Caring For And Using Your Microwave

There is one appliance in your home that you should never attempt to repair – the microwave oven. The microwave is powered by a capacitor that maintains an electrical charge even when it isn't plugged in. The capacitor stores so much electricity that it could potentially kill you if you were to attempt to make a repair to the microwave. The best you can do for your microwave is to use it and care for it properly and call a professional appliance repair technician when it doesn't work as it should. So, how do you use and care for your microwave properly?

Tips for Using Your Microwave

Don't ignore the power settings. The microwave was designed with adjustable power settings with good reason. A lot of foods will cook more evenly when cooked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. If you notice that some of your food comes out crunchy on the edges or rubbery, reduce the power setting and cook it for a longer time.

When the microwave beeps, don't rush to remove the food. Instead, allow the food to rest inside the microwave for a minute or two. Doing so gives the heat trapped inside the food time to disperse throughout the entire dish, which reduces the hot and cold spots that you may find while you are eating.

Crack the lids and puncture the bags while cooking in the microwave. If you cook food inside an air-tight container or bag, the steam will build up inside and eventually cause the lid to pop off or the bag to explode. This not only causes a big mess, but the impact could also damage the microwave.

Tips for Properly Caring for Your Microwave

The most important step in caring for your microwave is to keep it clean.

Don't spray cleaners inside the microwave. The cleaners might not cause any damage to the microwave, but they can cause the food that you cook inside to taste like the cleaning solution for several uses after you have cleaned it.

Steam is the best cleaning method for your microwave. Fill a mug with water and put it in the microwave. Set the timer to 5 minutes on high heat. Once the timer beeps, let the mug sit inside the microwave for several minutes. The steam produced will break down any food that is stuck to the inside of the microwave and you will easily be able to wipe it clean using nothing more than a paper towel.

These tips will help to keep your microwave running properly. If you have an issue, try unplugging the unit for a few minutes and then plugging it back in. This will reset the system and potentially fix the problem that you are having. If it doesn't contact your repair technician at a place like Automatic Appliance Service for assistance.