How To Defrost With A Magic Chef

The Magic Chef microwave defrost function allows you to quickly soften frozen food so that it can be cooked or reheated as if it were already room temperature. You can use the auto defrost microwave setting if you don't know how long it will take to soften the food or you can input a specific time.

The Magic Chef Auto Defrost setting will automatically determine the optimal defrost time after you input the food's type and weight. Your Magic Chef microwave will display this option as either "AUTO DEF" or "WEIGHT DEFROST" on the keypad.

On models with "AUTO DEF," pressing this button will prompt you to select a number on the keypad that corresponds with the type of food being defrosted. Press 1 for ground meat, 2 for a roast, 3 for poultry and 4 for fish. Next, you'll be prompted to enter the weight of the food: 1/2 to 3 pounds for ground meat, 2 to 3 1/2 pounds for a roast, 1 to 3 pounds for poultry, and 1/2 to 1 1/2 pounds for fish. Finally, press "START" to begin the defrost sequence.

On Magic Chef models with "WEIGHT DEFROST," pressing this button will cause "dEF1" to appear on the screen. Use the number pad to select the food's weight in ounces (from 4 to 100). Then press "START."

With a manual defrost, the microwave does not calculate the defrost time for you. You input this information. Your Magic Chef microwave keypad will say "TIME DEFROST" or "TIME DEF." Simply press this button, input the desired time and press "START."

During a defrost, the microwave automatically sets the power level to 1/3 its normal level. If you would like to change this power level during the defrost period, press "POWER" after inputting the desired time. Then, select the number on the keypad to indicate the power level you want and press "START."

To ensure success with your Magic Chef microwave defrost setting, it's important to know that you can't just walk away and expect the microwave to do all the work. First, be sure that the food is completely uncovered and in a microwave-safe dish. If you're defrosting a roast, Magic Chef recommends starting with the fat-side down. For poultry, start breast-side down.

Next, plan to stop and flip, stir or rearrange the food at least twice throughout the defrosting process. Depending on the model, your Magic Chef microwave may automatically pause and beep 1/3 of the way through the defrosting cycle to remind you to do this. If not, it's your responsibility to set the timer for only 1/3 of the total time so that you know when to flip the food.

The food is thoroughly defrosted when all areas are soft. The goal of defrosting is to soften the food, not to also cook it. If the food begins to cook, the defrost time was set too long. Keep in mind that some foods can be cooked directly from the freezer, such as steamed vegetable packs or ready-made microwave dinners. Consult the instructions if you're unsure whether the defrost setting is suitable.