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The quality of the food:
poor quality ingredients are rarely improved by any method of cooking and this applies particularly to microwave cooking as the process is so fast.
Temperature:
the colder the food before cooking, the longer it will take to cook.
Quantity:
the cooking time relates to the amount of food in the microwave cooker. Never overload. For very large quantities it is better, and may be quicker, to cook in two or more batches.
Density:
the more porous the food, the faster it will cook. A light airy cake mixture will cook faster than jacket potatoes, minced beef faster than a joint.
Size and shape:
uniform shapes cook more evenly. In an irregular shape, such as a leg of lamb, the thinner parts will cook faster than the thick part. Boned and rolled joints cook more evenly and are easier to carve. The smaller each individual piece of food (such as the vegetables in a soup) the quicker the cooking.
Fats and sugars:
These attract the microwaves and reach a higher temperature than the distribution of fat. Thoroughly mix sugar with other ingredients. Handle pastry-wrapped foods such as sausage rolls, mince pies or jam doughnuts carefully as the filling gets hotter than the surrounding food.
Moisture:
there is very little evaporation in microwave cooking so foods can be cooked in the minimum of water. Casseroles need about half the usual amount of stock, vegetables need only two or three tablespoons of water. Cake batters, however, should be softer than conventional recipes.
Bones:
meat and poultry bones conduct heat, therefore the areas around them will cook faster than the rest of the meat. Insert a microwave meat thermometer into the thickest part of the flesh away from any bone for an accurate reading.
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