Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.

I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my results
are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time the
cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.

Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).

-P.


--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

"Peter Huebner" > wrote in message
t...
>
> Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
> scheme a
> few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything
> beyond
> reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
> I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
> results
> are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set
> the
> weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still
> part-
> frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time
> the
> cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in
> the
> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> -P.

About half way thru take the meat out, scrape off the thawed part and put
the rest back in. Then do it again about 3/4ths thru the cycle.

Ms P

"drunken vomit chick" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 22:54:36 -0600, in rec.food.cooking, "ms_peacock"
> > wrote:
>>
>>About half way thru take the meat out, scrape off the thawed part and put
>>the rest back in. Then do it again about 3/4ths thru the cycle.
>>
>>Ms P
>>
>
> Wow, I bet a chicken defrosted with your method would be quite
> appetizing. Change your handle to "ms_peabrain"....

Look stupid, I didn't say a damned thing about chicken and neither did the
OP. Anybody with half a brain knows you don't defrost bird in the
microwave, it makes it rubbery.

Ms P

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> wrote:

>Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
>few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
>reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
>I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my results
>are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
>weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
>frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time the
>cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
>Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
>meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).

For ground meat, do as ms. peacock suggests--effectively defrosting by
layers.

I tend to agree with Steve W. about the built-in defrost cycles. You
sometimes might want to wrap tips of whatever with foil to prevent
their receiving too much microwave energy.
Steve's 'nuke-wait'-repeat approach works well.

You'll also find the micro to be useful for melting butter (use low
power and short times, though) or just softening a cold cube of it.
Again, low power/short times. Good for frozen veggies like corn,
peas, baby limas, too.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

drunken vomit chick wrote:

> anyone with half a brain knows that you don't defrost anything in
> the microwave.

....and that would be you?

Bob

In article >,
LID says...
> Good for frozen veggies like corn,
> peas, baby limas, too.
>

You got me interested here ... we have a couple of shopping bags of frozen
sweetcorn on the cob in the freezer. How would you time those in the MW,
please - any idea? At the moment we do them in the stockpot when we want some
but that is not always convenient since it ties up the biggest/fastest burner.

cheers, -P.


--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

In article >,
ost says...
> Presumably you have a microwave that has a power setting. For
> ~1.5 of meat, I set my "3-stage" microwave to heat at 20% power
> for 6 minutes, rest for 12, then back on again for 6 minutes at
> 20%. Come back 40 minutes later and everything is thawed. This
> is using a 750 watt microwave.

Ours is 1000W i.i.r.c. and I can reduce the power in 10% increments.

Right, ok, I think I can figure this out :-)

> Different thicknesses require different time settings, but the 20%
> power setting as well as the "nuke-rest-nuke-rest" cycle/ratios
> always remain constant.

Yeah, it was my distinct impression that to go just on weight was leading to
very diverse results (and sometimes unpleasant ones).

> NEVER USE THE PRE-PROGRAMMED DEFROST SETTINGS, or any of those
> fuzzy logic mechanisms that the Japanese claim to sense when the
> food is thawed.
>
> -sw

Check. Just goes to show ... the programming in our Panasonic breadmaker is
superb, but this Panasonic MicroWave ... I was beginning to wonder if the
thing's broken and I should take it back to be tested.

thanks (also to the other posters who replied) -P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

Steve's advice is right-on. I don't have a set routine for thawing,
just run the microwave at 20% for about five minutes, flip the meat and
let it rest a while, then repeat as needed. I find that the bottom of
whatever's cooking seems to cook faster in my microwave, hence the
flip. Any setting above 20% on my machine seems to cook the corners of
the meat....

My microwave has a strange method of setting the power. The
power-setting button is pushed repeatedly to decrease the power; two
times gives 80%, eight times gives 20%. Had a helluva time until I
broke down and read the manual.....

The microwave is great for cooking vegetables! Just be sure to use a
bit of water in the bottom, else the veggies on the top may dry out.
Unless company's coming, just drain the water and serve in the same
bowl.

Best regards -- Terry

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> > wrote:
>
>> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
>> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> Presumably you have a microwave that has a power setting. For
> ~1.5 of meat, I set my "3-stage" microwave to heat at 20% power
> for 6 minutes, rest for 12, then back on again for 6 minutes at
> 20%. Come back 40 minutes later and everything is thawed. This
> is using a 750 watt microwave.
>
> Different thicknesses require different time settings, but the 20%
> power setting as well as the "nuke-rest-nuke-rest" cycle/ratios
> always remain constant.
>
> NEVER USE THE PRE-PROGRAMMED DEFROST SETTINGS, or any of those
> fuzzy logic mechanisms that the Japanese claim to sense when the
> food is thawed.
>
> -sw


I got a new fangled Nuker, it doesn't turn use the "on-off microwave"
way of determining power setting. It some how reduces the Wattage(called
induction). I believe it's power is rated at or around 1100 watts. I
also believe in taxes so take this anyway you want.

I use power level 1. I routinely defrost my supper. I'm lazy and my
memory sucks so at least 60% of the time I forget to move any meat, I
wanted for supper, into the fridge from the freezer. My full method is
to nuke the meat (usually 1 or 2 lbs of it) at power 1 for 10 minutes,
with a 5 minute rest, then nuke for another 10 minutes (Since the nuker
can be set to do these 3 things at 1 setting time). I wait around
another 5 minutes or so then test for defrosted condition and repeat if
necessary (usually it isn't).

I find that the food isn't partially cooked or badly-affected in any
manner...In fact that's how I defrosted my Xmas eve 27 lb Turkey (curse
you turkey hot line lady). The turkey took 3 goes at a little longer on
the power 1 cycles (20 minutes) and had way longer extended rests in the
fridge, but it was fine. It wasn't fully defrosted, but close enough to
remove the gibblets and neck from the cavity and to do a slight
seasoning of the cavity. Not defrosted enough to put stuff under the
skin IMO. But I had run out of time, if I was to meet the supper deadline.

In article > ,
Peter Huebner > wrote:

> Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
> few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
> reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
> I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
> results
> are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
> weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
> frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time
> the
> cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> -P.


I use the microwave for defrosting all the time...

I just don't turn it on. ;-)

It's a handy place to stash stuff for room temperature thawing where the
cats can't get to it!

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article > ,
Peter Huebner > wrote:

> In article >,
> LID says...
> > Good for frozen veggies like corn,
> > peas, baby limas, too.
> >
>
> You got me interested here ... we have a couple of shopping bags of frozen
> sweetcorn on the cob in the freezer. How would you time those in the MW,
> please - any idea? At the moment we do them in the stockpot when we want some
> but that is not always convenient since it ties up the biggest/fastest burner.
>
> cheers, -P.

Those can be cooked from the frozen state in the microwave.
Lately, I've started sealing stuff in sealed ziplocks with all or most
of the air removed to make up for the expansion as it heats. I then
place that into a plastic bowl.

Steams veggies great once you get the hang of it. :-)

Pastorio's method is even better if you have the patience to mess with
cling wrap. Put the veggies into a microwave safe bowl and seal well
with plastic wrap before nuking. He says to add no water, but I do add
just a little, like a tablespoon or so.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article > ,
Peter Huebner > wrote:

> Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
> few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
> reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
> I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
> results
> are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
> weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
> frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time
> the
> cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).

Try moving the meat every other minute or two by turning it over.

My MW has a plastic pedestal that elevates the food (plate).. You might try
elevating it slightly (inverted cup, etc) then on a plate. Seems to help
with those cooked edges.Any ground meat will "cook" very easily while
defrosting in a MW.
My auto-defrost is #3 on the touch pad. I usually set it at #2 for 1/2 the
time it calls for.
JMT-C.

Bg

"Stan Horwitz" > wrote in message
...
> In article > ,
> Peter Huebner > wrote:
>
>> Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
>> scheme a
>> few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything
>> beyond
>> reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>>
>> I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
>> results
>> are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set
>> the
>> weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still
>> part-
>> frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the
>> time
>> the
>> cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>>
>> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in
>> the
>> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> Try moving the meat every other minute or two by turning it over.

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
> In article > ,
> Peter Huebner > wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> LID says...
>>> Good for frozen veggies like corn,
>>> peas, baby limas, too.
>>>
>> You got me interested here ... we have a couple of shopping bags of frozen
>> sweetcorn on the cob in the freezer. How would you time those in the MW,
>> please - any idea? At the moment we do them in the stockpot when we want some
>> but that is not always convenient since it ties up the biggest/fastest burner.
>>
>> cheers, -P.
>
> Those can be cooked from the frozen state in the microwave.
> Lately, I've started sealing stuff in sealed ziplocks with all or most
> of the air removed to make up for the expansion as it heats. I then
> place that into a plastic bowl.
>
> Steams veggies great once you get the hang of it. :-)
>
> Pastorio's method is even better if you have the patience to mess with
> cling wrap. Put the veggies into a microwave safe bowl and seal well
> with plastic wrap before nuking. He says to add no water, but I do add
> just a little, like a tablespoon or so.
>
> Cheers!

IMO frozen sweet corn should be timed in the microwave to just barely
come to a boil and then drained and servred immediately. It stays
sweeter that way. I just put the cobs in a microwave safe bowl with
water and nuke on high till it comes to just barely a boil. Can't tell
you a time because of power of microwave and amount being cooked varies.

On 27 Dec 2005 03:25:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>drunken vomit chick wrote:
>
>> anyone with half a brain knows that you don't defrost anything in
>> the microwave.
>
>...and that would be you?

Bingo.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

"Peter Huebner" > wrote in message
t...
> In article >,
> ost says...
>> Presumably you have a microwave that has a power setting. For
>> ~1.5 of meat, I set my "3-stage" microwave to heat at 20% power
>> for 6 minutes, rest for 12, then back on again for 6 minutes at
>> 20%. Come back 40 minutes later and everything is thawed. This
>> is using a 750 watt microwave.
>
> Ours is 1000W i.i.r.c. and I can reduce the power in 10% increments.

One of the problems is with the definition of 10% power most microwave ovens
define this as 100% power 10% of the time hence the cooked on the outside and
frozen on the inside. IMHO there really is no way to use the nuker do defrost
successfully. It can help speed the defrosting process but never do an adequate
job.

Dimitri

Denny Wheeler wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> > wrote:
>
> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
> >few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
> >reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
> >
> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my results
> >are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
> >weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
> >frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time the
> >cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
> >
> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
> >meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> For ground meat, do as ms. peacock suggests--effectively defrosting by
> layers.
>
> I tend to agree with Steve W. about the built-in defrost cycles. You
> sometimes might want to wrap tips of whatever with foil to prevent
> their receiving too much microwave energy.

Wrap with foil? Not unless you want to destroy your microwave and
possibly start a fire!

> Steve's 'nuke-wait'-repeat approach works well.
>
> You'll also find the micro to be useful for melting butter (use low
> power and short times, though) or just softening a cold cube of it.
> Again, low power/short times. Good for frozen veggies like corn,
> peas, baby limas, too.
>
> --
> -denny-
> "Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"
>
> "It's come as you are, baby."
>
> -over the hedge

Maybe no one else here cares, but I don't like running water over
something to defrost it. I don't like wasting the water.
What I find works very well is one of those metal plate defrosting
gizmos. It's just an flat piece of some metal alloy with tiny feet to
get it just off the counter so air can circulate under it. It conducts
heat from the room into the meat and defrosts very well. If I turn the
meat every 15 min or so, and run hot water over the plate for a few
seconds each time I turn the meat, it works even faster.
Hope this helps in your world.

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:28:22 -0800, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:

> On 27 Dec 2005 03:25:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> > wrote:
>
> >drunken vomit chick wrote:
> >
> >> anyone with half a brain knows that you don't defrost anything in
> >> the microwave.
> >
> >...and that would be you?
>
> Bingo.

Hey! You guys are dissing my friend! Watch it ... I know where you
live.

Carol

In article . com>,
"salgud" > wrote:

> Denny Wheeler wrote:
> > On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> > > wrote:
> >
> > >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
> > >scheme a
> > >few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything
> > >beyond
> > >reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
> > >
> > >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
> > >results
> > >are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set
> > >the
> > >weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still
> > >part-
> > >frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time
> > >the
> > >cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
> > >
> > >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in
> > >the
> > >meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
> >
> > For ground meat, do as ms. peacock suggests--effectively defrosting by
> > layers.
> >
> > I tend to agree with Steve W. about the built-in defrost cycles. You
> > sometimes might want to wrap tips of whatever with foil to prevent
> > their receiving too much microwave energy.
>
> Wrap with foil? Not unless you want to destroy your microwave and
> possibly start a fire!
>
> > Steve's 'nuke-wait'-repeat approach works well.
> >
> > You'll also find the micro to be useful for melting butter (use low
> > power and short times, though) or just softening a cold cube of it.
> > Again, low power/short times. Good for frozen veggies like corn,
> > peas, baby limas, too.
> >
> > --
> > -denny-
> > "Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth
> > unannounced?"
> >
> > "It's come as you are, baby."
> >
> > -over the hedge
>
> Maybe no one else here cares, but I don't like running water over
> something to defrost it. I don't like wasting the water.
> What I find works very well is one of those metal plate defrosting
> gizmos. It's just an flat piece of some metal alloy with tiny feet to
> get it just off the counter so air can circulate under it. It conducts
> heat from the room into the meat and defrosts very well. If I turn the
> meat every 15 min or so, and run hot water over the plate for a few
> seconds each time I turn the meat, it works even faster.
> Hope this helps in your world.
>

Y'know, I keep hearing about the "dangers" of room temp. thawing...

but I do it all the time. <enter flame here>

I plan ahead when I want meat. I take it out of the freezer, put it in
the microwave to protect it from curious kitties, go to sleep and wake
up 6 hours later. If I'm not going to cook it right away, it goes into
the 'frige to finish thawing. There are usually some ice crystals left
after that period of time.

I keep the house cold at 70 degrees. ;-)

If it is something large, I take it out before I go to work. That's a 9
hour room temp. thaw.

I've been doing this for a very, very long time and I have yet to have
anything spoil. It's still either partially frozen or at least very cold
to the touch by the time it gets refrigerated or cooked if it was an
overnight thaw.

So what's the big deal?

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article . com>,
says...

> Maybe no one else here cares, but I don't like running water over
> something to defrost it. I don't like wasting the water.

LOL - I am with you all the way: I wouldn't do it that way if I were on any
kind of town supply or pumped water.
As it is, we have our own water supply, get it out of a little creek in the
(rain)forest up the side of the valley -- we have an inexhaustible free supply
of top quality unchlorinated water so I've no compunction about using it.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

Peter Huebner wrote:

>>NEVER USE THE PRE-PROGRAMMED DEFROST SETTINGS, or any of those
>>fuzzy logic mechanisms that the Japanese claim to sense when the
>>food is thawed.
>>
>>-sw
>
>
> Check. Just goes to show ... the programming in our Panasonic breadmaker is
> superb, but this Panasonic MicroWave ... I was beginning to wonder if the
> thing's broken and I should take it back to be tested.
>
> thanks (also to the other posters who replied) -P.
>

If its a model with "inverter turbo defrost" take it back for
testing/replacement. We have been using a Panasonic with "inverter
technology " for at least the past year and the defrost works as
advertised on anything we have ever tried (and it is used frequently)

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_el...rter_story.asp

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> wrote:

>
>Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
>few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
>reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
>I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my results
>are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
>weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
>frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time the
>cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
>Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
>meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
>-P.


I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of the
freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come home
in the evening it is usually defrosted.

In article >,
Philip Adams > wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme
> >a
> >few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything
> >beyond
> >reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
> >
> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my
> >results
> >are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
> >weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
> >frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time
> >the
> >cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
> >
> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in
> >the
> >meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
> >
> >-P.
>
>
> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of the
> freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come home
> in the evening it is usually defrosted.
>
>

<lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......

So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
I've never, ever had a problem with it.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Tue 27 Dec 2005 08:12:59p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
OmManiPadmeOmelet?

> In article >,
> Philip Adams > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
>> >scheme a few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to
>> >anything beyond reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>> >
>> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and
>> >my results are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program
>> >where you set the weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually
>> >the meat is still part- frozen in the centre, yet already partly
>> >cooked on the outside by the time the cycle ends. This is hopeless;
>> >it ruins the food.
>> >
>> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap
>> >in the meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more
>> >quickly).
>> >
>> >-P.
>>
>>
>> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of the
>> freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come home
>> in the evening it is usually defrosted.
>>
>>
>
> <lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......
>
> So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
> I've never, ever had a problem with it.
>
> Cheers!

The object of thawing in the microwave may be that of a last minute or spur
of the moment decision to thaw something, where leaving it "anywhere" is
out of the question. I'm lucky that my microwave does a very nearly
perfect job of defrosting. However, when I know in the morning that I want
a particular thing defrosted for that night, I put the item in a large
insulated lunch carryall, along with one of those blue ice blocks, and it's
perfectly thawed by the time I get home, but still nice and cold.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
__________________________________________________ ________________
And if we enter a room full of manure, may we believe in the pony.

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 14:20:42 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:28:22 -0800, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:
>
>> On 27 Dec 2005 03:25:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >drunken vomit chick wrote:
>> >
>> >> anyone with half a brain knows that you don't defrost anything in
>> >> the microwave.
>> >
>> >...and that would be you?
>>
>> Bingo.
>
>Hey! You guys are dissing my friend! Watch it ... I know where you
>live.

dvc has a friend? Well, I guess it's possible. Sheldon probably has
one...

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 20:22:05 -0800, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 14:20:42 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> > wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 11:28:22 -0800, Denny Wheeler
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On 27 Dec 2005 03:25:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> >drunken vomit chick wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> anyone with half a brain knows that you don't defrost anything in
> >> >> the microwave.
> >> >
> >> >...and that would be you?
> >>
> >> Bingo.
> >
> >Hey! You guys are dissing my friend! Watch it ... I know where you
> >live.
>
> dvc has a friend? Well, I guess it's possible. Sheldon probably has
> one...

That's PCV, thankyouverymuch. I enjoy talking with her.

Carol

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:42:04 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

> That's PCV, thankyouverymuch. I enjoy talking with her.

Um, PVC. Slip o' the fingers.

On 27 Dec 2005 11:49:06 -0800, "salgud" > wrote:

>> I tend to agree with Steve W. about the built-in defrost cycles. You
>> sometimes might want to wrap tips of whatever with foil to prevent
>> their receiving too much microwave energy.
>
>Wrap with foil? Not unless you want to destroy your microwave and
>possibly start a fire!

You ever read the OM for any microwave? That's a common
recommendation. Small bits. NOT touching the walls.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

On Tue 27 Dec 2005 10:01:21p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Damsel in dis
Dress?

> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:42:04 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> > wrote:
>
>> That's PCV, thankyouverymuch. I enjoy talking with her.
>
> Um, PVC. Slip o' the fingers.
>

As in polyvinylchloride


--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
__________________________________________________ ________________
And if we enter a room full of manure, may we believe in the pony.

salgud wrote:
>
> Maybe no one else here cares, but I don't like running water over
> something to defrost it. I don't like wasting the water.
> What I find works very well is one of those metal plate defrosting
> gizmos. It's just an flat piece of some metal alloy with tiny feet to
> get it just off the counter so air can circulate under it. It conducts
> heat from the room into the meat and defrosts very well. If I turn the
> meat every 15 min or so, and run hot water over the plate for a few
> seconds each time I turn the meat, it works even faster.
> Hope this helps in your world.

I have one of those "Miricle Thaw" trays too. They really work. The
good thing about them is you don't have to worry about the meat
defrosting unevenly, cooked meat in some spots and frozen solid meat in
other spots. The bad thing about them is any thick piece of metal
will work just as well.

djs0302 wrote:
> salgud wrote:
>
>>Maybe no one else here cares, but I don't like running water over
>>something to defrost it. I don't like wasting the water.
>>What I find works very well is one of those metal plate defrosting
>>gizmos. It's just an flat piece of some metal alloy with tiny feet to
>>get it just off the counter so air can circulate under it. It conducts
>>heat from the room into the meat
>>and defrosts very well. If I turn the
>>meat every 15 min or so, and run hot water over the plate for a few
>>seconds each time I turn the meat, it works even faster.
>>Hope this helps in your world.
>
>
> I have one of those "Miricle Thaw" trays too. They really work. The
> good thing about them is you don't have to worry about the meat
> defrosting unevenly, cooked meat in some spots and frozen solid meat in
> other spots. The bad thing about them is any thick piece of metal
> will work just as well.
>

It's a scam. as you said, a cookie sheet from the discount store would
work as well.

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams

On 27 Dec 2005 23:08:40 -0800, "djs0302" > wrote:

>
>I have one of those "Miricle Thaw" trays too. They really work. The
>good thing about them is you don't have to worry about the meat
>defrosting unevenly, cooked meat in some spots and frozen solid meat in
>other spots. The bad thing about them is any thick piece of metal
>will work just as well.

Not quite any. Any thick piece of highly heat-conductive metal, yes.
Aluminum is best for the purpose--I have one of the Nathan's Grill
things. It's not bad for doing dogs and other sausages on the
stovetop, but doesn't work well as a griddle. We do use it a lot as a
defroster, and it works well for that.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 23:01:21 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:42:04 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>> That's PCV, thankyouverymuch. I enjoy talking with her.
>
>Um, PVC. Slip o' the fingers.

Well, in this subthread, she's styling herself drunken vomit chick.
(perhaps that's her larval stage?)

I've seen a lower signal-to-noise ratio from her than from Sheldon.
Maybe I'm missing threads where she contributes.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Tue 27 Dec 2005 08:12:59p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
> OmManiPadmeOmelet?
>
> > In article >,
> > Philip Adams > wrote:
> >
> >> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> >
> >> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
> >> >scheme a few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to
> >> >anything beyond reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
> >> >
> >> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and
> >> >my results are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program
> >> >where you set the weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually
> >> >the meat is still part- frozen in the centre, yet already partly
> >> >cooked on the outside by the time the cycle ends. This is hopeless;
> >> >it ruins the food.
> >> >
> >> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap
> >> >in the meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more
> >> >quickly).
> >> >
> >> >-P.
> >>
> >>
> >> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of the
> >> freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come home
> >> in the evening it is usually defrosted.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > <lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......
> >
> > So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
> > I've never, ever had a problem with it.
> >
> > Cheers!
>
> The object of thawing in the microwave may be that of a last minute or spur
> of the moment decision to thaw something, where leaving it "anywhere" is
> out of the question. I'm lucky that my microwave does a very nearly
> perfect job of defrosting. However, when I know in the morning that I want
> a particular thing defrosted for that night, I put the item in a large
> insulated lunch carryall, along with one of those blue ice blocks, and it's
> perfectly thawed by the time I get home, but still nice and cold.

And it protects it from curious kitties. ;-)

That's the reason I do my room temp. thawing in the microwave......
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Wed 28 Dec 2005 08:36:17a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
OmManiPadmeOmelet?

> In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> On Tue 27 Dec 2005 08:12:59p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
>> OmManiPadmeOmelet?
>>
>> > In article >,
>> > Philip Adams > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
>> >> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer
>> >> >loyalty scheme a few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when
>> >> >it comes to anything beyond reheating a cup of coffee in that
>> >> >gadget.
>> >> >
>> >> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times
>> >> >and my results are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting
>> >> >program where you set the weight, then press start. Alas, I find
>> >> >that usually the meat is still part- frozen in the centre, yet
>> >> >already partly cooked on the outside by the time the cycle ends.
>> >> >This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>> >> >
>> >> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold
>> >> >tap in the meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it
>> >> >more quickly).
>> >> >
>> >> >-P.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of
>> >> the freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come
>> >> home in the evening it is usually defrosted.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > <lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......
>> >
>> > So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
>> > I've never, ever had a problem with it.
>> >
>> > Cheers!
>>
>> The object of thawing in the microwave may be that of a last minute or
>> spur of the moment decision to thaw something, where leaving it
>> "anywhere" is out of the question. I'm lucky that my microwave does a
>> very nearly perfect job of defrosting. However, when I know in the
>> morning that I want a particular thing defrosted for that night, I put
>> the item in a large insulated lunch carryall, along with one of those
>> blue ice blocks, and it's perfectly thawed by the time I get home, but
>> still nice and cold.
>
> And it protects it from curious kitties. ;-)

Yes, that's a side benefit. <g>

> That's the reason I do my room temp. thawing in the microwave......

Doesn't your meat warm up to room temperature keeping it in the m/w all
day? That's why I use the bag with the ice block.


--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
__________________________________________________ ________________
And if we enter a room full of manure, may we believe in the pony.

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Wed 28 Dec 2005 08:36:17a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
> OmManiPadmeOmelet?
>
> > In article >,
> > Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
> >
> >> On Tue 27 Dec 2005 08:12:59p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
> >> OmManiPadmeOmelet?
> >>
> >> > In article >,
> >> > Philip Adams > wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
> >> >> > wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer
> >> >> >loyalty scheme a few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when
> >> >> >it comes to anything beyond reheating a cup of coffee in that
> >> >> >gadget.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times
> >> >> >and my results are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting
> >> >> >program where you set the weight, then press start. Alas, I find
> >> >> >that usually the meat is still part- frozen in the centre, yet
> >> >> >already partly cooked on the outside by the time the cycle ends.
> >> >> >This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold
> >> >> >tap in the meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it
> >> >> >more quickly).
> >> >> >
> >> >> >-P.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of
> >> >> the freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come
> >> >> home in the evening it is usually defrosted.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > <lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......
> >> >
> >> > So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
> >> > I've never, ever had a problem with it.
> >> >
> >> > Cheers!
> >>
> >> The object of thawing in the microwave may be that of a last minute or
> >> spur of the moment decision to thaw something, where leaving it
> >> "anywhere" is out of the question. I'm lucky that my microwave does a
> >> very nearly perfect job of defrosting. However, when I know in the
> >> morning that I want a particular thing defrosted for that night, I put
> >> the item in a large insulated lunch carryall, along with one of those
> >> blue ice blocks, and it's perfectly thawed by the time I get home, but
> >> still nice and cold.
> >
> > And it protects it from curious kitties. ;-)
>
> Yes, that's a side benefit. <g>
>
> > That's the reason I do my room temp. thawing in the microwave......
>
> Doesn't your meat warm up to room temperature keeping it in the m/w all
> day? That's why I use the bag with the ice block.

Depends on how large the hunk of meat is.

I'll either time it while I sleep (I only sleep about 6 hours) or for
when I go to work which is 9 hours with the commute.

I've put a whole chicken in there and still had ice crystals 9 hours
later. It's pretty well insulated and I keep the house pretty cold...

I've never had it actually get warm, at the the very least it's cold to
the touch. It's all a matter of timing.

If I have a small piece of meat, like a hamburger patty or two, I just
thaw that in the refrigerator.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:02:21 -0800, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 23:01:21 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> > wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 22:42:04 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> > wrote:
> >
> >> That's PCV, thankyouverymuch. I enjoy talking with her.
> >
> >Um, PVC. Slip o' the fingers.
>
> Well, in this subthread, she's styling herself drunken vomit chick.
> (perhaps that's her larval stage?)
>
> I've seen a lower signal-to-noise ratio from her than from Sheldon.
> Maybe I'm missing threads where she contributes.

Just put a spin on what she says, and she's funny and friendly. You're
right about not contributing about cooking, but if given a chance,
she's pretty cool in other ways.

PS: A few people have inquired about my post saying that she was
coming over to decorate cookies on Christmas Eve. No. LOL!

Carol

Peter Huebner wrote:
> Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty scheme a
> few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to anything beyond
> reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>
> I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and my results
> are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program where you set the
> weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually the meat is still part-
> frozen in the centre, yet already partly cooked on the outside by the time the
> cycle ends. This is hopeless; it ruins the food.
>
> Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap in the
> meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more quickly).
>
> -P.

Realise that microwaves will cook fast, but not necessarily defrost
fast.

Microwaves cook food from the outside, contrary to popular myth. The
centre of food is heated mainly by conduction. Thus if you want to
/only/ defrost and not heat something, it will be slow, not fast as one
is accustomed to with nukes.

In short youre heating it with too much power. Try much less power for
much longer.


Microwaves give 3 short cuts to defrosting:

1. where it doesnt matter if you boil it, just nuke the crap out of it
and the centre quickly melts.

2. For foods that cant be heated at all during defrost stage, heat it
till the outside is just defrosted and no more. Defrost will still tak
a while, but a shorter while.

3. Some foods can be heated till the outside is hot but not boiling.
The hot outer warms the inner, and in the end the whole thing is just
thawed.

All these can be done at full power, theres no need to use low. Use low
when the item is going to take a while to defrost, and you want to
hurry it but not cook it. Best plan then is full power until the
outside is defrosted, then go to very low power.

Finally, things defrost better in nukes if you bag or cover them, as
the steam that comes off the outside heats the central food.

Really finally, ignore all the panel power level names. I prefer
mechanically controlled nukes, and the names they put on the dial are
almost meaningless.

Oh, and arrangement of food makes a big difference. If youre doing
sausages, put them in a ring shape.


NT

"Damsel in dis Dress" > wrote

> PS: A few people have inquired about my post saying that she was
> coming over to decorate cookies on Christmas Eve. No. LOL!

How were we supposed to know! You hang out with that Melba
person and you're married to a guy named Crash! PVC would fit
right in!

No? nancy

On Wed, 28 Dec 2005 09:36:17 -0600, OmManiPadmeOmelet
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> On Tue 27 Dec 2005 08:12:59p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
>> OmManiPadmeOmelet?
>>
>> > In article >,
>> > Philip Adams > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:35:51 +1300, Peter Huebner
>> >> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >Never had a microwave, until we were given one by a customer loyalty
>> >> >scheme a few months ago. So I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to
>> >> >anything beyond reheating a cup of coffee in that gadget.
>> >> >
>> >> >I've tried defrosting pork, sausages and ground beef a few times and
>> >> >my results are pretty abysmal. I used the built in defrosting program
>> >> >where you set the weight, then press start. Alas, I find that usually
>> >> >the meat is still part- frozen in the centre, yet already partly
>> >> >cooked on the outside by the time the cycle ends. This is hopeless;
>> >> >it ruins the food.
>> >> >
>> >> >Any tips? (think I'll go back to defrosting under the running cold tap
>> >> >in the meantime - but sometimes it would be convenient to do it more
>> >> >quickly).
>> >> >
>> >> >-P.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I have had great success thawing in mine. I pull the meat out of the
>> >> freezer in the morning, put it in the microwave, and when I come home
>> >> in the evening it is usually defrosted.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > <lol> I see I'm not the only one that does this......
>> >
>> > So far, I've seen no comments about using room temp. thawing.
>> > I've never, ever had a problem with it.
>> >
>> > Cheers!
>>
>> The object of thawing in the microwave may be that of a last minute or spur
>> of the moment decision to thaw something, where leaving it "anywhere" is
>> out of the question. I'm lucky that my microwave does a very nearly
>> perfect job of defrosting. However, when I know in the morning that I want
>> a particular thing defrosted for that night, I put the item in a large
>> insulated lunch carryall, along with one of those blue ice blocks, and it's
>> perfectly thawed by the time I get home, but still nice and cold.
>
>And it protects it from curious kitties. ;-)
>
>That's the reason I do my room temp. thawing in the microwave......


Mine too, that door keeps out the cats.