Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine microwave cooking set review & giveaway.
I was delighted when Joseph Joseph asked if I’d like to review some of their kitchen products a few months ago. I’ve been a fan of Joseph Joseph for years and I already have a number of their pieces in my kitchen:
When it came to selecting products for review, I tried to choose items I thought myself and my readers would find useful.
Last month I reviewed the Joseph Joseph SwitchScale 2-in-1 digital scale (HERE)
For my second review, I selected the M-Cuisine Microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set because I hoped it could help me ‘make more of my microwave’. This was an enticing prospect, as I only tended to use mine for baking potatoes and reheating leftovers. This was fine when I had a cheap and cheerful countertop microwave, but after spending a small fortune on an integrated microwave for our new kitchen, I felt it was about time I justified the investment.
Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine Microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set.
So how does the M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set help you make more of your microwave?
Its 4-in-1 design enables you to cook multiple foods at once so you can make a whole meal in minutes and serve it straight to the table.
The set is designed to be as versatile as possible, so it can also be used to cook individual food in the microwave oven too. Simply add or remove the various parts of the set as required during the cooking process and adjust the cooking time for different foods as necessary.
The 4-piece microwave cooking set includes:
- Reversible lid. Fits cooking pot and steamer. Can be reversed and used as a shallow plate for warming leftovers.
- Griddle. Suitable for crisping bacon and grilling asparagus and mushrooms. For best results, do not cover whilst cooking.
- Steamer. Ideal for cooking vegetables, meat and fish.
- Cooking pot (2 litres). Perfect for cooking rice, pasta, vegetables and meat.
Cooking guidelines are also included, which are based on an 800W microwave. Cooking times will vary depending on the power of the microwave.
Can Joseph Joseph help me make more of my microwave?
I’ve already admitted that I only tend to use my microwave for reheating and baking potatoes. Will the M-Cuisine tempt me to be a bit more adventurous and unleash the full potential of my microwave?
I decided to put the ‘make more of your microwave’ claim to the test. I looked through the cooking guidelines leaflet provided with the set and selected foods I usually prepared using a conventional oven or hob. Once selected, I put the M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set and my culinary skills through their paces.
Making more of my microwave.
Here are the results of my test!
a) Bacon.
In the past, I’d tried cooking bacon in the microwave, without success. Instead of delicious-looking crispy bacon, I always ended up with fatty, anaemic looking rashers. Ughhh!
Needless to say, I was sceptical about the M-Cuisine griddle’s ‘bacon crisping’ claims. I following the instructions in the leaflet, placed two rashers on the griddle (no need to cover), then cooked them for 2 minutes in my 1000W microwave (The cooking guidelines, suggest 2-3 minutes for an 800W microwave).
The results were impressive: Perfectly crisp bacon.
Mr T was a willing guinea pig in this cooking experiment and can testify that his bacon sandwich was ‘spot on.’
b) Rice.
We love rice in our house. In fact, Emily is a bit of a rice monster: she absolutely loves it. Plus, if I could successfully cook rice in the microwave, I’d have no more worries about it burning the bottom of my saucepans when left unattended or overcooking.
Again, I followed the instruction leaflet, adding 150g of rice and 300ml of cold water to the cooking pot before covering it with the lid. With a stated cooking time of 10-12 minutes for an 800W microwave, I decided to try 12 minutes using the 600W setting.
Guess what? It worked! All of the water absorbed and I had perfectly cooked, fluffy rice.
If I have one minor issue, it would be that some of the liquid leaked from the lid whilst cooking. Not enough to overcook the rice, but enough to need cleaning up afterwards.
c) Drum roll please….An entire meal!
After my bacon and rice success, I was brimming with confidence. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I was feeling a little bit cocky! Entire meal? In a microwave? In one go? What the heck! Why not?
I decided to have a go at cooking salmon and new potatoes with asparagus and broccoli.
New potatoes take approximately 20 minutes at 800w (I decided to try approximately 2o minutes at 600W setting), whereas the salmon and vegetables only take 5-8 minutes. With this in mind, I popped the new potatoes into the pot with 400ml cold water and covered them with the lid, and cooking them for 17 minutes on their own.
Then I placed two pieces of seasoned salmon and uncooked asparagus and broccoli on the steamer. I placed the steamer on top of the pot containing the part-cooked potatoes and added the lid, before cooking it in the microwave for 8 minutes at 600W.
Ta da! The salmon and vegetables were cooked to perfection:
The potatoes were still a little on the firm side, (which had more to do with my modest 600W power setting), so I covered the salmon and vegetables with foil to keep them warm and cooked the potatoes for a further 2 minutes. In future, I’ll cook the potatoes longer before adding the fish and vegetables.
Once the potatoes were cooked, dinner was ready to serve. It looked good and it tasted great after pouring over some Hollandaise sauce. Yum!
Overview.
Here’s a summary of some of the advantages and specifications of the M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set:
- The stylish 4-in-1 system includes a cooking pot, steamer, griddle and reversible lid.
- The flexible stacking design means you can cook multiple foods at once or cook an entire meal in minutes.
- Perfect for cooking chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, pasta and rice.
- Integrated handles on pot and lid ensure easy removal from microwave.
- Dishwasher and microwave safe.
- Includes cooking guidelines. All microwave ovens vary. Adjust cooking times to suit your particular appliance.
- You can serve straight to table.
The M-Cuisine set is not suitable for use in microwaves when they are using convection settings, a conventional oven, on a hob or under a grill.
In conclusion.
I’m impressed with the looks and versatility of Joseph Joseph’s 4-piece microwave cooking set. What’s more, it works! I’d never succeeded in cooking crispy bacon in the microwave before, but the M-Cuisine griddle crisped my bacon to perfection. Furthermore, after following the cooking guidelines in the instruction booklet, I was able to cook a complete meal in one go. This meant I no longer needed to faff about switching items in and out of the microwave or resort to using my hob or oven as well.
Before I tried the M-Cuisine microwave cooking set, I tended to use my microwave for baking potatoes and reheating leftovers. Now, having successfully cooked rice, crisped bacon and prepared an entire meal using this 4-piece set, that’s all changed. The M-Cuisine has succeeded in its objective and I’m ready to ‘Make more of my microwave’.
The M-Cuisine Microwave stackable cooking set retails at £30. As you are getting 4 items in one I think this represents great value for money. If you want to make more of your microwave, then you can’t go wrong with Joseph Joseph’s versatile 4-piece set.
If you, like me, want to make more of your microwave, you can’t go wrong with this practical and versatile M-Cuisine set from Joseph Joseph.
You can find out more about the M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set HERE.
Win a Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set!
Joseph Joseph is kindly offering one of my readers the chance to win their own M-Cuisine microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set. For your chance to win this versatile set, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Competition terms and conditions:
1. There is one M-Cuisine Microwave 4-piece stackable cooking set available for one winner.
2. This prize draw will be drawn at random, and is open to entrants aged 18 or over residing in the UK.
3. Up to 4 entries per person. All are compulsory methods of entry.
4. Maflingo.com retains the right to change the competition if necessary.
5. The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative.
6. If the winners do not contact me within one week, I will redraw another winner at random.
7. Entries must be received by 11.59 pm on 4th September 2016.
8. The winners will be chosen at random and notified by email on 5th September 2016.
Please note: By entering the competition you are agreeing to be added to the Maflingo mailing list. You can opt out at any time.
Over to you.
Do you have a microwave? Do you make the most out of it? Do you have any microwave tips to share or any favourite microwave recipes? As always, I’d love to hear from you.
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