Microwaves and ovens are two of the most popular ways to cook food, but they both play slightly different roles in the kitchen. Microwaves are best for heating last night’s leftovers, while ovens are best for baking bread and other dishes that require more cooking time.
This post will discuss how long you should microwave or bake certain items, so they don’t get underdone!
Microwaves cook food in as little as 75% less time than conventional ovens and other cooking equipment. The microwave (depending on the wattage) needs approximately 1/4 of the cooking time in the oven.
If we add up the equation, 5 minutes of microwave could be rounded into 20 mins in an oven.
Cooking Time in Microwave and Oven
Converting cooking times between the microwave and oven can be tricky, but there are ways to do it accurately. It’s easy to convert cooking times from the microwave to an oven. The trick is knowing your oven and a few basic rules of thumb:
- Microwave ovens actually cook food from the inside out, while ovens cook from the outside in.
- Microwaves cook food faster than conventional home ovens. If you are in a rush, use your microwave. If you have time and want to get creative with flavor combinations (or maybe even make something fancier), then by all means, use your conventional home oven for the job. It will produce better results overall.
Knowing your oven is the first step to successfully converting a microwave recipe to an oven. It is important to know how hot it gets and how long it takes for the heat to penetrate through its walls. If you have an older oven, you may need more time than the recipe calls for. This is because older ovens don’t retain heat as well as newer models do.
The Power of Your Microwave
The first thing you should do is figure out how much energy your microwave uses. You can do this by checking the power rating on the back of it or looking up its specs online. The power rating will be given in watts (W). If you cannot find a wattage rating, don’t worry. That just means it doesn’t tell you how much energy they use, but they still have one.
The higher the wattage number, the faster your food will cook because more energy is circulating within it at any given moment.
Converting Recipe’s Cooking Time from the Microwave to the Oven
As you know, microwave and oven cooking times are not the same. When converting your recipe’s cooking time from the microwave to the oven, make sure you use a converter that accounts for this difference in power.
A converter will make it easy to figure out how much longer it will take to bake something in an oven versus microwaving it. Just enter how long your recipe says it should cook and what temperature (usually 350°F), then click “Convert,” and voilà!
How do You Convert Microwave Time to Baking?
Microwave-to-baking conversions can be confusing. If your recipe calls for 30 seconds in the microwave, does that mean you need to set a timer for 30 minutes in a conventional oven? Or is it more like 10 minutes? And what about convection ovens? How do you convert microwave time to baking without trial and error?
First of all, you are required to mention the cooking times of your recipes. This information is typically located at the bottom of the food or container wrapper. If you cannot find the time at the end or inside the packaging, think about using your book or the internet.
After you have put an end to the microwave’s time for your baking time, you need to multiply the microwave’s time by 4. To give an idea, say your duration of the microwave of 10 mins, then your baking time should be ten times 4, that is 40 minutes.
It is important to know how they function to comprehend the huge time difference between them.
Tips for Converting Microwave Time to Baking
Prepare your bakeware.
First, prepare your bakeware to ensure the best possible results and prevent a mess in your oven. You will need a cookie sheet or pie plate and can grease it with butter or shortening. You may also want to line it with parchment paper if you have it on hand, which will help keep the food from sticking to the pan and make cleanup easier. Make sure the size of your pan is appropriate for whatever you are baking and its depth (if applicable).
If you use a pie plate, ensure the crust is fully baked before adding your filling. If you are making cookies, preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and place the rack in the center of your oven. Bake for about 8-10 minutes for cookies (or longer if you want them crispier). Adjust your temperature and cooking time when making cakes or other baked goods.
Convert time-based on size and shape.
For most recipes, you will need to convert the time based on the size of your baking dish. Most baking dishes have their dimensions printed right on them, but if yours doesn’t, here’s a quick way to estimate the surface area:
- Find a plate that fits into your microwave and measure its diameter (the length across one side).
- Multiply this number by 3.14 (pi), which is approximately equal to 3.15; this gives you an accurate measurement for how much space there is between two walls inside your microwave oven when viewed from above and looking straight down at it—in other words, how far apart those walls are from each other!
- If you don’t have any plates handy that fit perfectly inside your particular microwave oven model, use a piece of paper cut into an oval shape with dimensions matching those of your dish instead. This should also give an accurate estimation since microwaves tend not to vary too much between models in terms of size or shape).
Determine wattage
Converting microwave time to baking is easiest if you first determine the wattage of your oven. To do this, look on the back of your oven or in an instruction manual that came with it when you bought it.
You’ll likely see a label there with some numbers and letters that read something like “1600W.” That number indicates how much power your oven has; for example, if you have a 1,600-watt microwave oven, 100% would be equivalent to 2 minutes in one minute on high power mode (1:00~1:59).
Also, Check:
- How Much Does a Stove Weigh
- How Hot Does a Stove Top Get
- Do Electric Stoves Use Gas?
- Can I Use Induction Pan on Gas Stove
- Do Home Buyers Prefer Gas Or Electric Stoves?
- Do Gas Stoves Have Pilot Lights?
- What is Auto Ignition Gas Stove?
- Can You Put Gas Stove Grates in Dishwasher?
- How To Clean Electric Stove Coil Tops?
- Do Gas Stoves Need to Be Vented
- Are Natural Gas and Propane Interchangeable
- Griddle for Glass Top Stove
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful in converting microwave times into baking times. Even if you don’t have access to a microwave, it’s still important to know how long food takes in the oven to plan accordingly and be prepared when guests arrive.