method of influence: it can be the simultaneous operation of waves with heating elements or their sequential switching. Simultaneous operation is suitable for frying meat and fish, baking in large volumes. In the second case, you can quickly prepare the dish using microwaves, and the grill will only give it a “blush.”

In the configuration you can often find racks of different heights: low for large products and high for dishes of small size and weight. They significantly enhance the effect.

Important! Manufacturers insist on using exclusively standard grilles: their geometry is thought out to the smallest detail to suit the specific camera parameters of each individual model.

Also remember that metal trays and plates are not suitable for cooking. Dripping fat can be retained with a special ceramic tray. You should treat it with care when washing and cleaning - if the enamel chips, the tray will become unusable.

Microwave and convection

Standard international designation: MW + CONV. An excellent cycle for a large range of dishes, including baked goods. The time required is minimal, the surface of the dish has a crust.

Convection can produce temperatures from 40 to 250 degrees: nothing will burn and will bake perfectly. What can we say about the fact that the smell and juiciness of the products will be impeccable.

Convection with grill

Foreign marks: GRILL + CONV, etc.

Serves for quick frying of food and extra golden brown crust. Pizza, fatty meat, poultry - all this is fast, tasty and beautiful.

Labeling of plastic utensils

Icons on cookware provide the user with detailed information on how to properly use a particular product.

Types and uses of plastic.

Icons indicating cooking methods

The labeling of plastic containers may also depend on the method of its use. This is often a small icon on the bottom or end.

For microwave

The marking of plastic containers, which means that the container can be used in a microwave oven, must be present on the product itself. Usually it is a miniature image of a microwave.

If the container shows a triangle of three arrows inside which the number 6 is written, and the letters PS , this means that the material used to make the container is polystyrene. A container made of this material must not be heated in the microwave or used for inserting hot foods. Even with minimal heating, polystyrene releases substances that are very hazardous to health.

To safely reheat food in a microwave oven, use special utensils. On the lid or bottom of such utensils there is a mark of the letters PP and PC , as well as a small icon in the form of waves or an image of the microwave oven itself.

Signs that indicate the nuances of operation

Not all icons depicted on plastic containers are familiar to the average buyer.

A sign depicting a green dot indicates that the manufacturer of this product is part of the Eco Emballage . Brands included in this system finance a German plastic recycling project. However, many manufacturers mislead buyers and put labels on their products, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with this system.

An icon in the shape of a triangle formed by three arrows means the container was made from recycled plastic. Numbers may be displayed inside the triangle that indicate the type of processing:

from 1 to 19 - processing of plastic products; Labeling plastic for recycling.
from 20 to 39 - recycled cardboard or paper;
from 40 to 49 - types of processing of metal products;
from 50 to 59 - recycled wood;
from 60 to 69 - processing of fabric and textiles;
from 70 to 79 - types of processing of glass products.

A crossed out microwave oven means that the use of containers in a microwave oven is prohibited. It is also worth noting that all disposable tableware is prohibited from heating in the microwave and reuse. The approval code for reuse of such containers is marked on the product itself. These include only containers marked 2 (HDPE) and 5 (PP).

A sign in the form of a snowflake is used to mark dishes that can be used for freezing food . Manufacturers also often indicate the temperature range that the container can withstand.

Containers that display the symbol in the form of dishes in the shower can be washed in the dishwasher.

Common marks on dishes.

Automatic programs

Some designs in recent years include automation. Defrosting, cooking, grilling and combination modes all work without user intervention. You don’t have to set the time and temperature, the “smart” equipment will do everything for you.

The latest microwave ovens have programs designed specifically for Russian users: automatic steaming in the “Side Dishes and Porridge” mode. By pressing one button you can cook rice, buckwheat, oatmeal. Fresh vegetables and potatoes also lend themselves well to this type of processing. In just 6 minutes the oven will cook half a kilo of vegetables, and in an average of 15 minutes it will cook a quarter of a pack of rice.

Now you know everything about the standard modes of microwave ovens and their combinations. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them in the comments to the review.