3. To help food cook thoroughly, let it stand for a few minutes after the microwave is finished. The cooking process does not stop once the time is up and the microwave beeps. The heat will continue to spread through the food even though the microwave has stopped cooking.
4. Do not cook large cuts of meat on high power. To allow heat to reach the center, large cuts of meat should be cooked on medium power for a longer period of time. This will properly cook the meat and not overcook the outer edges.
5. If you intend to use the microwave to cook your food only partially and then transfer to a grill or conventional oven to finish cooking, be sure to immediately continue cooking on the other heat source. Never cook food partially and store it for later use.
6. Using the microwave to cook whole, stuffed poultry is not recommended because the stuffing may not reach the temperature needed to destroy any harmful bacteria.
7. To ensure your food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature, use a food thermometer. Before checking the food's internal temperature, let the food stand, then check.
8. Here are the safe minimum temperatures to cook foods to:
- Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops 145 degrees F.
- All cuts of pork 160 degrees F.
- Ground beef, veal, lamb 160 degrees F.
- Egg dishes, casseroles 160 degrees F.
- Leftovers 165 degrees F.
9. It is important to be careful when removing food from your microwave after it has finished cooking. To avoid burning your hands, use oven mitts when removing food from the microwave. To avoid burning your mouth and tongue, let food cool properly. Even if the container feels fairly cool, this does not mean the food itself is.
10. Do not leave popcorn cooking in the microwave unattended. Microwaves can burn popcorn quickly.

Tips to help you use your microwave to defrost food safely:

1. Before defrosting, be sure to remove packaging. Foam trays and plastic wraps may not be stable at high temperatures. Harmful chemicals could enter food from melting or warping.
2. Immediately after defrosting, cook meat, poultry, egg casseroles, and fish. During the defrosting time, some parts of the frozen food may begin to cook.

General microwave safety tips:
1. Never use metal containers, bowls or plates in the microwave. This is because a fire could start. Also, make sure to remove any twist-ties. Twist-ties have metal in them and are not safe in the microwave.
2. Use only containers and cookware that are specially manufactured for using in the microwave. All plastic, glass and ceramic containers should be labeled microwave safe
3. Do not use plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs in the microwave. This type of container is not made to withstand high temperatures and may melt or warp in the microwave.