EN
FrançaisMicrowave cooking times chart
A microwave cooks fast but unevenly, and times shift with the wattage of the appliance. This chart gives starting points for the foods people cook most often, to adjust for quantity and actual wattage.
Finding your microwave's wattage
Wattage is usually printed on a label inside the door, or listed in the manual. It sits between 600 and 1000 W for most domestic models. Some microwaves offer several wattage settings, which means a chart built around 800 W can be followed directly, without any calculation, by picking that setting.
Without a visible label, a rough test works too: boil 250 ml of water at full power and time it. Starting from tap water, it boils in about 2.5 to 3 minutes in an 800 W oven and closer to 4 minutes at 600 W. The test is rough, but good enough to know which column to follow.
Adjusting for wattage
The times below are set for an 800 W microwave. A weaker oven cooks more slowly, a stronger one faster. The rule is simple: new time equals time at 800 W times 800, divided by your oven's wattage.
For a 600 W oven, multiply the time by 1.33. For a 1000 W oven, multiply by 0.8. As an example, 6 minutes at 800 W becomes roughly 8 minutes at 600 W, or about 5 minutes at 1000 W.
These figures stay approximate. Dish shape, exact quantity and starting temperature all change the real cooking time. Food straight from the fridge always needs a little longer than food at room temperature.
The cooking times chart
| Food | Quantity | Time at 800 W | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut vegetables (carrots, broccoli, courgette) | 250 g | 4 to 6 min, covered | Stir halfway |
| Whole potatoes, pierced | 2 x 200 g | 8 to 10 min | Turn halfway |
| White rice with water | 150 g dry rice | 12 to 15 min, covered | Rest 3 min before serving |
| Short pasta, covered in water | 200 g dry pasta | 10 to 12 min | Check by tasting |
| Fish fillets | 2 fillets, 150 g each | 4 to 5 min, covered | Rest 2 min, flesh opaque |
| Chicken breast | 2 breasts, 150 g each | 7 to 9 min, turned | 74°C (165°F) at the centre |
| Scrambled eggs | 2 beaten eggs | 1.5 to 2 min | Stir every 30 seconds |
| Reheating leftovers | 350 g on a plate | 3 to 4 min | Stir halfway, 74°C (165°F) at the centre |
| Melting butter | 50 g | 30 to 40 sec | Watch closely, it boils over fast |
| Melting chocolate | 100 g, chopped | 1 to 2 min | In 30 second bursts, stirring |
Food safety
Poultry and reheated leftovers need to reach 74°C (165°F) at the centre before serving. A food thermometer is the most reliable way to check, especially for thick cuts where the centre heats more slowly than the edges.
Stirring halfway through spreads the heat, since microwaves cook unevenly depending on dish shape. Letting food stand for 1 to 2 minutes after the timer stops lets the heat even out toward the centre, finishing the cooking without switching the microwave back on.
For several portions on one plate, arranging them in a ring rather than bunched in the middle helps. The areas closer to the edge of the turntable pick up more microwaves, which evens out the cooking between portions.
Frozen food adds another variable. Defrosting on a low setting before switching to full power gives a more even result than cooking straight from frozen at high power, which tends to cook the outside before the middle has even thawed. Reheating twice is worth avoiding altogether for anything that already went through one full cook and cool cycle.
Where to go next
More recipes built around the microwave sit on our dedicated hub, with 288 recipes sorted by dish type.
The MicroCook Pitcher and the MicroPro Grill are two dishes often used for these times, each with its own product page and its own wattage notes. Both come up throughout the hub's recipes, so checking the wattage they were tested at is worth doing before scaling a recipe up or down.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cook a whole egg in the microwave?
No. An egg in its shell can burst from pressure. Crack it into a bowl, pierce the yolk, and cover before cooking.
Should food be covered?
Yes, for vegetables, rice and pasta. A lid or pierced film traps moisture and shortens the cooking time slightly.
Why stir halfway through?
Microwaves heat the edges of a dish more than the centre. Stirring or turning the dish avoids cold spots, especially with chicken and leftovers.
How do you know chicken is cooked?
The flesh should look opaque with clear juices. A thermometer in the thickest part should read 74°C (165°F).
Does time change with quantity?
Yes. Doubling the quantity adds roughly 50% to the time, since there is more mass to heat but the same wattage.