Potential for Microwave Cooking! Considerations for Restaurants‼️
Hello! This is Arata Hirai. I apologize for the lack of updates recently as I have been feeling under the weather💦
I've been at the mercy of the changing seasons... Please take care of your own health as well😣
Now, today I would like to consider the possibilities of microwave cooking, inspired by the omelet that can be made in a microwave, which has been a hot topic recently. Details are here↓
"【1.5 million views on X】 The 'world's easiest' omelet that caused a stir on TV is divine: 'It really worked!', 'Amazing', 'Absolutely foolproof! Hotel buffet quality'" https://l.smartnews.com/m-6Coz4t5T/u0HwlD
I found this article, and I think it's a wonderful recipe because the cooking method is simple and time-saving‼️
I have used microwaves in my own restaurant, but mainly for defrosting, and I haven't used them for individual menu items, so I feel that this kind of cooking method has a lot of potential!
So, I would like to consider the merits of microwave cooking from a restaurant perspective, delving into actual store operations, costs, labor expenses, turnover rates, and more!
Merits of restaurants utilizing microwave cooking
① Overwhelming reduction in labor costs: Consistent results for anyone
Microwaves have
less uneven heating (especially with recent commercial models)
quality stabilized by just time and output settings
and the potential for even new part-time staff to produce professional-level results.
As a result,
dependence on cooking skills decreases
training time is almost unnecessary
the number of high-wage kitchen staff can be reduced
This can be a major weapon, especially for one-person operations or small-staff restaurants.
② Product quality is stabilized (variations can be reduced to almost zero)
While flavors are easily affected by human skill when using frying pans or grills, with a microwave,
the same temperature
High reproducibility regardless of who makes it
in the same amount of time.
→ Ensures "the same taste every time" for repeat customers.
③ Increased turnover rate: Overwhelmingly fast from order to service
As microwave cooking is said to be the fastest reheating method,
Heating room-temperature side dishes → 20–40 seconds
Pre-cooked meat → Within 1 minute
Frozen prepared dishes → 1.5–3 minutes
Considering the times above,
faster service → higher customer turnover → increased sales. (Quality is, of course, the top priority...)
Especially effective during lunch hours and for fast-casual dining.
④ Mass preparation during prep → Only finishing touches needed at the restaurant
The biggest cost for restaurants is cooking during peak times, but by doing this in advance via
vacuum packing
freezing
chilled storage
and switching to a method of serving via microwave during peak hours (while, of course, using other cooking methods in combination!),
→ it is highly likely that kitchen congestion will be reduced and mistakes will be less likely to occur even during peak times.
⑤ Reduced waste loss (Ideal for food loss countermeasures)
By changing dishes to pre-made → microwave finish, it allows for
long-term storage
heating only the amount ordered
→ Drastic reduction in unsold food waste.
Especially
soups
meat dishes
sauce-based dishes
pasta
rice dishes
and similar dishes are well-suited for this.
⑥ Lower electricity costs (more cost-efficient than using an open flame)
Compared to gas flames,
microwaves have higher heating efficiency (less heat loss)
shorter cooking times
→ As a result,total gas and electricity costs decrease.
⑦ Lower risk of burns and fires (advantageous for insurance premiums)
Reducing gas cooking
lowers fire risk
reduces burn accidents
lowers safety measure costs
can sometimes be advantageous for insurance assessments
The benefits are greater for small-scale or one-person operated shops.
8. Uses almost no oil (makes cleaning easier)
Reducing oil-based cooking means
drastically reduced cleaning time
less buildup in ventilation equipment
easier grease trap maintenance
→ shorter cleanup time after closing → lower labor costs.
9. Can cook in small spaces → ideal for small shops
Microwaves
take up little space
do not require exhaust ducts (depending on the business type, fine for light dining)
→ easier to operate in small, low-rent properties.
No need for large equipment like fryers, and initial costs are lower.
10. Expands menu development (microwave-specific dishes are evolving)‼️‼️
And this is the top recommended benefit✨ In professional kitchens, there are already
steaming
sous-vide cooking
vacuum-sealed finishing
sauce reduction
boiling to finishing pasta
and more, with an increasing number of microwave-specific recipes.
If restaurants make use of this,original productswill be easier to create‼️‼️
I have considered the benefits mentioned above, but what do you think?
While issues such as needing to install multiple units to keep up in large stores or insufficient amperage capacity may arise, wouldn't the range of applications expand even further for small to medium-sized stores?
Why not come up with an interesting recipe and try introducing it at your own restaurant, starting with just one dish?😌