Why do microwave instructions tell me to stir the food and let it stand before serving?
To ensure food is safe, it needs to be heated uniformly to around 70°C. Microwaves have rotating turntables to help ensure a good distribution of rays, but they can’t always penetrate every molecule, and our tests show it’s normal to find a spread of temperatures in different parts of the food. Increasing the cooking time isn’t the answer, as it may dry out the food and spoil its texture. Instead, be sure to turn food over (top to bottom) where possible, stir it, and let it stand. Stirring helps to spread the hotter molecules around the dish while letting it stand allows the cooking to continue by conduction.
