Craving last night’s leftovers and need to heat it up fast? Microwaves are the go-to appliance in these situations as its speed fits perfectly with every busy lifestyle and convenience level . And, think about it, supermarket have kept pace with the times by providing an unlimited variety of frozen foods you can now microwave, everything from breakfast items to dessert treats.

But what are the rules when it comes to microwaves? How can you cook your food whilst also looking after the appliance so it lasts a long time? Well, we've put together a list of do's and don'ts when it comes to this vital appliance in everyone's kitchen. Check it out.

Microwave Do’s

Check on your food

Microwaves achieve the best results if you regularly check, stir and keep an eye on the food. All too often when people are microwave cooking, the outer edges of the food is piping hot but the middle is still cold. This can simply be resolved by regularly stirring or turning the food inside the microwave. Another pro to checking on your food is preventing spillages/splashes or at least intervening before there is a sea of sauce to clean up.

Keep your microwave clean

This leads nicely to discussing the cleanliness of the appliance. Since any droplets/spillages affect the efficient operation of microwave energy, a dirty microwave will cook more slowly and unevenly. Also, letting your microwave build up germs and grime is bad news for your gut. The bacteria that can be found in dirty microwaves can cause infections, and create sickness. Wipe it down with a damp cloth every now and then and make sure it’s gleaming. To find out more about how often you should clean your microwave, click HERE. Also, to learn how to clean the appliance with just a lemon, click HERE.

Take extra caution when thawing meat

Some people will tell you to never defrost meat in the microwave. But these people are wrong. Meat is perfectly okay to defrost in the microwave, you just need to be vigilant and keep your eye on it. Make sure it’s removed from all its original packaging and check on it regularly. Thin cuts of meat especially will begin to cook if left to defrost in there for too long. You probably don't want to do that so make sure you're just defrost and not cooking as well.

Follow the instructions

If you are cooking a microwave ready meal, make sure you have read and followed the instructions step-by-step. There will be differing cooking times for microwaves of different power levels. For example, a 700W microwave will take longer to cook something than a 900W one.

Microwave Don'ts

Put metal in the microwave

This one everyone should already be aware of. Putting metal in the microwave is a big no-no- AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Metal will spark in a microwave oven and if left unattended, will cause a fire. Make sure everyone who uses this appliance in the kitchen is aware of this rule.  So no metal containers or cutlery should find its way in the microwave.

Use containers that aren’t microwave-friendly

Some plastics like food packaging or plastic containers ( i.e. salad bowls) aren’t designed to be put in the microwave and can melt. The smell alone should be enough to put you off, but the clean-up is so much worse. Make sure any container you put in the microwave is microwave-ready.

Leave your food uncovered

When you are cooking food in the microwave, especially if it has liquid (like a sauce) or fat (like meats) in it, make sure you cover it up. It’s good practice to cover anything you’re cooking in your microwave anyway, as it will cook quicker and more evenly. It's important to know that little pockets of moisture often form in food that is microwaved and can lead to explosions. So covering your food will reduce the amount of times you have to clean spillages and grime from the inside of your microwave.

Random fact: The term "bangers", used to refer to sausages, supposedly originated during World War I, when meat shortages resulted in sausages being made with a number of fillers, notably water, that caused them to explode when cooked.