Microwave Heating Chart

MICROWAVE HEATING CHART
(Retail Oven)
Sponsored by: "The New England Primer, 1996"
PDF link: http://neprimer.com/ePress/articles/micro-wav.pdf

Disclaimer: This chart is intended as potential useful conversion information only and in no way should it be considered complete, applicable in your particular situation nor scientific and because of the potential for microwave oven misuse; we, BizMin Association, shall be absolved of any and all liabilities for the use, misuse or abuse of this suggested information.

      This chart was designed for simplistic "Digital Key Entry" but still allowing for various power level (PL) equivalents. For example.: Digital Key Entry: 366 @ PL-8 will bring a 2 cup container of water & 2 tea bags to about 175°F (optimum brewed tea temperature) with a 800 watt microwave. (Change time &/or PL with 1000 watt+ microwave ovens.).
    Because Microwave power can only be full "on" or totally "off" the only way the manufacturers can regulate power is by regulating the effective full "on" cooking time.   The numbers represent percentages of full power for example the #8 is 80% of full power so that the effective full "on" cooking time over 30 seconds would be 0.8 x 30 = 24 seconds "on" and then "off" for 6 seconds. For a whole minute at 80% it would cook: 24 sec "on" - 6 sec. off, 24 sec on - 6 sec. "off" for an effective cooking time total of 48 seconds "on". [BTW the owners manual didn't have this info. in it. I had to figure it out for you and me.]
      One of my favorite items is baked potatoes and I've learned that 8 oz. at 8 minutes at power level #6 bakes one of them just right. Sometimes I'll have a meal in the oven and get interrupted and by using this chart I can keep it hot without over cooking it by using power level #5 or #4.