new to microwaving

Keep the lid on as it might splutter all over the place .

Leave the lid on but make sure it's not airtight—steam needs to be able to escape.

A pyrex casserole lid can probably move a bit if the steam builds up, and let it out, but if you are worried leave it off and wrap a square of clingfilm over the top, stabbed two or three times with a sharp knife. If it is completely uncovered it may spit all over the inside of the microwave.

Stir it before heating, if it is solidified it may heat unevenly and bits spit up. Same with liquid which has been standing - if it has been stirredfirst it is less likely to boil up (though it still can!)

Did the microwave come with an instruction book? They are pretty good at telling you the basics.

Do be careful if you are taking the lid off food straight out of the microwave. The steam will be REALLY hot! Open it away from you. People will tell you the container won't get hot but it will. The hot food will heat it.

Once you have reheated the food in the casserole dish, you cannot reheat that dish again. If you want to save any food, put it on a plate which is microwave proof, cover the plate with cling film as described and just before reheating pierce the film.

Always have oven gloves or a towel close by when taking items out of the microwave because the dishes and plates do get very hot as previously mentioned.

You cannot put any type of metal into the microwave and that includes edging on some plates. This can cause "arking" sp. and set your machine on fire.

Also as well as the above precautions make sure you stir it half way through to ensure the food is cooked in the middle. Microwaves are great for reheating.

Thanks very much for all the advice. Could I ask one more thing how long should I leave it in there. The booklet which came with it isn't much help, you people have told me more.

I would probably give it about 3 minutes; take it out and give it a stir, and keep doing that till it seemed hot enough to eat. Things tend to go on heating themselves for a minute after you remove them too.

Remember that food with a high sugar content gets very hot very quickly and it is perhaps a good idea to cook these on medium. Potentially sugary things can ignite if they are heated too much.

Until you get the hang of it it is quite a good idea to start off heating things for a short time and take them out and check on them. Some things will get dry and tough on the outside if heated too much - things like salmon are best heated on medium and covered in cling film. The same with croissants - if you are going to heat them in the microwave they need to be in low or they go solid.

I am sure that you will gradually get the hang of it. I use mine every day.

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I never use cling film in the microwave when reheating food, I put a square of kitchen paper towel loosely on top of whatever it is.

Wonderful things. I have one for years . Reheating forgotten cups of tea. Defrosting stuff
Steam cooking carrots etc they keep their flavour and taste brilliant. Warming soups, baked beans, cooking jacket potatoes and much more. Making porrage.

I cooked my potatoes, carrots and other vegetables on mine last night then kept them warm until time to serve .

You do need to read up about how it works before you start but look on the internet or try and buy an inexpensive book. Many charity shops will have books which will help you to use them. There is knack about using them but it is worth while.

The time you need to reheat the casserole depends on the quantity of course - perhaps buy a meat thermometer to make sure any meat is thoroughly heated all the way through.

Be careful if you stir liquid straight from the microwave - it could bubble up and scald you

Don't let clingfilm touch any of the food if you do use it.

Gosh, that sounds like a list of orders rather than advice, sorry

As Jalima says, unlike cooking on the stove, the time depends on the overall amount to be cooked or heated up and not on the size of the individual pieces.

Also microwaves do not always cook evenly, so the advice to take it out and stir it up is good. I have a couple of Special microwave lids that I put over things I’m reheating.

To be honest don’t use mine much, but it’s a great standby. .

The lids Friday mentions are great,
that's what I use.

I use my microwave to reheat tea when it has gone cold. 20 seconds usually.

I heat shop bought mini rice puddings and custard pots for a pud.

I have a vegetable steamer thingy and cook chopped carrots in it about 2 minutes. If I get a bag of mixed veg from my M and S £10 meal they say how long to cook the veg after having pricked the plastic bag.

I put soup in a bowl and heat that too. I also make my porridge in it.

The list goes on.

My favourite food to cook in the microwave is bacon. Place in a single layer on a plate and cover loosely with a sheet of kitchen roll to catch splashes. Cook on full power for a minute per rasher, check and add another minute until as crisp as you want.

We have a steamer for vegetables - it's a Lakeland one but I don't like it as much as the old one I had from TK Maxx because the lid does not sit on it very well.

Remember not to use anything metal, tingoil or gold/silver rimmed plates in a microwave either.

tingoil??


Tinfoil of course!

There are lots of books around these days, try Amazon. I use my microwave all the time, great invention! Just remeber if your use it to cook e.g. veg, cook for less time initially rather than more, as even a few seconds extra can overcook.

google the make and model and you should get basic instructions.

If I'm reheating a casserole or similar, I stir it every two minutes until it's hot. I usually wait until I see it beginning to boil, and then wait a couple of minutes before eating. It usually takes about six minutes if it's for the two of us.