We all know that, in conventional cooking, certain characteristics of food make the difference between a successful result and one that is not as good.  In microwave cooking, some of these characteristics are even more important:

The quality of the food:   poor quality ingredients are rarely improved by any method of cooking and this applies particularly to microwave cooking as the process is so fast.

Temperature:  the colder the food before cooking, the longer it will take to cook.

Quantity:  cooking times relate directly to the amount of food placed in the microwave.   Never overload - for very large quantities it is better, and quicker, to cook in two or more batches.

Density:  the more porous the food, the faster it will cook.  A light, airy cake mixture (like sponge cake) will cook faster than jacket potatoes, chopped beef faster than a thick steak.

Size and shape:  uniform shapes cook more evenly.  In an irregular shape, such as a leg of lamb, the thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker part.  The smaller each individual piece(s) of food (such as mixed vegetables) the quicker the cooking.

Fats and sugars:   sugars attract the microwaves and reach a higher temperature than fats. Thoroughly mix sugar with other ingredients.  Handle pastry-wrapped foods such as jelly doughnuts carefully as the filling gets hotter than the surrounding food.

Moisture:  there is very little evaporation in microwave cooking, so foods can be cooked in the minimum of water.  Casseroles need about half the usual amount of stock and vegetables require only 2-3 Tbsp. of water.  Cake batters, however, should be softer than conventional recipes.

Bones:  meat and poultry bones conduct heat therefore the areas around them will cook faster than the rest of the meat.  Insert a microwave meat thermometer into the thickest part of the flesh - away from any bone for an accurate reading.

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