Really useful microwave tricks

Most of us just use the microwave to defrost, reheat or possibly melt some cheese. But it's a pretty handy gadget with a fair bit more to it than you might give it credit for. 

Take a new look at your microwave and all the things it can do. 

Think beyond full power blasts - check out your settings. 

Most microwaves have a full suite of pre-sets designed to make life easier and take the guesswork out of cooking. 

Pizza reheat is brilliant, but the potato setting is a game-changer. 

And don't forget to take a good look at your manual, or you could be missing out on using key features.

Ours has potato / popcorn / pizza / beverage / frozen dinner / reheat… all absolutely brilliant. 

Bring bread and citrus back to life:

This one makes the most of steam to bring some moisture and life back into stale foods. 

• Steam stale bread (or cake) back to life by sprinkling it lightly with water or wrapping it in some damp paper towel. Microwave it on high for 10 seconds and the steam created will plump up your bread or cake as though it's freshly baked.  

• Make dried up citrus juicer (lemon, lime, orange) by simply popping it in the microwave on high for 5-10 seconds. This will break down and soften the cells, allowing juice to flow more easily. 

Dessert and baking tips: 

It's the little things - like not needing extra pots and pans - that make life easier in the kitchen. 

• Chocolate - skip the bowls balanced over pans of boiling water and melt your chocolate in the microwave instead. Just chop chocolate up into small pieces and then microwave it on high in 10-20 second bursts, stirring in between, until it is glossy and smooth. 

• Butter - again, you just need very short bursts here and you'll have spreadable butter in no time. Microwave your butter for just 5 seconds at a time, covering the butter to stop any popping. It will be ready to spread or whip in no time. 

• Toast nuts - this is another trick that means you can skip extra pans on the stove. Just roll your nuts in a little oil and microwave them in 1-minute bursts, checking and shaking them as you go, until they are toasted. 

Garlic, onions & herbs: 

These little tricks make the usual dreaded jobs so much simpler. 

• Garlic peeling - by popping your garlic cloves into the microwave for 10-15 seconds, you'll create a tiny bit of steam under the skin that helps separate it from the garlic and it'll just pop right off! 

• Ease your onions - if you need to remove some of the sting from your onions so you can chop them without crying, microwave them for 30 seconds. This starts the cooking process and removes of some of the sulphur that stings your eyes when chopping. 

• Dry woody herbs - herbs like rosemary and thyme can be dried in the microwave to a lovely crisp finish. Just place the fresh herb between sheets of paper towel and microwave in 30-second bursts until crunchy and dry. 

Jane de Graaff is Today's kitchen expert, food writer and recipe developer and content creator for fun family recipes of all kinds.

Find all Jane's food adventures, tricks and tips on Instagram and TikTok