Microwave

[seal!]

Why doesn't food taste as nice when cooked in the microwave?

[nickmo]

What food do you mean? Fat, and sugars as carbohydrates can not be influenced by the Maillard effect in a m/wave. When the amino acids and sugars are heated, they interact with each other in a phenomenon known as the Maillard reaction. The molecules of the amino acids and sugars combine to form new aromas and flavors. The Maillard reaction is responsible for the brown colour of cooked foods (as well as causing self-tanning lotions to make you go brown!). Its why toast is brown, beer tastes of beer, pork has crackling....

The best fresh foods in a m/wave include fish, some types of veg (try a small squash, pierced a dozen times, top off and de-seeded. Takes 4 mins) inc ratatouille, and steamed foods.

Its also why pre-cooked food is ok, but not v. good at getting the flavour into, say, a piece of meat. M/waves are able to penetrate into the food about 2cms, so anything thicker needs to be heated by the normal process as occurs in an ordinary oven.

[dingbat63]

They are the most over-rated piece of kitchen equipment ever invented. Must have had brilliant marketing is all I can say.

[qapmoc]

Yeah Dingbat, I have been trying to get the same marketing team to take on my idea for a lefthanded light switch but they are tied up full time with the President Bush administration.

[dingbat63]

Must say they did a good marketing job with the Bush administration. Was that the same marketing team who sold us the Blair lot?!